Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer
It's not her fault that gymnast Vanessa Atler was born when she was. Yet she's being penalized for it.
The Santa Clarita teen celebrated her 14th birthday on Feb. 17, which, it turns out, is about six weeks too late. Had she been born before Jan. 1, 1982, she would be in the running for a spot on the U.S. team at the 1996 Olympics. Instead, not only will she miss the Olympics, but she might not be able to compete in a gymnastics world championship until 1999.
'I'm kind of, like, disappointed,' she said. 'I guess I have to look to Sydney (in 2000). The big thing is Australiafor me. I want to get to the Olympics, but I don't know. It kind of stinks. Kind of stupid.'
Atler is ranked No. 1 in the nation among junior gymnasts by the United States Gymnastics Federation.But junior gymnasts - under the age of 15 - are not eligible to compete in the Olympics. Atler's winning all-around score of 38.60 at the recent American Classics meet in Tulsa, Okla., would have placed her fifth in the senior division. At the Olympic trials later this year, the top six will qualify for the Olympics.
That doesn't assure that she would have made the team, since junior gymnasts do not have to perform compulsory routines and senior gymnasts do. But those in the Atler camp say that if she needed to do compulsories to qualify for the Olympics, she would have trained and practiced accordingly.
According to Kathy Kelly, USGF women's program director, Atler's exclusion is the result of a growing belief in the gymnastics community that the sport is being dominated by increasingly younger gymnasts. As a result, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has raised the minimum age to participate in the Olympics and World Championships to 15 and, effective Jan. 1, 1997, to 16. That will keep Atler out of the 1997 World Championships.
FIG wants to give the older gymnasts (read: those past puberty) more opportunities to compete and stay interested in the sport, Kelly said.
'It's unfortunate, because if she can make the team, she should be able to,' Atler's coach, Steve Rybacki, said.
Atler won't be eligible for a senior international competition until 1998, but she might have to wait one more year. Jackie Fie, the president of the FIG women's technical committee and the only member on the 11-member executive committee, said some European and Asian nations, citing high costs and too many competitions already, are blocking a 1998 World Championships from happening.
'We feel we should recognize a world champion every year,' Fie said, but FIG lacks the power to declare it so.
Atler would be eligible for the 1999 World Championships, which will be part of the process to determine the United States Olympic team for the 2000 Games in Sydney. But that means three more years competing in the junior ranks.
'It's kind of like a waste of time,' Atler said.
Her mother, Nanette, is concerned that by that time, she will be past her peak and not as competitive. That could affect her ability to stay injury-free and earn a college scholarship.
'She's won money that we can't accept,' Nanette Atler said, citing NCAA regulations that say an athlete can't accept money without losing eligibility.
Rybacki said Atler's potential for success in three years depends on how tall she grows. Gymnasts taller than 5-foot-1 are not as adept at the sport's demanding moves as those who are shorter, he said. Atler is 4-6-1/2.
In the meantime, Atler can continuein the junior ranks, participating in international meets that will allow her to showcase her skills without the pressure the seniors feel. The next one, starting today in Avignon, France, will pit her against some of the top seniors in the world.
'She's awesome. We're extremely excited about her talents,' Kelly said. 'She'll have many opportunities to compete. The No. 1 junior spot is a coveted position. We're going to give her as much exposure to develop her international recognition as possible.'
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Photo (color) Vanessa Atler of Santa Clarita, 14, is believed to be good enough to compete at Atlanta. Special to the Daily News
