fullname club birth_place weight choreographer level height natlteam discipline birth_date nickname article_title hometown name
vanessa marie atler aerials valencia , california 92 lbs kg nancy roach senior international elite 4 ft 11 in m 1995-2001 wag 17 february 1982 ness , nessa , nestea vanessa atler
 bakersfield , california vanessa atler
vanessa atler

vanessa marie atler -lrb- born february 17 , 1982 in valencia , california -rrb- 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 american 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 .
