Samantha Peszek

Samantha Peszek (born December 14, 1991 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American national team gymnast. She is a member of the United States' 2008 Olympic women's gymnastics team. She was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the 2007 Pan American Games.

In March 2008, she competed at the American Cup. She placed 3rd in the all-around competition, behind teammates Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. After a solid performance at the 2008 U.S. National Championships, Peszek continued to prove her worth to the U.S. team at the Olympic Trials. At the conclusion of the meet, when she was invited to the final Olympic selection camp, most experts, including NBC's analysts, predicted she would be selected for the team. Indeed, she was selected on July 19, 2008 at the conclusion of the selection camp in New Waverly, Texas. Along with Peszek, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone, and Bridget Sloan were also selected for the team.

She has high-difficulty skills such as a standing tucked full to immediate back pike (beam) and double twisting double (floor), but her gymnastics suffers greatly in the execution and presentation department.

Peszek lives in McCordsville, Indiana and attends Cathedral High School. She also attended St.Simon the Apostle Grade School where she got high honors.

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Peszek was injured during warm-ups just minutes before the women's qualifier and was restricted to the Uneven Bars. She was the second gymnast to be injured on the 2008 Women's gymnastics Olympic team, the other being Chellsie Memmel. After Beijing, Peter Zhao, Peszek's long-time coach at DeVeau's School of Gymnastics, retired from coaching and returned to China to help with his family business. Peszek transferred to Sharp's Gymnastics Academy. She currently trains alongside Olympic teammate Bridget Sloan.

Peszek lives in McCordsville, Indiana and attends Cathedral High School. She also attended St.Simon the Apostle Grade School where she got high honors.

After Beijing, Peter Zhao, Peszek's long-time coach at DeVeau's School of Gymnastics, retired from coaching and returned to China to help with his family business. Peszek transferred to Sharp's Gymnastics Academy. She currently trains alongside Olympic teammate Bridget Sloan.

In April 2009 Peszek announced on her Twitter that she had committed to UCLA to compete in NCAA gymnastics for the Bruins. She was the first of the 2008 US Women's Gymnastics team, apart from former collegiate athlete Alicia Sacramone, to announce NCAA intent.

Routine Skills

• Vault - Double Twisting laid out Yurchenko
• Uneven Bars - Straight Mount to High Bar; Kip; 1.5 pirouette; Gienger; Transition to lower bar in handstand; Stalder Transition to High Bar, Full pirouette, Double Twisting Dismount
• Floor Exercise - 1.5 Twist to Double Back Tuck; Double Layout; triple turn; Arabian Double Front; Double Back Pike
• Balance Beam - Standing tucked full twist to a Back Pike; Front Aerial to Back handspring to Back Layout Stepout; Sheep Jump; Switch Side; Front Tuck; Full turn with legs at 90 degrees; Wolf Hop to Switch Leap to Gainer Layout Step Out; Round off to a double pike dismount