Tasha Schwikert facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tasha Schwikert
Schwikert in 2008
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	(1984-11-21) November 21, 1984 (age 40) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior international
Years on national team	1997–2005 (USA)
Club	Gym Cats
College team	University of California, Los Angeles
Former coach(es)	Cassie Rice; Val Kondos-Field
Retired	2008
Medal record Women's gymnastics Representing the  United States Olympic Games Bronze 2000 Sydney Team World Championships Gold 2003 Anaheim Team Bronze 2001 Ghent Team Pan American Championships Gold 2001 Cancún Team Gold 2001 Cancún All-Around Gold 2001 Cancún Uneven Bars Silver 2001 Cancún Vault Silver 2001 Cancún Balance Beam Silver 2001 Cancún Floor Exercise Representing UCLA Bruins NCAA Championships Gold 2005 Auburn All-Around Gold 2008 Athens All-Around Gold 2008 Athens Uneven Bars Silver 2007 Salt Lake City Uneven Bars Silver 2008 Athens Floor Exercise Bronze 2005 Auburn Uneven Bars

Tasha Schwikert Moser (born November 21, 1984) is a retired American gymnast. She won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics. Tasha also earned a team gold medal at the World Gymnastics Championships. She was the U.S. national all-around champion in 2001 and 2002. Later, she became the NCAA all-around national champion in 2005 and 2008.

Tasha started gymnastics when she was very young. She quickly became one of the best gymnasts in the country. She was a surprise addition to the 2000 Olympic team. Tasha performed very well in the team events in Sydney. After the Olympics, she became a top gymnast in the United States. She won two team medals at the World Championships. She also placed fifth in the all-around at the 2001 Worlds. An ankle injury affected her progress later on. This led to her being an alternate for the 2004 Olympic team.

After her elite gymnastics career, Tasha joined the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team. She competed for four years. During her time at UCLA, she won two individual all-around NCAA national titles. She also won two Pac-10 all-around titles. Tasha was nominated for the Honda Award, a top award for college athletes. Today, she works in broadcast journalism. She has been a commentator for many big gymnastics events.

Becoming an Olympic Gymnast

Tasha Schwikert was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her parents are Shannon Warren and Joy Schwikert. She trained at the GymCats club in Las Vegas. Her coach was Cassie Rice. In 1994 and 1995, she was part of the USA Gymnastics' TOPS team. This team helps young gymnasts develop.

When she was 13, in 1998, she joined the national team. Her first international competition was in France. She won a silver medal on the floor exercise. This was in the junior division.

Joining the 2000 Olympic Team

Tasha became well-known when she joined the U.S. team for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Her spot on the team was a bit unexpected. She finished ninth at the Olympic Trials. She was not originally chosen for the team. She joined the squad in Sydney as a second alternate.

A team member, Morgan White, got injured during training. Tasha was then named as her replacement. She was chosen over the first alternate, Alyssa Beckerman. USA Gymnastics explained that Tasha was chosen for her consistent performances. They said her calm and reliable style was a valuable asset.

Olympic Medal Update

On April 28, 2010, Tasha and her 2000 Olympic teammates received the bronze medal. This was for the team competition. It was discovered that the Chinese team, who had won the medal, had cheated. One of their team members, Dong Fangxiao, had falsified her age. Because of this, Dong's results were canceled. The Chinese team lost their medal. The IOC then awarded the bronze medal to the U.S. team.

Success After the Olympics

Tasha was the only gymnast from the 2000 Olympic team to keep competing at the highest level. She improved her routines on the balance beam and uneven bars. She also had a new floor exercise routine.

Winning National and World Titles

In 2001, Tasha won many titles. She won the all-around at the U.S. Championships. She also won at the American Classic and the Pan American Championships. She competed in the 2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Ghent. There, she helped the U.S. team win a surprise bronze medal. She was the highest-finishing American in the all-around, placing fifth. She also made it to the finals for the floor exercise and balance beam. She almost won a medal on floor, but she fell.

In 2002, Tasha continued her winning streak. She won the all-around titles at the Pacific Alliance and the American Cup. She also won her second U.S. Championships. However, injuries later that year stopped her from competing in the 2002 World Championships.

Leading the Team to Gold

Tasha tied for second place at the 2003 U.S. Nationals. She was the captain of the team for the 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Anaheim. She supported her younger teammates and showed great leadership. In the team finals, she competed on vault and uneven bars. She performed both routines perfectly. Her scores helped the American women win their first team gold medal at the World Championships.

In 2003, Tasha also went to Japan. She competed in a TV show called Kunoichi. This show is known as "Women of Ninja Warrior" in the United States. She made it to the end of the second stage. However, she ran out of time just before finishing. A slip on the wall climb cost her precious seconds.

At the 2004 U.S. Championships, Tasha was still dealing with injuries. She won the uneven bars title. But she did not place in the top three for the all-around. This was her first time off the podium since 2000. She was named an alternate for the 2004 Olympic team. She traveled to Athens with other alternates. But she was not needed to compete.

College Gymnastics Career

From 2004 to 2008, Tasha was a member of the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team. She had a full athletic scholarship. Tasha's younger sister, Jordan, also joined the Bruins. They both started at UCLA at the same time.

Winning NCAA Titles

In her first year at UCLA, Tasha won the NCAA National all-around title. She was the only gymnast in 2005 to earn first-team All-American honors on all four events. This means she was recognized as one of the best on vault, bars, beam, and floor.

Tasha had shoulder surgery and missed most of the 2005–2006 season. But she stayed a student and part of the team. She returned to compete on floor and vault later that season. UCLA did not qualify for the 2006 NCAA Nationals as a team. But Tasha competed as an individual on vault.

After recovering, Tasha became one of the top college gymnasts. In 2007, she won the PAC-10 all-around title again. She also won gold medals on floor exercise, balance beam, and vault. She was named the PAC-10 and West Region Gymnast of the Year. At the NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship in April, she won second place on the uneven bars. She was the only gymnast in the country to rank in the Top 15 on all four events and the all-around. She was also nominated for the Honda Award.

Tasha finished her senior year as one of the strongest gymnasts for the Bruins. At the 2008 NCAA National Championships, she won her second all-around title. She also placed first on uneven bars, second on floor, and eighth on vault.

Life After Gymnastics

Since 2005, Tasha Schwikert has worked as a gymnastics commentator. She has covered the World Gymnastics Championships for several years. She has worked with famous gymnasts like Nadia Comăneci and Bart Conner. Tasha has also commented on UCLA gymnastics broadcasts. She worked with NBC at the Beijing Olympics.

Tasha has also worked on the TV series Make It or Break It. She was both a stunt double and an actress on the show.

In May 2015, Tasha graduated from the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She worked as an attorney.

Personal Life

Tasha Schwikert married professional basketball player Mike Moser in 2015. They have three children together.

Major Achievements

• 2008 NCAA Championships: 1st All-Around (AA), Uneven Bars (UB); 2nd Floor Exercise (FX)
• 2008 Pac-10 Championships: 1st UB
• 2008 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships: 3rd Vault (VT)
• 2007 NCAA Championships: 2nd UB
• 2007 Pac-10 Championships: 1st AA
• 2007 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships: 1st AA
• 2005 NCAA Championships: 1st AA
• 2005 Pac-10 Championships: 1st AA
• 2005 West Regional Championships: 1st AA
• 2004 US National Championships: 1st UB; 4th FX (tie)
• 2003 World Championships: 1st team
• 2003 US National Championships: 2nd AA (tie)
• 2002 Pacific Alliance Championships: 1st team, AA, Balance Beam (BB), FX; 2nd UB
• 2002 US National Championships: 1st AA, UB, FX; 2nd BB
• 2002 American Cup: 1st AA
• 2002 American Classic: 1st AA, UB, BB, FX
• 2001 World Championships: 3rd team; 5th AA
• 2001 Senior Pan American Championships: 1st team, AA, UB; 2nd FX, BB, VT
• 2001 U.S. National Championships: 1st AA, BB; 2nd FX, VT (tie); 3rd UB
• 2001 U.S. Classic: 1st AA, FX; 2nd VT (tie), BB; 3rd UB
• 2000 Olympic Games: 3rd team
• 2000 Spieth Sogipa: 1st team; 2nd AA
• 1999 World Team Trials: 7th AA
• 1999 China Dual Meet: 1st team
• 1998 City of Popes: 2nd FX (junior)

See also

In Spanish: Tasha Schwikert para niños