MCSMaria's Artistic Gymnastics Blog

With the American Cup about a month and a half away, the competition roster gained competitiors as well as lost competitiors.

Former Elite Gymnast Mackenzie Caquatto has some mad skills on the uneven bars. Mackenzie, who in her life as a teenage elite gymnast was selected for the 2010 World Championship team specifically for her bar ability

Well, the Golden Globes are done and now, Hollywood is looking to the Oscars. Olympic gold medalists, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas were in attendance. Gabby sported beachy waves and new bangs with a neon yellow gown and Aly showed some major cleavage and a little leg in a daring floor length black gown. Talk about va-va-voom. I guess after prancing around in leotards that give you wedgies all day, it's nice to show off some other assets. Check out this photograph of the two on the red carpet under the cut:

Welcome to the New Year my friends! Not only is it a new year, it is a new quad as well. New round of Olympic hopefuls clamoring for the top. This week for favorite routines, I am going to recap a few favorites from the past year.

The Fierce Five are very busy girls lately. Gold medals, endorsements, being part of a sold out Gymnastics tour and countless other television and red carpet appearances fill their calendars. I am impressed with this dress! I will be accessorizing with gold Yesterday, team captain and floor gold medalist Aly Raisman announced via her Twitter that she was invited to attend the Golden Globe Awards. Meanwhile, over in Las Vegas, McKayla Maroney was using her celebrity as a judge at the Miss America Pageant at Planet Hollywood.

On Friday, USA Gymnastics announced the competitors for the 2013 American Cup. New favorites will be competing along with returning favorites. Representing the American women, Fierce Five member, Kyla Ross will compete along with 2012 World Cup winner Elizabeth "Ebee" Price. It's certainly exciting for these girls, it's the start of a new quadrennium and  it's a chance for the girls to show their stuff. For the past 10 years, nearly every American Cup competition had American gymnasts going 1-2 on the podium stand.

There's no doubt that He Kexin is one of the strongest bar competitors in the world. This summer in London, she returned to defend her Olympic uneven bar championship title. Former world champions Aliya Mustafina beat her out for the title, but it still didn't stop her from gaining a place on the medal stand with a silver medal. In Beijing, four years earlier, she faced a lot of speculation on whether or not Kexin was even old enough to compete. At the time, she was 16, a lot of critics did not believe it and accused chinese officials of falsely representing her age. In 2012, Kexin came to London looking a little taller and a little more like a young woman and less like a pre-pubscent girls. For this favorite routines installment, I am featuring He Kexin in 2008 and in 2012. The routine hasn't changed that much, but four years makes a huge difference in her age. What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments. He Kexin, Beijing, 2008, uneven bars event finals

2013 marks a new year and new beginnings. For gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Bridget Sloan, a new beginning means leaving behind their old lives as Olympians and World Champions to start a new life as college students. Ahh, college, some of the best times of my life so far, but we're not talking about me. Bridget is in her freshman year at the University of Florida in Gainseville. Nastia is attending NYU and studying sports management. Bridget made her NCAA debut yesterday competing for the University of Florida Gators.