2020 American Cup women’s recap: Hurd, DiCello go 1-2
Morgan Hurd is back! The 2017 World all-around champion secured the 2020 American Cup title on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a statement performance after being left of the 2019 U.S. World team.
Just behind Hurd, Kayla DiCello’s senior debut was a stellar one to say the least. The 2019 U.S. junior all-around champion finished 0.7 behind Hurd to earn the silver.
The international talent in attendance did not disappoint. Japan’s Hitomi Hatakeda put together four solid routines to finish with the bronze. Just off the podium, Great Britain’s first-year senior Jennifer Gadirova finished fourth, and in her first meet back from ankle surgery, Canada’s Ellie Black took fifth.
The U.S. women finishing 1-2 is the best case scenario for the United States. Hurd’s gold puts Team USA in first in the FIG All-Around World Cup series for the women. At the end of the series, the top three countries will receive one additional Olympic berth (+1) each to award to the athlete of their choice. The American Cup is the first of the four-meet all-around series.
Continue reading for full results, notes, video, and photos from Milwaukee!
Senior WAG All-Around Final
| Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | AA | ||
| 1. | Morgan Hurd (USA) | 14.333 (3) | 14.100 (1) | 13.733 (3) | 13.666 (2) | 55.832 |
| 2. | Kayla DiCello (USA) | 14.533 (2) | 13.733 (4) | 13.466 (4) | 13.400 (3) | 55.132 |
| 3. | Hitomi Hatakeda (JPN) | 13.600 (8) | 13.866 (2) | 13.400 (5) | 12.933 (4) | 53.799 |
| 4. | Jennifer Gadirova (GBR) | 14.566 (1) | 11.366 (10) | 13.933 (2) | 13.700 (1) | 53.565 |
| 5. | Elsabeth Black (CAN) | 13.733 (6) | 13.800 (3) | 13.166 (7) | 12.600 (6) | 53.299 |
| 6. | Georgia Godwin (AUS) | 13.666 (7) | 13.100 (7) | 13.233 (6) | 11.700 (9) | 51.699 |
| 7. | Giorgia Villa (ITA) | 14.300 (4) | 12.766 (8) | 12.533 (11) | 11.933 (8) | 51.532 |
| 8. | Lorette Charpy (FRA) | 13.433 (10) | 13.500 (5) | 12.733 (10) | 11.266 (12) | 50.932 |
| 9. | Zhang Jin (CHN) | 14.133 (5) | 10.333 (12) | 14.133 (1) | 12.033 (7) | 50.632 |
| 10. | Diana Varinska (UKR) | 13.500 (9) | 11.100 (11) | 13.133 (8) | 12.700 (5) | 50.433 |
| 11. | Sarah Voss (DEU) | 12.333 (12) | 13.466 (6) | 12.933 (9) | 11.600 (10) | 50.332 |
| 12. | Alba Petisco (ESP) | 13.400 (11) | 11.833 (9) | 12.433 (12) | 11.433 (11) | 49.099 |
(Source: myusagym.com)
Notes: After a disappointing end to her 2019 season, Hurd stormed back to the top on Saturday. High-Performance Team Coordinator Tom Forster said it best: Hurd looks better than ever.
The 2018 American Cup winner started off with a strong double-twisting Yurchenko, just off to the side on her block and a tiny hop tacked on to the end. Hurd put together the top routine of the day on uneven bars. The routine included a Chow to Stalder full to piked Tkatchev, Church to Pak salto, and a toe full to full-twisting double back, with a small hop, to finish. Hurd debuted some new skills in her beam routine, including a side aerial to layout combination and a full-in dismount. Her go-to standing full was solid, and her only hiccup came in the form of a balance check on her switch ring leap. To finish the day, Hurd debuted her new floor routine. The second-best score of the day, Hurd hit her opening double-double, front layout to front double full, a switch ring to switch full leap combination, full-twisting double back, and a double pike with a great landing to dismount.
In her first competition as a senior, DiCello looked like a calm and confident veteran. The 16-year-old opened with a hit bars routine, including a Stalder full to Maloney, straddled Tkatchev, piked Jaeger, Pak (leg separation), Van Leeuwen, and a full-twisting double back to finish. On beam, from her candle mount to back handspring layout layout series to stuck double back dismount, DiCello didn’t waver once. Her lowest score of the day came on floor. It was a solid routine, including a full-twisting double layout, double pike, 1.5 twist to front full, and a double back to finish, but she’ll look to improve a few low landings and form issues moving forward. DiCello finished on one of her best events: vault. She compete a solid double-twisting Yurchenko with a small hop back.
Japan’s Hatakeda debuted a new floor routine in the third rotation. The powerful tumbler opened with a full-twisting double back, a 2.5 twist to punch front, and finished with a double pike (hop back). On vault, Hatakeda opted for a very clean and simple full-twisting Yurchenko. She beamed with joy as her vault score came in during the final rotation; she moved into first with DiCello and Hurd yet to compete. It’s a well-earned bronze for an up-and-coming Japanese gymnast.
Other notable routines
Jennifer Gadirova (GBR)
Gadirova had a great senior debut, finishing fourth despite having to count a fall on bars. The Brit finished first on vault and floor. She also showed off her beam prowess, finishing second with a routine that included a difficult full-in dismount
Ellie Black (CAN)
Fifth-place finisher Black seemed to gain confidence as the meet went on. After good, but not great, routines on vault and bars, Black looked like she had returned to her typical, solid self on beam and floor.
Lorette Charpy (FRA)
Despite finishing eighth, Charpy had one of the best stories of the day. In the second rotation, the three-time World team member almost had her uneven bars routine botched by an equipment malfunction. As Charpy was swinging down into her Jaeger release, the bars buckled, and her legs slammed into the low bar. She, understandably, came off the bars. The judges quickly recognized the equipment issue, and after AAI representatives fixed the problem, Charpy started over and ended up putting together the fifth-best score of the day on the event.
Zhang Jin (CHN)
Zhang Jin has not had the smoothest of starts to her season. She’s had to train in Doha the past few weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak in her home country. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been allowed into the United States to compete, and she won’t be able to return home until after the Birmingham World Cup. Her floor routine placed seventh due to a fall, but when she hits this routine, it is a stunning exercise. Check out the opening whip to triple full to punch front sequence!
