Well, looks like the scandal that just won’t die rages on!
Chellsie, the class act she is, has decided to take the high road and address the controversy in a radio interview where she spoke candidly saying she respects the decision but admits her disappointment. Listen below!
However, Chellsie’s Dad and Coach Andy Memmel chose a different road and has conducted a fiery interview blasting USA Gymnastics, particularly accusing Steve Penny of asking Chellsie to announce her retirement to “make USA Gymnastics look good” to Marta Karolyi and her “poor little princesses.”
USA Gymnastics is dealing with a backlash of criticism from fans of West Allis gymnast Chellsie Memmel after the organization denied her a chance to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
A petition started on change.org had more than 2,500 signatures as of Thursday night and the anger evident on gymnastics blogs and websites apparently has caught USA Gymnastics off guard.
The online petition was launched Sunday, one day after Memmel performed poorly on the balance beam at the Secret U.S. Classic in Chicago and a committee led by national team coordinator Marta Karolyi decided she wasn’t fit to compete at the Visa (U.S.) Championships, June 7-10, in St. Louis.
Visa Championships determines qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic team trials three weeks later in San Jose, Calif.
“They’re surprised with all the backlash,” said Andy Memmel, Chellsie’s father and coach. “USA Gymnastics is not happy with the nasty press, but they put themselves in this predicament, not us.”
Steve Penny, president and CEO of USA Gymnastics, said he understood the outpouring of support for Memmel given her accomplishments and popularity. She is the fifth-most decorated gymnast in U.S. history.
“First of all, I’d like to say I think everyone recognizes the incredible athlete Chellsie has been over the years,” Penny said. “She’s been an incredible athlete and role model for the sport and we all love her.”
However, Andy Memmel said that as criticism mounted and the change.org petition gathered steam in recent days, Penny called his daughter and asked her to announce her retirement.
“He said, ‘Why don’t you just retire? We’ll make it look good for you,’ ” Andy Memmel said. “Well, wait a minute. They’re trying to make it look good for themselves. They’re not liking this (backlash).
“Penny said, ‘Your fans aren’t very cordial or nice.’ Imagine that.”
Chellsie Memmel, 23, the 2005 world all-around champion and a 2008 Olympian, is coming off shoulder surgeries in September and February but was training full time in an effort to make the U.S. team for the London Games.
She petitioned USA Gymnastics to allow her into the Visa Championships but was required to compete in at least one event at the Secret U.S. Classic, considered a tune-up event for nationals.
In podium training Friday, Memmel did a full floor routine and looked sharp. But in the competition Saturday, she fell off the beam twice and received a score of 12.950, the lowest among the 21 competitors.
Immediately after the competition, Karolyi announced that Memmel’s petition had been denied. Karolyi said Memmel needed to achieve a predetermined score of 14 points on the beam to advance.
“We’d all love to see Chellsie competing, but right now the stars are not aligned in her direction,” Penny said. “I think Chellsie understands that the timing is not working in her favor.
“We absolutely adore Chellsie Memmel and want to support her, but it’s pretty clear as to what the benchmarks are.”
When Karolyi announced the decision to effectively end Memmel’s Olympic bid, she said, “All of us cried. But we have to make sure our sentiments cannot be involved in the decision.”
Karolyi’s comments struck many of Memmel’s fans as disingenuous for several reasons.
Other gymnasts who have filed similar petitions have been allowed to compete under similar circumstances. Shawn Johnson, who along with Memmel helped the U.S. win the team silver medal in Beijing, did not compete at the Secret U.S. Classic and was waived through to the Visa Championships by Karolyi.
Johnson was given a pass because she competed at the 2011 Pan Am Games. Memmel was named to the same Pan Am team but could not compete because of injury. She wound up undergoing surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon.
“Chell didn’t do the best (beam) routine, but they also know she’s training and coming back from an injury,” Andy Memmel said. “They’ve all trained kids and they’ve all been in this exact same position.
“We all know there’s a target score, but there’s always exceptions to the rule. Even a couple of their poor little princesses – and I’m not going to name names – they’ve passed them through to nationals.”
Asked about exceptions the organization has made for other gymnasts, Penny said, “We could spend hours talking about the circumstances. This situation is very unique and has its own set of circumstances.”
Memmel’s fans have pointed out that she has risen to the occasion many times in the past and has competed with serious injuries for USA Gymnastics. In 2008, she broke her foot days before the start of the Olympics but still competed on uneven bars in the team event, helping the U.S. win silver.
Two years earlier, at the 2006 World Championships, Memmel botched a release during her bars routine and tore the labrum in her right shoulder. She got back on the bars, did three more events and helped the U.S. secure a silver medal. Then she withdrew from the individual events, missing a chance to defend her world all-around title.
“Had all this happened at the Olympics,” Dvora Meyers wrote on deadspin.com, “Chellsie Memmel would’ve been held up as a combination of Mary Lou Retton and Norman Schwarzkopf.”
Andy Memmel said his daughter’s dedication and loyalty to USA Gymnastics and her track record at international events didn’t seem to matter.
“That gets us all upset,” he said. “It’s never look what she’s done for them; it’s only what they’ve done for her. It’s never look how many medals she’s gotten. No, it’s what we’ve done for you.
“Wait a minute, without these athletes there is no you. They forget that really quickly. We own a gym (M&M Gymnastics). Our program supports your salary.”
Memmel’s fans wonder what the harm would be in allowing her to compete at the national championships, where she planned to do a full all-round program. If she wasn’t good enough to advance to the Olympic trials, she would at least be going out on her own terms.
“It’s the national championships, a prestigious competition, and there’s a qualifying structure for that,” Penny said. “It’s not an all-comers meet. You should not rely on a petition process to qualify. That’s not what the petition process is set up to do.”
Memmel’s fans also wonder if Karolyi allowed bias to enter into her decision. Memmel stopped attending Karolyi’s national team training camps several years ago, choosing instead to train privately at M&M Gymnastics. Karolyi’s power within the organization is unquestioned
“Yes, she does control everything,” Andy Memmel said. “Sad to say, but there is no other option.”
No matter how many people sign the online petition or inundate USA Gymnastics with emails and phone calls, Penny said, the decision to keep Memmel out of Visa Championships would stand.
Andy Memmel said his daughter was not ready to announce her retirement.
“Why should she retire if she still likes doing this?” he said. “Why should she retire to make USA Gymnastics look good?”
He said Chellsie continued to train this week in case the organization reversed its decision. But he’s not sure she’d be able to compete, anyway, given the emotional roller-coaster she has been on.
“Even if they did suddenly let her through, I don’t know if she could do it,” he said. “They already made their statement very clearly that they don’t want her there. It’s been a very emotional time for Chell.”
SOURCE: Journal Sentinel Online
UMM… DRAMA!!!!! *Munches on popcorn*
GymnastHole 
Go Andy and chellsie!