We are actively seeking nominees for the 2015 Gymnast of the Year. If you know of a worthy candidate of this prestigious award and would like us to have a look, please share them with us! Just fill out the nominee consideration form.
Nominee Form - Please Consider..Introducing the 2014 International Gymnast Magazine Gymnast of the Year award winners!
"I can do all things through
Christ, who strengthens me
-Phillippians 4:13"
She may have only caught the eyes of many fans when she won the all around in the junior division at the 2012 Secret US Classic in Chicago. But even before 2012, Simone has been impressing the gymnastics crowd since she started competing her huge vaults just as a JO gymnast! Simone slowly came on to the elite scene, with not many people knowing who she was. But once she won the all around title at the 2012 Secret Classic, gymnastics fans from all over became members of Team Biles. At the Secret Classic Simone also won the vault title with a huge 16.050, 1.35 points over the second place finisher on vault.
Simone went on to the 2012 Visa Championships, where she took 3rd in the all around. Simone also won the vault title at championships. In 2013, Simone started off the season in her first international assignment as well as her first competition as a senior elite: The 2013 AT&T American Cup. Simone won the vault and bars title with a 15.733 and a 14.800 respectively. Simone took home 2nd place all around at the American Cup. Simone competed next at the City of Jesolo Trophy, winning the all around, vault, beam, and floor titles in the senior division. After the City of Jesolo Meet, Simone and the rest of the USA National Team finished up their European Tour at the USA, Germany, Romania Tri-Meet. Simone took home 2nd all around, right behind teammate Kyla Ross.
A few months later, Simone competed at the 2013 Secret US Classic. Not having the best meet of her career, Simone went back to the ranch and the gym and worked harder than ever... And it payed off! At the 2013 P&G Championships, Simone won the all around title. On top of her all around title, Simone took home 2nd place on vault, 2nd place on bars, 2nd place on beam, and 2nd place on floor.
After the P&G Championships, Simone went right on to the world’s selection camp at the ranch. Simone made the 2013 World Championships team, along with McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, and Brenna Dowell. Simone competed at the qualification prelim competition at world’s, she qualified to the vault, bars, beam, floor, and all around finals. Simone first competed in the all around finals... This would be the competition where everyone would now know the new face of Team USA. Simone won the all around title at her first world championships, edging out teammate Kyla Ross who finished 2nd in the all around. Simone went on to compete in the vault finals, she finished in 2nd place on vault, right behind teammate McKayla Maroney. In the bar finals, Simone finished 4th. This wouldn’t earn her a medal, but she was only .317 behind the bronze medal. Next was beam finals, Simone was not going to medal until an inquiry was made. Simone ended up getting the bronze medal on beam. Her last event to compete was the floor exercise. To finish up her 2013 World Championships, Simone took home the gold medal on floor with a 15.000.
Simone started off her 2014 elite season by being selected to compete at the 2014 Pacific Rim Championships, but due to previous injury that was bugging her in podium training, she did not compete. Her real first competition was the 2014 Secret US classic in Chicago, Illinois. Simone won vault with a 15.900, she placed 4th on bars, 1st on beam with a 15.25, first on floor with a huge 15.8, and first all around with a massive 61.7. After the Classic, Simone went on to compete at the P&G Championships where she did extremely well. She won vault, placed fourth on bars, placed second on beam, first on floor, and first all around with a combined total of 122.550, over 4 points higher than silver medalist, Kyla Ross.
After the P&G Championships, Simone was selected to compete are her second world championships. She qualified to the all around, vault, beam, and floor finals in addition to being a part of Team USA who captured the gold medal in the team final. During the all around final, she ranked first on vault, fifth on bars, third on beam, first on floor, and placed first all around with a 60.231, making her the 2014 World Champion. After the all around final, Simone competed at the vault final where she took home a silver medal with an average of 15.554. Next came the beam final where Simone took home yet another gold medal with a 15.1. Her last competition during the 2014 World Championships was the floor exercise final. She took home the gold medal on floor with a score of 15.333.
Simone is currently the most decorated with world medals, US Gymnast and a two time Gymnast of the Year winner.
Jazmyn Foberg was born on February 2, 2000 to Troy and Michele Foberg in Toms River, New Jersey. She began gymnastics at the age of six at Precision Gymnastics, but eventually moved to train at Will Moor Gymnastics where she trained until the 2013 season as a second year level 10 where she would soon qualify junior international elite.
Before going to the national elite qualifier, Jazmyn competed with MG Elite at the 2013 National Invitational Tournament. She placed 8th on vault, 4th on bars, 8th on beam, and 5th all around out of 25 girls. After NIT, Jazmyn traveled to Allentown, Pennsylvania to compete at the Parkettes Elite Qualifier. On day one, she got her compulsory score, making her eligible to compete as an elite, if she got her optional score the next day, which she did. On the second day during the optional session, Jazmyn placed in the top 10 on all events including the all around where she placed sixth with a 51.900.
Jazmyn next competed at the 2013 American Classic held at the National Team Training Center in Huntsville, Texas. She finished 17th all around out of 18. After the American Classic, Jazmyn went back to train for the Secret US Classic in Chicago, Illinois. She did well for her first classics, but just missed qualifying to the P&G Championships. She was very happy to be able to compete at classics, but she knew she had to go back to the gym and train hard for the 2014 season.
Jazmyn started her 2014 season at the American Classic. She won the vault title with a 14.6, the bars title with a 14.050, and she won the all around with a 55.550, qualifying her to the 2014 Secret US Classic, and the P&G Championships. At classics, Jazmyn took home four medals including a bronze on vault and fifth in the all around.
After the Secret US Classic, Jazmyn trained for the P&G Championships where she did extremely well. After day one, she was in 4th place on vault, 2nd place on bars, 6th place on beam, 4th place on floor, and 1st on the all around with a 57.600. On day two, Jazmyn did even better. In the end, she finished 4th on vault with a combined total of a 29.550, 1st on bars with a combined total of 28.850, 5th on floor with a total of 28.500, and she was crowned the 2014 Junior National Champion with a total of 114.950.
After the 2014 season, Jazmyn committed to the University of Florida for the 2018-2019 school year. Currently, she is training for and competing the 2015 season.
"Nothing is impossible
the word
itself says I'm possible"
Deanna West was born on June 26, 2002 to Jennifer and Preston West. In addition to being enrolled in gymnastics at an early age, Deanna also danced and modeled as a child. Although she had to give up modeling, she still continues to dance at a studio and competes at multiple dance competitions yearly.
Deanna started with NYC Elite gymnastics and competed with them until 2009, but then she moved to train with All American Gymnastics in Savannah, Georgia. She competed with All American through her whole level 4 2010 season including the Georgia State Championships where she too the state title on bars, and second all around. After the spring 2010 season, Deanna moved to Florida where she trained and competed with Boca Twisters. She quickly moved up to level 7, skipping level 5 and 6. At her first level 7 meet, she won the all around, and at the level 7 state championships, she won bars and placed second all around.
She qualified to regionals and at the region 8 championships, she won the floor title and placed fifth all around. After the 2011 season, Deanna moved to Plano, Texas to train with the prestigious World Olympic Gymnastics Academy. At her first meet with WOGA as a level 8, she placed second on bars and finished in the top 12 in the all around. She quickly went up in the rankings at the 2012 WOGA classic where she placed first on bars and third all around. After a few more meets, Deanna went on to compete at the Texas Level 8 State Championships where she totaled a 37.525 in the all around, qualifying her to regionals. At regionals, she took the silver on bars with a 9.85 and 11th all around in a tough age division with a 38.275.
Starting off her 2013 level 9 season as a 10 year old, Deanna competed at the Texas Prime Meet where she placed 7th all around. Next, she competed at the WOGA Classic where she won the floor title with a 9.725. After winning the floor title at the Malibu Coast Challenge, Deanna competed at the level 9 state meet where she won the floor title with a 9.7 and qualified to regionals with a 37.300. At regionals, she placed 2nd on beam and floor and 7th all around, which then qualified her to the 2013 Western National Championships. Deanna had a great meet at Westerns, winning the beam title with a 9.725 and posting a 37.250 in the all around.
After coming off a huge win at Westerns, Deanna started her 2014 level 10 season at the Texas Prime Meet where she won the floor title and placed second all around. Following the Texas Prime Meet, Deanna competed at the WOGA Classic, placing third on beam. After two more meets, she went on to compete at the Texas Level 10 State Championships where she did well enough to qualify to regionals. At regionals, Deanna did not place in the top 7, qualifying her to JO Nationals, but she went home and trained intensely for the 2014 National Gymnastics Qualifier in Huntsville, Texas. At the qualifier, she competed in the 12-13 HOPEs division. She won bars, placed second on beam, placed third on floor, and won the all around with a 52.550, qualifying her as HOPEs and it qualified her to the Secret US Challenge in Chicago, Illinois.
Deanna trained and went to compete at the 2014 Secret US Challenge. She did amazing, winning vault with a 13.450, she took the silver on bars, the bronze on beam, and she won the floor title with a 13.450. In addition to these individual event titles, Deanna won the all around with a 53.600, 1.9 higher than the athlete who finished in second. Currently, Deanna is training to qualify as a Junior International Elite and we expect her to do very well this season.
“The Man who says he can, and the man who says he can not.. Are both correct” -Confucius
