We’re all familiar with the 2-per country rule that allows a maximum of two gymnasts from each country to qualify to a World or Olympic final. Since its beginnings after the 2001 World Championships, the 2-per country rule has been disputed, but it was particularly problematic when world champion Jordyn Wieber failed to qualify to the 2012 Olympic all-around because her score was lower than that of her two U.S. teammates.

            Other incidences that occurred due to this rule:

• Anastasia Grishina (RUS), Jennifer Pinches (GBR), Yao Jinnan (CHN) didn’t qualify to the 2012 Olympic all-around
• Kyla Ross (USA) didn’t qualify to the 2012 Olympic balance beam final
• Gabby Douglas, Sabrina Vega, McKayla Maroney (USA), and Tan Sixin (CHN) didn’t qualify to the 2011 World all-around
• Jiang Yuyuan (CHN) didn’t qualify to the 2011 World all-around, 2011 World beam final, or the 2010 World bars final
• Aly Raisman (USA) and Ksenia Afanasyeva (RUS) didn’t qualify the 2010 World beam final
• Bridget Sloan (USA), Deng Linlin (CHN), and Ksenia Afanasyeva (RUS) didn’t qualify to the 2008 Olympic all-around
• Alicia Sacramone (USA) didn’t qualify to the balance beam final at the 2008 Olympics

Here is the problem with the 2-per country rule: it eliminates gymnasts who have good medal opportunities from competing in the finals.

What would be the best idea to change the system? Should we go back to the 3-per country rule that was in place all the way through the 2001 Worlds? But there were still issues with that rule. For instance, even if the limit had stayed at three gymnasts per country, Sabrina Vega and McKayla Maroney would have still been eliminated from the 2011 World all-around final.

A stretch to a 4-per country rule would most likely solve the problem, but at that point, I don’t see why you wouldn’t just remove the limit altogether. Personally, I would like to see any qualification restrictions taken away. Imagine the excitement if all four members of the World Championship teams this year could compete in the all-around!

Another question that has long been debated is the 24 gymnast all-around field. It used to be 36 gymnasts, back when the 3-per country rule was in place.

I think 24 is a fair number. It certainly would be interesting to have only 24 gymnasts without any limitation rule.

Bruno Grandi, president of the FIG, has stated that Olympic qualification is one of the main issues the FIG will address in the next four years. Hopefully the 2-per country rule will vanish. I think that anything, including the 3-per country rule, would be better than our current system.

Still, it seems doubtful that the rule will change before this year’s Worlds. Of course, it could be interesting if all four gymnasts on the U.S. team were vying for the two spots in the all-around final. It seems like it could be a possible scenario, because at the 2009 World Championships, the U.S. sent the top three all-arounders and a vault/floor specialist (Kayla Williams), who was also an all-arounder. After the retirement of Alicia Sacramone, the U.S. is left with a handful of gymnasts with two vaults (McKayla Maroney, Simone Biles, MyKayla Skinner, Elizabeth Price, Lexie Priessman), and all of them are all-arounders.

And the Russian showdown should be interesting in Antwerp, as well. The team could quite possibly be made up of Aliya Mustafina, Viktoria Komova, Anastasia Grishina, and Ksenia Afanasyeva, and they all could compete in the all-around.

But there would undoubtedly be disappointment with these scenarios. And it would be the fault of the 2-per country rule. I hope that the rule is changed soon.

What is your opinion on the two per country rule? Share your view in the comments below

Image via Getty Images.

Elizabeth “Ebee” Price, born on May 28th 1996, was the winner of the 2012 World Cup competitions in Stuttgart and Glasgow. Her strength and flexibility is a convincing combination and helped her to finish fifth in the all-around at the 2012 U.S. Championships in June. Elizabeth was also fourth at the Olympic Trials (finishing ahead of Olympian Kyla Ross!), and became an alternate for the Olympic team.

Not only does this talented gymnast perform a spectacular Amanar vault, but she also shines on uneven bars, the U.S. team’s weakest event. She trains at Parkettes Gymnastics in Allentown, PA, under coaches Bill and Donna Strauss.

Elizabeth unfortunately had to withdraw from the 2013 American Cup on March 2nd due to a strained hip muscle. Nevertheless, she remains in the gym training for future meets.

Recently, Elizabeth answered a few questions for Full Twist, and I’m delighted to share them with you!

Full Twist: What was the best part of competing in the World Cup competitions?

Elizabeth: The best part of competing in the World Cup competitions was being able to experience what it’s like competing at such a high level international competition. Most of the girls I competed against went to the Olympics, so it was cool that I got to compete against Olympic athletes and win by such a great margin.

Full Twist: What’s your favorite skill to perform?

Elizabeth:My favorite skills to perform are my double-double and double-layout on floor.

Full Twist: Is there any gymnast in particular whom you especially admire?

Elizabeth:When I was younger my favorite gymnast was Courtney Kupets, but I admired all the girls who had gone to the Olympics and World Championships.

Full Twist: What advice would you give to other gymnasts?

Elizabeth: The advice that I would give to other gymnasts would be to never give up. Everyone has bad days, and sometimes practice can be hard, but that’s what makes achieving your goals feel that much better.

Full Twist: What do you enjoy doing outside of gymnastics?

Elizabeth:Outside of gymnastics, I enjoy shopping, reading, going to the movies, and spending time with my family and friends.

Full Twist: Can you tell us when your next competition might be?

Elizabeth:My next competition may be the World Cup Competition in Japan, but if I’m not healed enough to compete in that meet, my next competition will probably be Classics.

Thanks to Elizabeth for taking the time out to chat with Anna and best of luck to her with the healing process.

Image via Getty Images.

Check her out on beam and floor below from last year’s Victorian Championships:

Kiara, when and why did you start gymnastics?

I started gymnastics when I was 4 at Niddrie Gymnastics Club. I started because I had so much energy all the time and mum wanted to tire me out so she took me to the local gym.

What is your weekly schedule at the moment in terms of training and education?

My weekly schedule at the moment is training 2 sessions on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 7 – 10:15 am 3:30 -6:40 pm . I go to school in the middle of the days the days I have double sessions , the gym bus takes us and picks us up to bring us back for the second session. On Wednesdays ,Fridays and Saturday’s we have single session from 1:30 till 5 and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm on the single session days we go to school in the morning until the middle of the day .

Who would be your gymnastics idols and why?

I don’t really have an idol but the Australian Olympic team would be one, all the girls are my idols and I want to achieve what they have achieved, especially because some come from my training centre . And some girls  like Jordan Wieber,Gabby Douglas and Victoria Komova

What do you do- mentally and physically- to prepare the day of competition?

I have a positive attitude and mind set about the competition. I go into the competition knowing that I have been training hard and that I’m well prepared.   I will just try to do my best no matter what happens.

What, if anything, does your coach always have to remind you about?

Tracey Penaluna tells me to point my feet and Misha Barabach tells me to keep my heels together. Our Dance and Artistry Coach, Lisa Bradley, always talks to me about my posture and line and our Acrobatics coach Melic Tichabaev encourages me to use my power to be dynamic in my tumbling and vaulting.

What are your workout tips for those tough days in the gym?
Always keep a positive attitude. Times can get tough, but just push on knowing you can  always get something positive out of a session. This is what will help you to achieve.

You have had some great results in your Junior career so far, what would be the highlight of your career to date?
 Australian championships 2012 placing 2nd all around in the Junior International Division .

Can you describe how you felt when you were named to the National team as a Junior?

At first I couldn’t believe it but then I was just so excited and happy and couldn’t wait for what was next to come.

What is your favourite part of being a gymnast?

 You get so much out of being a gymnast but some of my favorite things are learning new skills ,achieving the goals I set and travelling to compete at some great competitions around the world.

What has been the most difficult skill to learn so far?

I am working really hard on my releases on bars and trying to make some connections between then.

 Your long term goal at the moment is the 2016 Rio Olympic Games but what other shorter term goals do you have?

Medalling at the 2013 Australian championships, I will be a Senior next years, so this would be a good achievement.  I would also like to be chosen to represent Australia as part of the National Team.

What are your plans specifically for the 2012-2013 competition season? Are there any competitions you hope to attend? Or are there any new skills you are looking to achieve?

My main focus at the moment is building my skill level. With the new code, I am working hard on different combinations and skills to build my D score. I am working on arabian on beam and jaeger on bars, and would like to add those skills to my routines throughout 2013. We will have our National Championships in the middle of the year, so there might be an opportunity to attend an International competition in the first 6 months, but the main focus at the moment is building a program to be competitive with the rest of the world.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Kiara turn Senior and see what great new excitement she can bring to Australian gymnastics. Best of luck Kiara and thank you for taking the time to chat.

Previously in this series:

• 10 minutes with: Ye Zhennan
• 10 minutes with: Sophie McCoo
• 10 minutes with: Mary Anne Monckton
• 10 minutes with: India McPeak

Her profile on the Gymnastics Australia website says “Mary-Anne has overcome a turbulent past few years with career threatening injuries to become a permanent fixture in the high performance team. Despite the injuries, she continued to develop as a gymnast”. She is the current Australian silver National Champion on Uneven Bars, taking the title for the third time in as many years and also the bronze All Around National Champion for two years running.   Unfortunately Mary Anne missed out on a place on the team for the London 2012 Olympics but was named travelling reserve but none the less takes pride in doing so.

We chatted to Mary Anne recently. She gave us some insight into her training and education and her hopes for the future.

Mary-Anne, when and why did you start gymnastics?

I started gymnastics when my cousin took me into the gym with her one day,  when I was 5. At first I hated it because I couldn’t do everything straight away! I am a bit of a perfectionist like that.

 At the moment, what is your weekly schedule at the moment in terms of training and education?

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 7.00am 10.15am Training, 11.00am -3.00pm School, 3.30pm – 6.40pm Training
• Wednesday, Friday : 8.30am – 1.00pm School, 1.30pm – 5.00pm Training
• Saturday:  8.00am – 12.00 noon Training
• Sunday – Rest

 Who would be your gymnastics idols and why?

When I was little I loved watching  Catalina Ponor compete on beam in the 2004 Olympics, and earlier in this year I competed alongside her in Doha during beam finals…So surreal! She is an amazing beam worker and an inspiration. I also admire gymnasts who have fought through potentially career ending injuries and demonstrate mental toughness, namely, Courtney Kupets, Aliya Mustafina, Rebecca Bross.

 What do you do- mentally and physically- to prepare the day of competition?

On the day of competition I usually have a training session in the morning, which is great to just the body woken up and prepared for normally an afternoon or evening competition. Mentally- I just try to relax, keep everything as normal as possible, and I always go through my routines in my head over and over. I really like to use mental imagery, as it helps keep me focused and on track

What, if anything, does your coach always have to remind you about?

Tracey Penaluna is always telling me to point my feet because the are really stiff…Misha Barabach always reminds me to be confident and believe in myself.

What are your workout tips for those tough days in the gym?

Whether you’re doing conditioning or routines, it has to have a purpose, and if you’re having a rough day, just remember why you are there, think of your goals and push yourself towards them. The hard days only make you a stronger gymnast. If you can work through those days, all other days will be easy!

What would be the highlight of your career so far to date?

Representing Australia at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo. This was a great team of girls and we really had a goal that we wanted to achieve and this was helping qualify a team for the Olympics. Also, being a reserve for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

 What is your favourite part of being a gymnast?

I love being able to do things that not everyone can do. Also the important life lessons it teaches kids from a young age: determination, time management, balance, mental toughness etc. Now that I am older I also appreciate the general fitness and well being that comes with training.

You made the London 2012 Olympic Team as a travelling reserve, overall how was your experience of the Games, despite not competing?

It was an amazing experience being able to travel and train in London with Georgia-Rose and my coach Misha Barabach. We got to visit the Olympic village and watch team Qualifications and Team Finals. Not being a part of the 5 girl Team who competed in London has made me want to get back into the gym and work harder for the next team selection. I want to make sure I am in the top 5 athletes next time!

 Are the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2016 Olympics in Rio in sight for you?

At the moment I am just have a bit of down time to recover my body, I definitely want to compete at more World Championships and  the 2014 Commonwealth Games is a goal of mine, because I was injured right before the last ones and didn’t get to reach that goal. As for 2016, it’s a goal, but I will just take it one year at a time and see what happens.

 What are your plans for the 2012-2013 competition season?

For the remainder of 2012, I am spending the time consider the new code of points and come up with a plan for my routines, I hope to trial for Worlds and compete bars and beam.

Thank you to Mary Anne for taking some time out to chat to us and also to Coach Tracey Penaluna for her assistance. Wishing Mary Anne the best of luck with her future gymnastics career and we hope to catch up again sometime.

Previously in this series:

10 minutes with: Ye Zhennan

10 minutes with: Sophie McCoo

Image via Getty Images.