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Videos | Wallpaper | AIM Icons | Articles This article was original printed in the May/June 2003 Issue of IG3 the Online Gymnastics Magazine, this magazine is no longer in print. Shavahn Church Spotlight Shavahn Church was born on May 3, 1989, in Van Nuys, CA, to two English immigrants. She began gymnastics at age 7 under Ming Ming Yang, the Chinese coach for the 1984 and 1988 Olympic teams. Five years later she switched to SCATS (owned by Don Peters, the American coach for the 1984 and 1988 Olympic teams ironically) where she is now trained by Eric and Monique Hagard. After the switch she became the 2002 Level 10 Regional Bar Champion and qualified to J.O. Nationals in Maryland. Unfortunately she was injured before the meet and could only compete on bars but she made the most of her opportunity and finished 3rd! In early 2003 she qualified to International Elite on her first try and qualified to her first Nationals on her first try! When she isn't in the gym, she spends her time being homeschooled (Shavahn is in 8th grade), hip hop dancing, or watching movies like Chicago or The Ring. Shavahn has gained a lot of notority based on her unique and difficult bar routine. There is also a bit of controversy surrounding her routine because the skills she does are so unique, some of them are not even in the women's Code of Points! Here is a break down of her routine and an update from her coach Don Peters. Jump to outside of high bar to glide kip
"In her new routine after the Jaeger she does a kip cast clear hip 1/2 to eagle grip, giant hop 1/2 to a bail (overshoot), underswing shoot to high bar, kip cast giant 1/2, front giant to [jam] dislocate (Luo), double front. The first 1/2 of the routine before the Jaeger remains the same," Shavahn's coach Don Peters explains. "Both routines have start values of 10. In the first routine if the dislocate from Russian giant goes to handstand, and the Luo goes to handstand then the start is 10. In the new routine only D value for those parts is necessary for a 10 (more than 5 degrees from handstand.) This is because the clear 1/2 to invert 1/2 to underswing 1/2 to the low bar ads more bonus," Peters added. IG3: Were you nervous at the American Classic?
IG3: How long did it take you to learn those difficult dislocation elements on bars?
IG3: What are your goals going into the U.S. Championships?
IG3: How do you think the U.S. team will do at the World Championships?
IG3: Are you working on any new skills?
IG3: What are your long-term gymnastics goals?
IG3: Where did you train before you moved to SCATS?
IG3: What is training with Don Peters like?
IG3: Do any of the SCATS Olympians ever visit the gym?
IG3: Who are your favorite gymnasts?
IG3: What is the key to success in gymnastics?
IG3: What is your best memory from gymnastics?
Shavahn's Results
Shavahn's Skills
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