 In 1983 Talavera's competitive fortunes changed.She was only able to achieve a 15th-place finish at U.S. Nationals and was left off the World Championships team.However, in 1984 she returned to finish 8th in the all-around at Nationals and win the beam gold medal, placed 6th at the U.S. Olympic Trials, and earned a spot on the American team at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.