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Vanessa Atler

Vanessa Atler
Full name Vanessa Marie Atler
Nickname(s) Ness, Nessa, Nestea
Country represented  United States
Born (1982-02-17) 17 February 1982 (age 35)
Valencia, California
Hometown Bakersfield, California
Height 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m)
Weight 92 lb (42 kg)
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
Level Senior International Elite
Years on national team 1995-2001
Club Aerials
Gymnastics Unlimited
AV Twisters
Charter Oak Gliders
WOGA
Rohnert Park Gymnastics
Head coach(es) Ben Corr
Former coach(es) Tony Lanzara
Steve and Beth Rybacki
Valeri Liukin and Yevgeny Marchenko
Choreographer Nancy Roach
Beth Rybacki
Natalya Marakova
Music 1995-1996: Phil's Piano Solo
1997-1998: Jack's Conga
1998-1999: La Cumparsita
2000: Les Deux Guitares
Retired April 16th, 2001

Vanessa Marie Atler (born February 17, 1982 in Valencia, California) is a retired American elite gymnast. She was the 1996 junior national champion on floor and in the all-around, a five-time senior national champion, the 1998 Goodwill Games gold medalist on the floor exercise and vault and a five-time World Cup champion. At the 1999 American Cup, Atler became the first female gymnast to successfully perform a Rudi vault.

A member of the U.S. national gymnastics team from the age of 12, Atler was one of the United States' most successful gymnasts as a junior in the late 1990s. Known for her explosive vaults, difficult tumbling skills and likable personality, she won or medaled in several important meets, and was considered to be one of the front-runners for the 2000 Olympics. However, injuries, coaching conflicts, gym changes, mental breakdowns and bulimia symptoms derailed her progress in 1999 and 2000, and after a poor showing at the 2000 Olympic Trials, she was controversially left off the Olympic team despite placing sixth overall.

Atler was born on February 17, 1982 in Valencia, California and began gymnastics at the age of 5. She has a brother who played baseball, her mother was a tennis instructor and one of her cousins had been a Minnesota Vikings quarterback. By the time she was 12 years old, she was competing at the elite level.

As a junior elite gymnast, Atler had a fruitful career. In 1995, she gained attention by placing third in the all-around, behind Olympian Kerri Strug and Heather Brink, at the U.S. Olympic Festival and winning the silver medal in the all-around at that year's U.S. National Championships.

Atler also made her international competitive debut in 1995, winning the floor exercise title at the prestigious International Junior Gymnastics Competition in Japan. She continued to enjoy success in 1996, as she became the junior all-around and floor exercise U.S. National Champion and was invited to participate in a televised exhibition meet, USA vs. the World, with members of the Magnificent Seven and international Olympians.


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