Any Elite athlete is allowed to compete as an Open athlete in invitationals. However, if the intention is for them to be eligible to qualify for any Development Program events, please submit an Elite Drop Back petition to Tom Koll – National Development Program Committee Chair, at tkoll60@gmail.com.  Any scores achieved from an invitational before the petition is approved will be invalid, meaning they would not be eligible to qualify to the Nastia Liukin Cup, State, Regional or National meets.

Instructions on how to properly submit a petition can be found on page 77 in the Women’s Program Rules & Policies:

A US Elite gymnast (an athlete who has competed as a Junior or Senior International Elite in a Classic Meet, Junior World Trials, or higher) who wants to enter the Development Program MUST petition to drop back to the Development Program, regardless of the year of competition, by completing the “reason for change” form. FROM HER COACH to the National Development Program Committee Chairman (NDPCC). For Information regarding Foreign Athlete (Elite or non-elite) participation in the Development Program, please refer to Chapter 2.

1. All petitions must be received at least three (3) weeks prior to the Level 10 State Championships.
2. The National Development Program Committee (NDPC) will review the petition and the NDPCC will notify the coach of the acceptance/denial of the petition and will copy the respective SACC and RACC and the Regional Technical Committee Chairman (RTCC).
3. Accepted petitioned athletes may not re-enter the Elite/Pre-Elite Program during the Elite competitive year (through Championships of the year in which she competes Level 10).
4. Clarification: An elite athlete dropping back into the Development Program is considered a Development Program athlete when she enters her first USA Gymnastics sanctioned event as a Level 10 athlete AFTER the petition has been granted.
5. All scores obtained before the petition is granted are INVALID for qualification to State Championships and above in the current season.

Any gymnast who competed at the Pre-Elite level (at a Regional or National qualifier and/or Challenge competition) may choose to compete as a Level 10 in the following season, since she is considered as a Pre-Elite athlete. No petition is necessary.