Tabea Alt wants to get to Rio!

First-year German senior Tabea Alt told that she is eager to use next month’s American Cup in Newark as the start of her campaign to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

"I feel very excited about this competition,"said Alt, who placed third on balance beam and 14th all-around at the 2014 European junior championships in Sofia. "I'm very happy and I think it's a great opportunity for me. My goals for the American Cup are to have a good competition and show all my elements well. It's a great start to the senior level, so I think I can get a lot of experience at the American Cup. Also, for my plan to qualify to Rio, it's great to have this competition at the beginning of the year."

Tabea Alt is a young gymnast who will turn 16 only on March 18. She took place in the World Championships in Glasgow and now she states that the German team didn’t show everything they could at that time. They got the 12^th place. The top eight teams in Glasgow earned automatic berths to the Rio Games. Germany and seven other countries advanced to the Olympic test event in Rio in April, from which four additional teams will earn berths to the Games.

"In my opinion the team was very nervous in Glasgow and they couldn't show all their capabilities,"Alt said. "Therefore the German team has many reserves and we are still motivated. To do better at the test event in Rio, we have to be more focused on the team and not so much on ourselves. We all have one goal and, as a good team, I am sure we will reach this."

Alt said that she is absolutely ready for the Olympic test and she is willing to get the most of this year.

"I'm very motivated for the whole year 2016,"Alt said. "It's a great chance and I will train very hard, always being focused on my goal. My coaches, physiotherapists and mental coach are preparing me as well as they can, doing their best for the coming challenges. Additionally, my school helps me with school stretching (extending her studies another year). That means I have more possibilities to organize my training. At the end we will see how far I reach towards my goal, but I'm looking forward to the coming times."

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