Chellsie Memmel: "I want them to know I'm there for them."

Chellsie Memmel is putting her considerable experience in artistic gymnastics to work - quite literally.

The 34-year-old competed at her first World Artistic Gymnastics Championships back in 2003, where she helped her U.S. team to a historic first gold medal. She also picked up individual honours on the uneven bars.

Her career would extend from there all the until 2021 when she returned to elite competition after eight years away.

But the 2005 world all-around champion, 2008 Olympic team silver medallist and brevet-rated judge has found herself in a new role in 2022: part of a group of three leading the U.S. squad.

“I honestly, I still feel like I'm getting my bearings,” said Memmel, who took the job as the women’s technical lead in May, after competition at the U.S. women’s world selection event in Houston. “I want to be there for the girls. I want to be able to give good advice when they need it and know when to step back.

“I want them to know that I'm there for them,” she continued, “but I don't want to be too much in their face and things like that. But I've been through so many different types of situations in my career, and I feel like I do have a lot to give, and if they want that advice, I'm happy to share it with them.”

Read more: Find out how Shilese Jones won the U.S. trials to book her spot for Liverpool. 

And here is everything you need to know about the world championships.

From the jump, Memmel has been putting her nearly decade worth of experience as an internationally-rated judge to work, helping the team maximise their scoring potential on the global stage.

“It goes back to Brazil [at the Pan American Championships] because I got to go there and be a judge, and we got a lot of great feedback,” explained Memmel. “Then, going out in [the] Paris [World Cup], we also got more feedback and it's continued to improve. They are really putting an effort in to make those improvements and make the adjustments where the routines are better.”

Those efforts will be on full display this week as Team USA tries to win its sixth-straight world team title, a first in global women’s competition.

The U.S. - thanks to legendary gymnasts like Memmel - have long dominated the women’s side of the sport. From 2011-2019, they won two Olympic titles and five world gold medals, each by a seemingly increasing margin.

“We really haven't brought that up,” she says of a sixth consecutive win.

But that doesn’t mean the drive isn’t there.

“They want to come out on top, and they want to put the work in to make that happen,” said Memmel. “We want to help them get there. That’s our goal, that's what we want to do.”

Jordan Chiles, a member of the U.S. team that won silver at last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games, agreed, saying that while another gold is the goal they’re focusing more on the process.

“I think right now we're kind of just going to go out there and do what we know we can do,” said Chiles. “As long as we hit, I'm hoping, keeping my fingers crossed, that we come back with that sixth title, but no hopes up right now. We’re just going to stay focused and do what we know that we can do.”

For Memmel, once competition gets rolling, she won’t be able to do much to affect the outcome. And that’s an adjustment.

“I will say it, it's worse watching because I don't have any control,” she admitted. 

So, for the time being, she’ll continue to work on what she can control as they prepare in Liverpool.

“We’re going to continue just to focus on the little things and being consistent in the trainings, getting in the numbers while we’re there,” said Memmel. “[We’ll] focus on just being a team because they're already a great team, but then when you get out, it just kind of brings everybody a little bit closer. I think that really does help elevate the performance when everybody is ready to go and we're all working for a common goal.”