Patterson shares U.S. gymnastics title.(The Dallas Morning News) - Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

Byline: Cathy Harasta

NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ Some sports would rue the day when a major event ended in a draw. But the genuine hugfest between Allen resident Carly Patterson and Bedford native Courtney Kupets on Saturday demonstrated just how much bliss can come from tying for the U.S. women's all-around gymnastics championship.

The first of the three-stage process to determine the six-woman Olympic squad for August's Athens Games ended with the best of all outcomes. Patterson, 16, and Kupets, 17, will share the burden of entering the Olympic Trials as the favorite.

Gymnasts' shoulders are strong, but it won't hurt to spread out the daunting national expectations and pressure. Each appeared relieved to win the title without having to assume its full weight.

'By tying, it will push them to make each other even stronger,' said Martha Karolyi, the U.S. women's national team coordinator. 'They presented very aggressive and confident routines.'

The top 12 advance to the Olympic Trials on June 24-27 in Anaheim, Calif. The top two finishers at the trials will earn two of the Athens Games spots provided they show continued readiness through a final selection camp July 13-18 in New Waverly, Texas.

The Patterson-Kupets duel enthralled the Gaylord Entertainment Center crowd of 6,086 as Patterson passed Kupets on the third of the four rotations, after entering the final trailing her by.075 of a point. Kupets led by .05 of a point before she turned in a mediocre vault while Patterson performed a powerful floor exercise routine worth a 9.8. She won the U.S. title in the floor exercise Thursday.

But then Patterson did a subpar vault to close her evening, while Kupets was yet to compete on the uneven bars. Kupets _ the 2003 U.S. all-around champion and 2002 world uneven bars champion _ needed a 9.6 on that event to tie Patterson.

'I was so sad,' said Patterson, who trains at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano. 'I was kind of nervous. I didn't really do that great of a vault.'

Patterson said she believed she had lost in her first bid for a senior national all-around title. An elbow injury sidelined her from her first shot at the senior U.S. Championships last year. She then went on to win a team gold medal and the all-around silver medal at the world championships in Anaheim, Calif., last August.

But the last thing she wanted was for Kupets to make a mistake on the bars.

'I definitely don't wish upon anyone to screw up,' Patterson said. 'It's really cool that we tied because I think we're both really great gymnasts.'

The United States is so loaded with really great women gymnasts that the Olympic team selection will leave plenty of worthy athletes at home. What does it say when Ashley Postell, the 2002 world balance beam champion, finished 13th Saturday and missed the cut for the Olympic Trials?

Evgeny Marchenko, who coaches Patterson, said the fact two gymnasts tied for the title pleased every coach in the arena. The U.S. women's Olympic team coach will be named at the end of the Olympic Trials. The man or woman who is named the Olympic coach will want strong gymnasts on the team.

'It's a happy day,' Marchenko said. 'It's a great ending for both girls.'

He said he was pleased that Patterson is at '85 percent' of her full competition capacity.

'It's too dangerous to be totally up,' he said. 'There are still two months until the Olympics.'

Annia Hatch, who won her second consecutive U.S. vault championship Thursday, withdrew from the all-around final. She will join Olympic contenders Hollie Vise of Dallas and Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis., in using the injury petition process to compete in the Olympic Trials.

Patterson said she was glad to have the U.S. Championships over.

'It was kind of the first step,' she said, 'so I'm relieved.'

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Carly Patterson

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