1999 Visa American Cup - Full Broadcast

[@SonOfAGun1814]

vanessa alter was one of the most talented gymnasts to never reach her full potential

[@saragrant9749]

Yup, thanks to useless coaches not deserving of a place in the sport.

[@malloryjade13]

I don't understand why they just didn't change and re-vamp Vanessa's bar routine?!?! If it didn't work over and over again... logical thinking...come on!!

[@2134knees]

Yet...Sometimes she hit and other times she didn't!!

[@traciejimenez2589]

I completely agree. It’s so heartbreaking to watch this poor girl miss that same move over and over. I know how she feels it was a complete mental block. There was obviously no getting over it for her. Just scrap the routine and do moves that are easy for her and work for her. Just enough to put up a solid score and get through it you know

[@traciejimenez2589]

She should’ve been on the 2000 team. She could have put up great scores on everything else and probably qualified for finals on them.

[@lisastiles1408]

This has been discussed over and over. Vanessa herself has said that she started with the Rybacki’s way behind in bars, as far as skill level-maybe a level six?-and it was the easiest routine for her to do with a high enough start value. I would have liked them to just said she didn’t need to do bars. She was easily in the top three of US women on vault, floor, and beam. Maybe if they would have built her confidence as a senior competitor, she could have had fun with it for a while. In that mind set, I’d bet Atler would WANT to return to bars and play around and see what she could do. Other than sensing her being completely tight, I think her basic technique on bars is pretty good. Maybe just let her play with it if and when she wanted. But the 2000 team could have sure used her vault, floor, and hit beam routines. All the leaders of that selection committee should be banned from ever working in gymnastics again, pay fines, and have criminal and civil charges going against them. The girls that did make it, the girls that didn’t, the whole Nassar stuff...

[@nickmann9549]

@@lisastiles1408 Not Tracy Talavera! Watch the new documentary "Defying Gravity" :)

[@peterpeterkins5776]

Pretty sad to hear her mom say "I carried her for 9 months" now that we all know the truth .. Dominque Moceanu's mom carried her sister for 9 months too, but when she was born with no legs her husband ripped the baby out of her arms and gave it away.

[@saragrant9749]

She wasn’t innocent either in any way- she could have done something to stop it and didn’t- and never showed remorse for it either. She’s just as much of a monster, perhaps even more so. No mother should support dismissing a child because it’s not what you were looking for.

[@cheryl2962]

The Baby Would Not Have Had A Good Life With Her Birth Parents! Seems Like She is Well Loved In Her Family And Very Confident!

[@kellyshahan2550]

Poor Vanessa I almost cried when she cried. There was too much pressure from her coach Steve. I think too much pushing from him made Vanessa very nervous to perform bars. I know the feeling 😔

[@cgkitti]

Vanessa's first tumbling pass on floor. Whew! That punch front had so much air!

[@inpanopticon]

I love that Jennie won this. And that her career got better during these years. A lot of gymnasts get kicked around and fall through the cracks then leave the sport feeling jaded. She really earned this.

[@bigbennie96]

I disagree Karpenko was stronger overall with more difficulty so unfair that she had it ,then her score got lowered. Seems like Americans are always favored in "the American Cup" be interesting to see if it's a panel of international judges since it's an international event, or if it's all American Judges. RIP Alexander Beresh

[@connormccool9310]

@@bigbennie96 she had a pretty bad day. 9.3 when touching her feet? with a pike down and big step, and that floor routine was rough

[@mchur001]

@@bigbennie96 Karpenko was far from perfect and got a gift on UB herself. Her FX was riddled with deductions. Thompson was the rightful winner. That can't be disputed.

[@mchur001]

@@bigbennie96 Karpenkos score was not lowered. Al read her score as it was before the neutral deduction for OOB was taken.

[@wheresbaby7783]

Yeah, but poor Jenny she she had this problem with her leg. She couldn’t lock them out it was just you know heredity thing you know she couldn’t get her legs straight ever completely straight.

[@williamt594]

what amazes me is that Al has been commentating so long, yet he still doesn't know a thing about gymnastics.

[@nicolemccoy4798]

William T so true lol

[@kassieahner5315]

I think they do that on purpose. Make him play the "stupid role, so someone asks questions, so then they can educate about the sport. I think it's all a game.

[@traciejimenez2589]

Am I the only one that gets extremely uncomfortable looking at younger scrawny Tim??? 😖 I started watching gymnastics in the 2008-2016 era and it’s terrifying to see his beady little eyes he looks completely different.

[@jonathancandella1927]

He’s putting himself in the shoes of the viewer, trying to ask similar questions they may be asking while watching

[@Magical_turtle]

@@kassieahner5315 I have always wondered this too! Thanks for the validation 🙏🏼

[@mht4908]

It breaks my heart to see Vanessa miss the title to herself all 6 times: 3 times in the American Cup, and another 3 in Nationals. Her 1997 AC performance was the only time where her bars didn't cost her the title, all 3 times she would've easily won. I understand that she wanted to maximize her start value on bars, but downgrading the Comaneci to an easier skill would've boosted her score more as well as her confidence, losing a tenth from doing an easier routine is better than losing 0.5+ just for a harder routine. She was another gymnast born in the wrong quad just like Elena Produnova, I firmly believe that she still should've been been on the team, because Vanessa consistently scored higher than Dawes on the 2000 nationals except on bars. Despite her trials meltdown, her scores on vault, beam and floor still placed her higher than Dawes, and she could've been back to where she was if Valeri had the time to get her mentality straight again. What could've been, she was probably the only US gymnast that had a chance to bring home a couple of bronze medals in event finals, her scores in the 1999 world qualifications for floor AA were enough to place her in the top 5 in Sydney. A vault bronze was possible as well. Nonetheless, she still remains my favorite gymnast to this day, she had that special something in her gymnastics that no one else in the 2000 or 2004 team had. She was the gymnast that had a perfect combination of power and artistry. I had wanted to see her 1998-99 floor routine so badly in Sydney

[@kennyrudolph8172]

I'm right there with you. I feel the same as you about Vanessa. She is one of my all time favorite gymnasts, too ! 🏆🎖️🏅💍🎗️👑🥋🎓🏃🇺🇸🙏

[@michellebaker6302]

Unfortunately I think she couldn't handle the pressure. At 1999 Worlds, in the words of Bart Conner, "Boy, when you talk about meldown!" because her team final performance was a disaster. And that was not even on bars. I wouldn't chance taking an athlete to the Olympics after that Worlds performance when they still struggled so much at home as well. Olympic Trials she was a total mess.

[@rolandgreen7484]

You are in fact wrong. In 97 American Cup she didn't fall on bars at all, she simply had a mediocre and low scoring bar routine, with low difficulty and very bad form, compared to the winner Teza. In 98 she would have lost the American Cup even with her prelims bar score which was one of her best routines ever.

[@brianpatterson1827]

Yes there was too Mich media pressure on Vanessa Atler and how she struggles with bars. That'll affect anyone's self confidence in that event. Smh

[@JimmyJam2482]

That Comaneci in Vanessa's bars should have been taken out LONG before this.

[@mlalgeo81]

Yep. I NEVER understood why her coaches made her keep it in her routine after so many years.

[@mht4908]

RIP Alexander Beresch

[@etownshawn]

1:09:23 what a stellar routine

[@ajimenez1719ify]

Beresch's highbar was gorgeous! And I'll tell you what.....Karpenko was such an underrated gymnast.

[@bewitchers]

Vanessa Atler 0:05, 15:10, 18:05, 21:45, 31:15, 1:22:50 Melinda Cleland 5:05 Viktoria Karpenko 20:00, 42:30, 1:17:40 Jennie Thompson 27:20, 35:00, 1:11:45, 1:13:20 Kerri Strug story 28:40 Xuan Liu 9:20, 1:06:40 Dominique Moceanu 46:30 Elena Produnova 54:30, 59:20

[@saragrant9749]

This proves how toxic the media is when an athlete has tremendous potential. It will likely always be that way- in every sport.

[@kennyrudolph8172]

Yes, and Vanessa had too much pressure put on her by a lot of people. Still, she is one of my all time favorite gymnasts, though ! 🏆🎖️🏅💍🎗️👑🥋🎓🏃🇺🇸🙏

[@saragrant9749]

@@kennyrudolph8172absolutely. Another quad and she’d have had a much better shot as a three event specialist. Her vault was phenomenal.

[@dahighbar]

never was a fan of Jennie but I'm glad she got a chance to win

[@mwalker9899]

The only issue I've ever had with Jenny, and it wasn't even her fault, was the fact that she competed as a senior at TWELVE years old! Most kids her age weren't even at level 10 yet, she had no business competing those kinds of skills at that level being so young. She didn't stand a chance and was completely set up to fail. Not to mention all the injuries she had over the years, if she had waited a couple years and let herself get stronger physically, and work on her refinement, it would have made a world of difference. I blame the coaches and her family.

[@1Timoteo41]

Vanessa Atler was so, so close to win the American Cup. She could have won if she just performed the transition from the low to the high bar (her ninth skill). Just because of that skill that she took out, she lost points (may be two or three tenths). Viktoria Karpeno's floor routine was very very difficult, but unfortunately, her out of bounce on the second pass was bad (both feet were out and she took two steps back). I always hoped she took out the first back handspring on that pass to avoid going out of bounce. Elena Produnova went out of bounce, but still got in second place. I am glad she did not perform a triple twist at the Olympics. That was a good change. Thompson was not my favorite, but I am glad she won the competition. She deserved to win! I was hoping to see her competing in Sidney, but she didn't even competed at the Olympic Trials. 1999 was a great year for her. Congratulations to her!

[@grantlevis9287]

With all due respect lets not even pretend that the American Cup (aka Scam Cup) is even close to a semi legitimate event. Atler with 2 falls beating Karpenko with lesser mistakes, and almost beating Produnova with only 1 fall is a joke. And Karpenko hit her bars in prelims and still lost the bars event to....*drumrolls*... Jenny Thompson who is a fugly mess on that event. Dont make me laugh. I bet if Atler had hit her bars with the Commaneci in prelims they would have put her over Karpenko too there, despite that Karpenko is light years better than both on that event. And of course the previous year in prelims on a rare time Atler hit her Commaneci and bar routine in prelims she beat out Meng Fei, the world silver medalist, for the bronze on that event, ROFTL!! I could go on forever, but nothing about the American Cup has ever been semi legit. I enjoy watching it, but I treat it like an exhibition and a way to see how different top gymnasts (American and otherwise) are doing for the important events late in the year. As a competition it has non existing value, except to an American gymnast I guess.

[@trodairebeag]

Its out of BOUNDS not it of bounce

[@brianpatterson1827]

Vanessa Atler the best beamer ever!

[@brianpatterson1827]

Blaine's vault score was fair. Low landing and large hop back.

[@Elizabeth1-h9s]

vanessa is the best gymnast

[@spartyutube2020]

Why on earth did they insist on that Comaneci? Coaches are too proud.

[@2134knees]

"came apart on the still rings" and yet Bonderenko got a 9.8 something on rings!

[@marcushamner5994]

31:28 Vanessa’s beam routine was freaking flawless! She’s so beautiful too. I’ve always had a crush on her growing up. She’s 5 years older than I am😍😍😘💍

[@johncastro39]

Why is Blaine Wilson chewing gum?

[@kassieahner5315]

I bet there would be a rule now that you can't chew gum while competing.

[@Cmc995]

But can you imagine a female gymnast dancing around with headphones, chewing gum, and showing off a tongue ring!?! If the females smiled or laughed they were seen as ‘distracted’ lol

[@alicemcfarlane9717]

FFS Vanessa Atler jumped from 5th to finish in 3rd, & the only acknowledgement she received from the commentators was "she'll be going back to the gym"?!? REALLY??? 🤬

[@2134knees]

I love that Jennie won this - after being in the sport and going through so many things over the years (not making the 96 Team, and sticking with it til 2000 and various injuries)!!! I have always LOVED Jennie...But I DO have one thing to say about Atler...Why would the Rybakis NOT take out the Comaneci? If it was such a problem...Use common sense and TAKE IT OUT - I think that is what made Vanessa ultimately switch gyms!!!!!

[@fordfocuschik820]

if you had seen the 1998 American Cup, you would see that it was taken out for that competition. why it wasn't left out, who knows?

[@rexjdk]

Yes I too am glad that she won.

[@mwalker9899]

Because Atler's mental block had nothing to do with the Comaneci, she messed up even after going to Liukin's gym.

[@wheresbaby7783]

I heard the Rabbi said she makes it every time in in practice so they don’t understand why she can’t make it in the competition but I agree with you take it out don’t have her do any any release moves who cares let her get a 9.2 she does so great on all the other combat

[@kras118]

Onodi to split jump-- interesting combo from Produnova!

[@trodairebeag]

With the Australian girl on bars....it looked to me like she just got stuck I'm the handstand. Not a bad thing. What irritates me is Tim and Elfie ASSUMING they know what was going thru her head!!! They dont know!!!

[@wheresbaby7783]

Poor Dominique. She seems so sad. I want to read her her book I never read her book. Did you read her book

[@tekkenfan01]

The American Cup is the most sacred competition after Worlds and the Olympics. The winners usually go on to win it all. Vanessa Atler is a sad story. She definitely could have won at the Olympics.

[@admetric]

I think a lot of fans would not call it sacred. A lot of ppl call it a scam.

[@tekkenfan01]

Love Joy a lot of fans are idiots

[@tekkenfan01]

USA women are the best in the world, and the AC is American, do the math

[@tekkenfan01]

Actually USA has been making an impact since the 80s, now the most dominant ever, more so than when USSR was winning

[@tekkenfan01]

metsedudenj yeah yeah yeah

[@_padfoot]

Isn't this the meet where Atler performed the never before done front handspring rudi vault? If so how did the broadcast neglect to show that, or the commentators not at least mention that she had done so? Or was it only podium training perhaps?? Edit: i guess she competed it at "prelims" which was not televised it seems. Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qV7LYoiYoJqVhaM&ab_channel=Gymgold07

[@brianpatterson1827]

And idk why the fuck they let Vanessa continue to do the Comaneci release after the tkatchev. They should've deleted that 2nd release from her routine. She was never gonna be a gold medalist on bars. Beth Rybecki and Steve - shame on them for not taking that Comaneci release out.

[@tyboogie1982]

She had multiple issues on different skills on bars, not just the comaneci. There were times she nailed this routine internationally.

[@susandilaudo9534]

I just came here to watch her Rudi; unfortunately, the broadcast starts with Vanessa in grips. Smh. I paused to write this. Im hoping they show her vault during a break. Stupid organization of a broadcast. She is known for power, why not start with vault. But no.....they start with drama: vanessa and bars. Typical NBC narrative

[@lilwater420]

Every American Cup starts on the bars. They condense the broadcast so that’ll be shorter. So for the men that means they don’t show pommel horse, floor, and rings. And for the women they don’t show vault.

[@Gymnastics-me8hu]

@@lilwater420 yeah instead to this day they only show the current first and second place or just the americans on how vault went for their first rotation. but in the 2011 and 2012 american cup universal sports aired the first half of both american cups airing the full first three rotations for the men and the first rotation for the women and then start Uneven bars for the women and the fourth rotation for the men when they transfer to nbc/nbc sports

[@Mandalaaxo]

Why do they even bother having announcers who know nothing about the sport?? The second guy is literally saying he doesn't see any of the mistakes the actual gymnast announcers are commenting on. The segment with Dominique's interview... what she went through. Very telling about how her father wouldn't even give her her medals and she's hoping her mom can save her other possessions. What a nightmare.

[@sarahjohnson-nt4fm]

How can they show a score then take back and change it?

[@matthewdunaway7739]

"with bangs that wouldn't quit." Al is such a dork.

[@almajurisic16]

Elfie: We didn't have to work. Al: You guys are fired. Lol

[@Gymnastics-me8hu]

😹😹

[@wheresbaby7783]

It’s true no one will ever love you as much as your mother

[@saragrant9749]

Dominique’s mother didn’t deserve the title of mother, she was nothing but a monster. She dismissed her own first born because she was born without legs. Her and her husband were nothing but empty shells posing as human beings.

[@sjekci]

Vanessa could have easily won this counting a fall, she was that amazing on the other 3 events. On 3 events, she was doing her best gymnastics ever for much of 1999. I liked literally everything Beth and Steve did for her except keep that bar routine as is. It was clear they really cared about her, and I don't know why the three of them never sat down and had a real conversation about bars and how it was affecting Vanessa's mental state. Leaving her coaches right before Worlds was like a self-sabotaging move. There had to have been a better way to handle it.

[@mwalker9899]

They wanted to set her up with Karolyi and she refused to work with him, she would have been better off with MLT or Kelli Hill, someone who could actually work with her mental block, Liukin ruined whatever confidence she had by starving her and fat shaming her after she hurt her ankle.

[@challloyd215]

Vanessa has me in tears!!! And, I was feeling sorry for the little Ukrainian girl and wondering how she and her mom are, BUT, did she HAVE to stand right THERE?!

[@kubrickfan]

One of the best field of female athletes for an American Cup. Kinda crazy that Jennie Thompson ended up winning because she was the only one who didn’t fall.

[@saragrant9749]

It’s just a shame Jennie never made it to an Olympics.

[@akaCONSTANTINE]

I feel like instead of harder training, Vanessa should have done some mental health, counselor, to help with her self doubt etc. It's a shame that probably was never considered, as mental health wasn't a thing back then.

[@lizmiller7681]

I’m gonna say it, I could not stand Steve Rybacki. I think he tore down Vanessa Atler, too much.

[@trodairebeag]

He did it with Tabitha Yim too. At her first senior nationals

[@alessia294]

it's hilarious how they say "american cup" during the intro like it's some sacred competition

[@dahighbar]

it is to American gymnast

[@jcneverquits]

The two male gymnasts trying to have swagger is so cringe!

[@maryhelenharris6149]

If only they would’ve changed Vanessa‘s bar routine a long time ago when she was having problems with it she probably could’ve been in the Olympics and been a gold medalist. Still don’t understand why they didn’t take her she could at least done three events at the Olympics and given one really high scores.

[@OmarLicea1]

I hate Steve Rybacki!! Period!!! Nessa said he was pressured all the time!

[@lizmiller7681]

I think she’d have gone so much further with a different coach.

[@etownshawn]

1:26:10 so cute! what a moment!

[@SonOfAGun1814]

nbc and usag act like the american cup is important, but it's really just a pr move to win it.

[@katiebenson5193]

was i the only one that the guy video taping at 9 min was alexander alexandra at first lol

[@bigbennie96]

old school!

[@Just2Brothershl1314]

They should’ve taken out that comenci she always fell on it i dont understand it

[@mchur001]

Atler didn't want to take it out.

[@trodairebeag]

​@@mchur001yes she did

[@trodairebeag]

Let her have her damn emotions Steve!!! Then she can get strong!!!

[@saragrant9749]

Steve was useless as a coach and proved it multiple times.

[@wheresbaby7783]

What a crazy dad .building the largest gym in America .what an ego maniac

[@magdaroussoulieres3074]

Vanessa never had consistency

[@wheresbaby7783]

I don’t think he’s a good coach

[@wheresbaby7783]

Jenny Thompson can't dance it's really a little sad that they don't know how to dance I mean the worst dancer was the Olympic gold floor medalist Aly Raisman she can't ask that all and she still one go into gold