At an age when she should be coaching gymnasts, not beating them, Annia Hatch still has the stuff of champions.
She showed it on Thursday night, outclassing girls nearly 10 years younger than her to take the lead after the preliminaries of the US Gymnastics Championships.
"Gymnastics doesn't end when you're 17," Hatch said.
There's still a long way to go for the 25-year-old former Cuban champion, who became an American citizen 18 months ago. Finals are today and some of America's best -- 17-year-old Ashley Postell, 16-year-old Courtney Kupets and 18-year-old Tasha Schwikert -- aren't far behind.
But Thursday was Oldtimer's Night, and even Hatch's competition seemed to appreciate it.
"I'm surprised to see anyone doing that well who's getting up there in age," Postell said. "I think it's awesome to see her in such great shape."
Hatch's 34.475 points were .100 better than Postell, .200 better than 2001 and 2002 juniors runner-up Hollie Vise and .250 ahead of Kupets, the world champion on uneven bars.
In sixth is Schwikert, who is competing for the first time since winning her second straight national title last year, a victim of recurring ankle injuries. The latest injury came early last month, and Schwikert has only been practicing for nationals for three weeks.
"When she was all done, she said, `I won't let this happen again,"' said her coach, Cassie Rice. "She didn't like it, and she'll go out and show what she can do."
The all-around finals, worth 50 percent of the total score, are today. The top three finishers will get automatic spots on the team for the world championships in August in Anaheim, California.
At 25, Hatch is well beyond the age at which most women gymnasts retire and turn to teaching or judging.
Hatch was headed that way, too. She retired at 17 after winning seven national titles in her native Cuba -- as well as that country's first-ever medal at a world championships, a bronze on vault in 1996. But in 2001 -- after getting married to American Alan Hatch and moving to Connecticut, where they run a gym -- Hatch saw a story about a Cuban teammate who was training again after having a baby.
The next day, Hatch was back at it in the gym. Now, she's halfway to a national title in her adopted homeland.
Did she ever envision this?
"Not at all," Hatch said. "I just wanted to make it to nationals."
Hatch shined brightest in the vault, her specialty. Performing a roundoff onto the take-off board into a back handspring, she hung in the air for several seconds before landing with a slight hop. It was a minor hiccup, but not enough to cost her too dearly. Her score of 9.650 was the second-highest posted by any athlete in any event.
She said where gymnastics used to feel like a job, she's having a great time now.
"Before, there was a lot of pressure. It was like I have to do it, I have to represent my country," Hatch said. "Now, it's so much fun. I feel more into it and it makes me a better performer."
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