U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL : LOS ANGELES--1991 : ATHLETES TO WATCH : Among 3,000 Competitors, Some Will Stand Out

WENDY BRUCE

Women’s Gymnastics

At 18, Wendy Bruce is the oldest and highest-ranked female gymnast competing at the Olympic Festival. She finished fifth overall at the U.S Nationals last month.

Bruce, who trains at Brown’s Gymnastics in Altamonte Springs, Fla., was at peak form in 1989-90 before suffering an injury that kept her out of competition until May of this year. She had been a member of the U.S. national team for two years before leaving to undergo surgery on her foot.

At the 1989 World Championships, Bruce finished 11th in the all-around to help the United States to a fourth-place finish, its highest ever. At her final meet before her injury, in May 1990, Bruce won the all-around title and two individual events--the beam and the vault--at a dual meet between the United States and East Germany.

Bruce made her comeback in May at the U.S. Classic at Huntington Beach, where she put together two solid days and qualified for the Nationals. Bruce’s fifth-place finish put her back on the national team and qualified her to compete for a spot on the World Championship team at the trials in August.