| Samantha Shapiro | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Sami |
| Country represented | United States |
| Born | May 18, 1993 |
| Hometown | Los Angeles, California, California, USA |
| Height | 5 0" |
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics |
| Level | International Elite |
| Years on national team | USA 2006-2011 |
| Club | AOGC |
| Gym | AOGC |
| College team | Stanford Cardinal |
| Head coach(es) | Kristen Smyth |
| Assistant coach(es) | Chris Swircek |
| Former coach(es) | Galina Marinova Artur Akopyan |
Samantha 'Sami' Shapiro (born May 18, 1993 in Santa Monica, California) is an American gymnast. She is a five time member of the USA Gymnastics National Team.[1]
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Shapiro attended Windward School in Los Angeles and graduated in June 2011.[2] Her parents are Brent and Abbe Shapiro. Her sister, Nicki is also a gymnast.
Though she was competing at an International level in 2008 and was a top-ranked junior national team member, she was 5 months too young to be eligible for the 2008 Olympic Team.
She trains at All Olympia Gymnastics Center, or AOGC, in Los Angeles with fellow National Team member Mattie Larson.
Samantha first qualified for Junior International Elite in 2006 at age 13, when she finished 4th All-Around at the US Classic in Kansas, and competed in the US National Championships later that year finishing 13th. In 2007 she returned and won Gold on the Balance Beam and Silver in the All-Around competition, Uneven Bars and Floor Exercise.
In 2008, she returned to the VISA Championships to regain her title on the Balance Beam, and also took the Gold on the Uneven Bars, coming 2nd in the All-Around again. She was chosen to join some of the Senior Elite National team to go to the Pacific Rim Championships in San Jose, where she performed well on all 4 events helping the US Team win the Gold, and winning Gold on Uneven Bars and Silver in the All-Around competition. Most memorably, her performance on the floor exercise during the Team Competition was notable when the music cut out as she began her first pass. Seemingly unfazed, she continued her exhibition through to the end as the US team cheered her on and the arena began rhythmically clapping.[3]
In the fall of 2008, Samantha competed in the Pan American Gymnastics Union Championships where she won Gold on Beam and the Uneven Bars.[4] In March 2009, Samantha represented the U.S. at the Montreal World Cup where she sustained a broken foot in training but persevered to win Gold on Uneven Bars.[5] Injuries kept Samantha from competing for most of 2009 and 2010,[2] but she resurfaced as a Senior Elite in 2010 qualifying at the US Classic 4th on Balance Beam and Floor Exercise. She fell and injured herself on Vault attempting a 1.5 Yurchenko, and had to be assisted off the podium. Despite this, she returned to the VISA Championships competing as a Senior and finished 7th on Beam and the All-Around and 5th on the Floor Exercise. Samantha earned a spot on the USA National Team for the 5th consecutive year.[6]
In 2010 Shapiro announced her intentions to commit to joining the Stanford Gymnastics Team.[2] In 2011, Samantha graced the cover of Inside Gymnastics' 50 Most Photogenic issue as a tribute to the artistry and grace she presented in her years as an international elite gymnast.[7]
In 2011, Samantha retired from elite level gymnastics to compete for Stanford Cardinals women's gymnastics team. [8]