Kristie Phillips
Encyclopedia
Kristie Phillips-Bannister (born on March 23, 1972), formerly known as Kristie Phillips, is a retired American
elite gymnast
. The 1987 senior U.S. National Champion and one of the American team's strongest and most visible competitors in the mid-1980s, Phillips was considered to be one of the front-runners for the 1988 U.S. Olympic team. By the Olympic Trials in 1988, however, she had endured several coaching changes and a growth spurt, and was only named second alternate to the team. She went on to participate in competitive cheerleading in college and has since enjoyed successful careers as an actress, stunt woman, coach and gymnastics club owner.
. She began gymnastics in her home state at the age of 4. At 10, she was the children's all-around gold medalist at the Louisiana State Championships. As she excelled in the sport, she moved to the Atlanta School of Gymnastics, and to Houston, Texas
to train with Bela Karolyi
. She also trained at Parkettes
in Allentown, Pennsylvania
.
Phillips made her debut in international competition at the age of 12, at the 1984 Canada Classic, where she won a silver medal on the floor exercise, a bronze on the uneven bars and placed seventh in the all-around. She continued to do well in international meets over the next three years, placing sixth at the prestigious 1986 City of Popes, winning a vault silver medal at the 1986 World Sports Fair and earning the all-around gold at the 1986 American Cup.
By 1986, Phillips was considered to be one of the United States' best hopes for a medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, and was the subject of a considerable amount of media attention. At the age of fourteen, she was featured on the cover of the September 1, 1986 issue of Sports Illustrated
magazine, which touted her as "The New Mary Lou" (in reference to Mary Lou Retton
). She was also interviewed for the 1987 ABC-TV
documentary Olga, Nadia and Mary Lou.
.
However, a growth spurt, the onset of puberty and conflicts with her coaches derailed Phillips' Olympic ambitions in 1987. She briefly switched to SCATS in California to train with former Olympian Don Peters, however, she was unable to maintain her previous level of gymnastics.
Phillips was able to earn a berth on the American team for the 1987 World Championships, but only placed 45th in the all-around at the meet. She did, however, successfully submit an original balance beam mount, described as a "Press to side handstand, front walkover to side stand on both legs." The skill is now referred to as "the Phillips" in the Code of Points and currently has a 'D' difficulty rating. Another balance beam skill associated with Phillips was a reverse planche
, in which the gymnast arches her back from a handstand until her buttocks touch the top of her head.
In 1988, Phillips returned to the Karolyis. She placed 9th at the U.S. Nationals that spring. At the Olympic Trials, she moved up one place to 8th and was named as the second alternate to the U.S. Olympic team. She trained with the squad in America, but did not travel with them to Seoul.
from 1990 to 1992, where she was a competitive cheerleader and a Delta Gamma
sister. After college, she moved to New York City
where she coached gymnastics and performed in various film and television projects, including 1994's Spitfire (a straight-to-video 007-spoof).
Throughour the mid-1990s, Phillips participated in the Reese's Cup, a televised elite gymnastics exhibition, where she continued to wow audiences with her unique brand of artistry. In 1999, she returned to the world of elite competitive gymnastics, placing 23rd at that year's U.S. National Championships. That year, Kristie was also named USA Gymnastics Sportswoman of the Year. She competed at the US Nationals again in 2000, placing 24th, before retiring.
Phillips currently lives in Troutman, North Carolina
with her husband recording artist Horatio Bannister and three children: Sebastian, Isabella and Eberlie. She owns a gymnastics facility in Statesville, North Carolina
, and is certified as an International Brevet judge. She is the current Athlete Representative for USA Gymnastics, and will serve in the same capacity for the 2008 U.S Olympic gymnastics team selection committee. She has spoken about her experiences in gymnastics on several occasions, most recently in the 2003 CNN
documentary Achieving The Perfect 10
. She was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
elite gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
. The 1987 senior U.S. National Champion and one of the American team's strongest and most visible competitors in the mid-1980s, Phillips was considered to be one of the front-runners for the 1988 U.S. Olympic team. By the Olympic Trials in 1988, however, she had endured several coaching changes and a growth spurt, and was only named second alternate to the team. She went on to participate in competitive cheerleading in college and has since enjoyed successful careers as an actress, stunt woman, coach and gymnastics club owner.
Early life
Phillips was born in Baton Rouge, LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. She began gymnastics in her home state at the age of 4. At 10, she was the children's all-around gold medalist at the Louisiana State Championships. As she excelled in the sport, she moved to the Atlanta School of Gymnastics, and to Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to train with Bela Karolyi
Béla Károlyi
Béla Károlyi is a Romanian gymnastics coach. He was born in what was then Kolozsvár, Hungary, a region restored to Romanian administration after 1944. Károlyi and his wife, Márta, also of Hungarian origin, emigrated to the United States in 1981 and both have dual citizenships for Romania and the...
. She also trained at Parkettes
Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center
Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center, or Parkettes for short, is a gymnastics club located in Allentown, Pennsylvania that had its beginnings in the early 1960s with a middle school gymnastics program in Allentown that gradually grew into an intramural program and then into a facility that...
in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
.
Junior career
As a junior, Phillips was one of the United States' top-ranking athletes in both national and international competition. From 1985 to 1987, she placed first in the all-around in every single American competition she entered, including the 1986 American Classic, the 1986 U.S. Olympic Festival and the 1987 U.S. Classic. At her first U.S. National Championships in 1985, Phillips won the all-around title in the junior division; she repeated her success the following year, despite competing with a broken wrist.Phillips made her debut in international competition at the age of 12, at the 1984 Canada Classic, where she won a silver medal on the floor exercise, a bronze on the uneven bars and placed seventh in the all-around. She continued to do well in international meets over the next three years, placing sixth at the prestigious 1986 City of Popes, winning a vault silver medal at the 1986 World Sports Fair and earning the all-around gold at the 1986 American Cup.
By 1986, Phillips was considered to be one of the United States' best hopes for a medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, and was the subject of a considerable amount of media attention. At the age of fourteen, she was featured on the cover of the September 1, 1986 issue of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
magazine, which touted her as "The New Mary Lou" (in reference to Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast and Olympic gold medalist. She was the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title, after 14 Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.-Personal life:Retton was born in Fairmont, West...
). She was also interviewed for the 1987 ABC-TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
documentary Olga, Nadia and Mary Lou.
Senior career
As Phillips moved into the senior ranks in 1987, she appeared to be on track for the Seoul Olympics. At that year's national championships, she won her only senior all-around title. She earned an all-around silver medal at the 1987 Pan Am Games, placed first all-around at the USA vs. USSR dual meet, and won her second American Cup. Phillips was also nominated for the 1987 James E. Sullivan AwardJames E. Sullivan Award
The James E. Sullivan Award, presented by the American Amateur Athletic Union , is awarded annually in April to "the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States". Often referred to as the Oscar of sports awards, it was first presented in 1930. The award is named for the AAU's founder and past...
.
However, a growth spurt, the onset of puberty and conflicts with her coaches derailed Phillips' Olympic ambitions in 1987. She briefly switched to SCATS in California to train with former Olympian Don Peters, however, she was unable to maintain her previous level of gymnastics.
Phillips was able to earn a berth on the American team for the 1987 World Championships, but only placed 45th in the all-around at the meet. She did, however, successfully submit an original balance beam mount, described as a "Press to side handstand, front walkover to side stand on both legs." The skill is now referred to as "the Phillips" in the Code of Points and currently has a 'D' difficulty rating. Another balance beam skill associated with Phillips was a reverse planche
Planche
Planche may refer to:* Planche , a bodyweight exercise* James Planché, a British dramatist, antiquary and officer of arms* Jean Baptiste Gustave Planche* La Planche, a village...
, in which the gymnast arches her back from a handstand until her buttocks touch the top of her head.
In 1988, Phillips returned to the Karolyis. She placed 9th at the U.S. Nationals that spring. At the Olympic Trials, she moved up one place to 8th and was named as the second alternate to the U.S. Olympic team. She trained with the squad in America, but did not travel with them to Seoul.
After gymnastics
Phillips attended Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
from 1990 to 1992, where she was a competitive cheerleader and a Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
sister. After college, she moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she coached gymnastics and performed in various film and television projects, including 1994's Spitfire (a straight-to-video 007-spoof).
Throughour the mid-1990s, Phillips participated in the Reese's Cup, a televised elite gymnastics exhibition, where she continued to wow audiences with her unique brand of artistry. In 1999, she returned to the world of elite competitive gymnastics, placing 23rd at that year's U.S. National Championships. That year, Kristie was also named USA Gymnastics Sportswoman of the Year. She competed at the US Nationals again in 2000, placing 24th, before retiring.
Phillips currently lives in Troutman, North Carolina
Troutman, North Carolina
Troutman is a town in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,592 at the 2000 census. It is the home of NASCAR driver Josh Richeson.-Geography:Troutman is located at ....
with her husband recording artist Horatio Bannister and three children: Sebastian, Isabella and Eberlie. She owns a gymnastics facility in Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville is a city located in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States and was named an All-America City in 1997 and 2009. The population was 24,633 at the 2010 census...
, and is certified as an International Brevet judge. She is the current Athlete Representative for USA Gymnastics, and will serve in the same capacity for the 2008 U.S Olympic gymnastics team selection committee. She has spoken about her experiences in gymnastics on several occasions, most recently in the 2003 CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
documentary Achieving The Perfect 10
Achieving The Perfect 10
Achieving The Perfect 10, is a made for CNN documentary movie released on August 10, 2003, about young girls training gymnastics at the highly competitive Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
. She was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2006.