Paris World Challenge Cup: US represented in 7 of 10 event finals
The Paris World Challenge Cup might be a glorified worlds tune-up meet, but it felt like a world championships, or even an Olympics, if you’re comparing the audience to the Tokyo Games.
In the most star-studded gathering since the 2020 Games, Olympic and world champions descended on Paris Saturday alongside up-and-coming talent and contenders for next month’s worlds.
The two-day world cup began with two qualifying sessions to determine the fields for Sunday’s finals. Although there was not a qualifying stream, dedicated fans in the arena filmed routines and tweeted updates. Keep reading for a recap, routine highlights, and detailed results.
MAG Qualifications
The U.S. duo of Donnell Whittenburg and Brody Malone had a solid outing at Accor Arena in Paris. Although both athletes were slated to compete all six events, Malone ended up scratching vault in the final rotation.
Starting on pommel horse, the Americans did not go through the usual apparatus order (PH, SR, VT, PB, HB, FX). Instead, due to the two qualifying sessions, the pair competed PH, SR, FX, HB, PB, and finished on VT.
Both Malone and Whittenburg hit their opening sets, scoring 13.600 (5.7/7.9) and 12.600 (5.0/7.6), respectively. They started to heat up on rings, one of Whittenburg’s specialties, and he delivered, scoring a 14.300 (6.0/8.3). Malone will join him in the final after scoring a 14.150 (5.9/8.25). Floor exercise saw some hiccups; Malone had some awkward landings and went out of bounds (13.100 – 5.9/7.3/-0.1) while Whittenburg incurred -0.6 in deductions after multiple OOB (13.250 – 6.4/7.45). They made up for it on high bar, with Whittenburg nearly qualifying to the final (13.300 – 5.4/7.9) and Malone looking like the reigning world bronze medalist, qualifying second with a 14.400 (6.0/8.4). Heading to PB, which would end up being Malone’s final event, the duo once again executed cleanly. Malone qualified first with a 14.500 (6.0/8.5), and Whittenburg qualified seventh with a 13.900 (5.8/8.1). With Malone scratching vault, Whittenburg was left with his final skill. He opted for just one vault – the Kas 1.5 – scoring a 13.100 (5.2/8.2/-0.3).
On the international side, reigning Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat (ISR) dominated the floor standings with a 14.950 (6.5/8.55/-0.1). The next closest qualifier was Chia-Hung Tang (TPE) with a 14.250 (5.5/8.75). Pommel horse specialist Rhys McClenaghan (IRL) led the way on the apparatus with a 15.000 (6.3/8.7); he’ll have to fend off the likes of Ryota Tsumura (JPN) and Yu-Jan Shiao (TPE) to win the event title. Adem Asil (TUR) qualified first on rings with a 14.900 (6.3/8.6). Over on vault, Sunday’s competition will be tight, with Brazil’s Caio Souza (14.525) and Yuri Guimaraes (14.400) just ahead of Dolgopyat. Marios Georgiou (CYP) edged Malone on high bar in qualifications with a 14.450 (6.0/8.45).
WAG Qualifications
The U.S. trio of Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Shilese Jones didn’t have a perfect day, but they didn’t need it, qualifying to the finals for each event they competed.
It started on bars, where Jones suffered an uncharacteristic fall on her straddle Tkatchev before scoring a 13.200 (6.1/7.1) after a petition. The American’s consistency queen, Chiles followed with a clean set to score a 13.400 (5.8/7.6), and the pair qualified seventh and sixth, respectively.
Carey got her day started on vault, where she executed an excellent Cheng (14.550) and double-twisting Yurchenko (14.150) to qualify first with a 14.350. Chiles debuted a new vault, the Lopez, to rave reviews. The Lopez (13.800) combined with her solid double-twisting Yurchenko (14.100) were enough to qualify second behind Carey with a 13.950 average.
Chiles ended her day with a 13.500 (5.6/7.9) on floor to qualify second. Her NCAA-transplanted set included the latest addition of a one-and-a-half through to double back, huge double layout, and a front layout through to double back that narrowly avoided an out of bounds deduction. The crowd loved modern set and was engaged start to finish, boding well for how it could be received in Liverpool next month. Jones snuck into the final in eighth place after a 12.550 (5.4/7.35/-0.2). She opened with a double twisting-double back, double layout (out of bounds), punch front through to double back (out of bounds), and a closing fall on her wolf turn.
The U.S. women closed things out on beam, where Jones had a redeeming set to qualify first with a 13.450 (5.4/8.050). The Florida commit opted for the straddle mount, instead of the round-off layout that has caused her issues as of late and powered through her opening standing Arabian. Jones was relatively solid the rest of the way, just a wobble here and there, and she dismounted with a double pike with a step. Not usually known for her beam, Carey still qualified second with a 13.400 (5.4/8.0). She was confident throughout, hitting her back handspring to layout series, clean, if not conservative, leaps and jumps, and closing with the double pike.
On the international side, Rebeca Andrade (BRA) led the way on bars with a 14.600 (6.2/8.4). Her closest competition was Lisa Vaelen (BEL) with a 13.900 (5.6/8.3). Ellie Black (CAN) was third in qualifying after hitting the Shang 1/2 – a skill that has never been successfully competed in International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) competition and should now bear her name (13.900 – 5.7/8.2). Despite being well received by her home crowd, Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (FRA) suffered two falls to earn a 10.900 (5.6/5.3).
De Jesus dos Santos redeemed herself on beam, earning a 13.250 (5.3/7.95) to qualify third. Black followed in fourth with a 13.000 (5.6/7.4). Andrade’s teammate Flavia Saraiva (BRA) topped the floor exercise standings with a 13.800 (5.7/8.1).
