This week we bring you a special episode devoted exclusively to our interview with US National Champion, NCAA Champion and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, Elise Ray. She talks about learning her three eponymous skills, coach Kelli Hill, making the decision to go elite, the negative response her US team received after their sixth place finish at the 1999 World Championships, training with three time Olympian Dominique Dawes, how she felt watching a video of her terrifying vault crash at the Olympics, how she thinks the vault height debaucle in Sydney should have been handled, and why competing for the University of Michigan helped her deal with the emotional turmoil she experienced after 2000. Her honest, open and funny responses had us laughing and tearing up during this interview. Follow her on Twitter @CoachEliseRay.
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Elise Ray has three uneven bars skills named after her:
- Ray I: Facing inward, a stalder backward with release and counter movement forward in flight to hang
- Ray II: Toe-on Tkatchev release move (rated D in the most recent Code of Points)
- Ray III: Double twisting double layout dismount rated G – the highest difficulty rating possible
Elise Ray Montage by Lex
Elise Ray – 2000 Olympics AA – Uneven Bars
At the 2:26 mark, Elise Ray’s scary Vault crash in warm-ups when the vault was set at the wrong height for all-around finals in Sydney
Great interview!!! Loved her in 2000…and even now!
Also…THANK YOU Gymcastic for OFFICIALLY turning me into a NCAA Gymnastics fan!!! I’ve always been into elite and from time to time would watch NCAA Gymnastics…but I always thought, “Why do I want to watch a gymnasts do double twists to hip-hop music?”
It’s so much more…but I had never given it enough time…now I have, and I am a fan for life!!! Thank you!!!
So happy I had the opportunity to coach Elise at Michigan and even more excited to have her on my staff here at Washington! She is an amazing young woman.
As usual the content of the show is great. When will the audio quality improve? Speakers and section do not have the same volume which hurts my ear listening to it, just as one example.
Looking forward to the next (improved) episode.
Thank you so much for the feedback. It’s very difficult to make the audio volumes consistent with remote guests. I’ve tried several different approaches to fix the levels, including using Levelator. Producing this show has given me a real respect for why the greats spend so much on their equipment!
I’m continually trying out new techniques and editing software. The audio has improved since our inception and I promise to keep working on it. Thank you so much for sticking with us while we keep working toward perfection. If you have specific tech suggestions, pleas let me know. I’m very open to help!
– Jess
gymcastic@gmail.com
I listened to Episode 30 and loved it! I downloaded it on itunes- def made my plane ride yesterday more enjoyable. Can’t wait to go back and listen to the other episodes. My only issue is that I have to keep adjusting the volume depending on who is speaking- I have to turn the volume to Max when Spanny or Uncle Tim is speaking – but then when other speakers come in….it’s way too loud and it hurts my ears. I’m sure you’re working on that aspect of it. Wonderful content though! Very funny, informative, and entertaining.
So happy this is available!
I re-listen to this episode all the time!
Elise Ray is my favorite gymnast in the whole world and I’ve loved her since 1999. It is so nice to listen to a long interview with her and hear her answer some of the questions that I myself had during her Elite years since technology was less advanced then and there were less interviews going on.
Thank you again!