• American gymnast Alicia Sacramone was selected to join the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, and was elected team captain.

  On August 13, 2008, missteps during Sacramone's balance beam and floor exercise routines contributed to a convincing gold medal win for the Chinese team. The Americans won the silver medal, but questions loomed over the unusual two-minute hold placed on Sacramone before the balance beam event.ESPN: Team final result should not define Sacramone (August 13, 2008) The silver medal that Sacramone won in the team competition was her only medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.NBC Olympics: Gymnastics Medalists

• Fast Facts

  1. Full name: Alicia Marie Sacramone
  2. Pronounced "Sack-ruh-MONE-ee"
  3. Born: December 3, 1987
  4. Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
  5. Height: 5'1"
  6. College: Brown University
  7. Italian descent
  8. Began studying dance at three years old
  9. Began gymnastics at eight years old
  10. Won seven world championship medals
  11. 2005 world champion in the floor exercise
  12. Cover Girl cosmetics spokesperson

• Alicia Sacramone on Winning Silver

  "We would have loved to have that gold, and because of my mistakes, we missed out."ESPN: Team final result should not define Sacramone (August 13, 2008)

  "It's kinda hard not to blame myself, so I am just trying to put on a smile."ESPN: Team final result should not define Sacramone (August 13, 2008)

• Gymnastics Career

  Sacramone won her first major competition in 2005, when she took home first place in vault and floor exercise at the Visa Championships. She also won the floor exercise at the 2005 World Gymnastics Championships. Sacramone repeated as vault champion at the Visa Championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 2007, she helped the U.S. team bring home the team championship at the World Gymnastics Championships. This was that the first time the U.S. had won the championship outside of the country. Sacramone was sidelined in early 2008 with an ankle injury, but managed to return for the Visa Championships and the U.S. Olympic team trials, where she won both vault events.

• Career Highlights

  • 2003: U.S. National Gymnastics Championships, third place floor exercise
  • 2004: World Cup of Gymnastics, second place vault
  • 2004: National Elite Podium Meet, first place vault and floor exercise
  • 2004: Visa Championships, second place vault
  • 2005: World Cup of Gymnastics, first place vault
  • 2005: Visa Championships, first place vault and floor exercise
  • 2005: World Gymnastics Championships, first place floor exercise
  • 2006: Visa Championships, first place vault and floor exercise (tie)
  • 2006: World Gymnastics Championships, second place vault, second place team
  • 2007: Visa Championships, first place vault
  • 2007: World Gymnastics Championships, first place team, second place floor exercise
  • 2008: Visa Championships, first place vault, second place floor exercise
  • 2008: U.S. Olympic gymnastics team trials, first place vault
  • 2008: Summer Olympics, silver medal team

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Alicia Sacramone Photos | Alicia Sacramone Punch | Gymnastics | Summer Olympics 2008 | Olympic Gymnastics | US Olympic Gymnastics 2008 | Nastia Liukin | Shawn Johnson

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