Ribbon routines showcase spins, with gymnasts performing on the balls of their feet, known as demi pointe in ballet.
Routines with the clubs demand balance. And the hoop incorporates all of these elements.
As we watch 16-year olds compete in the gymnastics events, even the 20-somethings among us look back regretfully and wonder if our glory days have passed. Here, we take a look at which sports skew young and which allow for more longevity.
With each, Zetlin attempts to tell a story through music, costume, choreography and gymnastics.
Says Olga Kutuzova, the Russian coach who has worked with Zetlin since she was 9: “You definitely need to be mature to compete. It’s not enough to just be flexible or to just toss and catch the ball. People are watching you, and you must perform your exercise — not just do exercises. You are doing a story on the floor.”
Unlike many world-class athletes in traditional American sports, Zetlin gets no funding from the U.S. Olympic Committee. She gets modest financial help from USA Gymnastics, but her pursuit has been expensive, with her Swarovski crystal-encrusted custom leotards costing $1,500 each.
It has also been a bit lonesome, marked by years of four- and five-hour daily practices in a school gym in Darnestown, Md.
“Home of Julie Zetlin, 2012 Olympian” reads the banner that was hung this spring.
A recent practice began as all do, with an hour of stretching and preparation to practice. On this day, the U.S. National Team’s ballet instructor, Sonya Yankova, is also on hand and snaps her fingers to set a tempo as Zetlin, dressed in snug navy shorts and shirt, goes through ballet positions.
“Arabesque. Plie,” says the Bulgarian native, who offers gentle advice and encouragement in a hybrid Russian/English. “Push the heels in! Go! Go! Go! Long arms! Balance! Shoulders! Smile! Brava!”
Asked during a break what she considers Zetlin’s strength, Yankova cites her natural jumping ability and keen mind. “She is very smart,” Yankova adds. “Intelligent. Open. Very honest. This is our treasure: Julie’s talent.”
When it’s time to practice with the apparatus, Kutuzova cues the music for the first 90-second routine, and Zetlin gets her green ball. The coach suggests she omit the jumps; the gym’s carpeted floor is less forgiving than the cushioned Olympic surface, and there’s no sense in aggravating Zetlin’s surgically repaired knee.
Zetlin runs through the routine once, then repeats short sequences that Kutuzova feels need polishing.
Zetlin never balks or complains but keeps working even as her father, who owns a Mercedes dealership in Arlington, pops in for a surprise visit with a camera around his neck.
It is painstaking work, striving for perfection. But after 18 years or practice, the eve of the Olympics is no time to cut corners.
“My body every day tells me more and more that time is limited,” says Zetlin, who plans to retire after London. “The goal and the dream was to make the Olympics. This is it. This is my time. This is my prime. I’ve done what I needed to do — not just for me but for USA gymnastics.”
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