This week in gymnastics: Takeaways from U.S. championships, Darja dominates, Padilla’s triple pike
This week in gymnastics covers the latest happenings in the Olympic gymnastics disciplines, including artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline.
Artistic
Key takeaways from U.S. championships
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that the 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships took place last week in San Jose, California, and, as expected, Simone Biles dominated the competition (and headlines).
Biles hit 8-of-8 routines to become the first man or woman to win eight U.S. all-around titles. All of her individual scores surpassed the 14 mark, with two going 15+, and earning a 59+ both days. She also became the oldest woman to win the title.
The U.S. women will fine-tune routines for a few weeks before heading to world team selection camp, set for September 18-20 in Katy, Texas. The five-woman team (plus one traveling alternate) will be named on the 20th before the team departs for Antwerp, Belgium, on the 22nd. As has been common in previous years, the alternate may not be formally named until 24 hours before the start of qualifying.
Biles is expected to be the one automatic qualifier to the team, following the first day of selection competition. Other frontrunners for the team include Shilese Jones, Skye Blakely, Leanne Wong, and Joscelyn Roberson. Olympians Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Jordan Chiles are also eyeing spots on the team, among others.
- But still she rises: Simone Biles wins historic 8th national title at 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships
- Simone Biles leads 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships after near-perfect vault
Nineteen-year-old Asher Hong used the domestic difficulty score bonus to his advantage to win his first U.S. men’s all-around title, with the highlight being his Ri Se Gwang vault, which went 15+ both days.
On Sunday, the U.S. men’s world team and Pan Am Games teams were named, with Hong headlining the squad for Belgium along with Khoi Young, Yul Moldauer, Fred Richard, Paul Juda, and Colt Walker (traveling alternate).
The Pan Am Games team consists of Cameron Bock, Stephen Nedoroscik, Colt Walker, Donnell Whittenburg, and Shane Wiskus. Riley Loos and Curran Phillips are the non-traveling alternates.
- Asher Hong headlines U.S. men’s 2023 world team
- Asher Hong wins first national all-around title as college guys put on show at 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships
- Asher Hong staves off Yul Moldauer, Fred Richard on Day 1 of 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships
The U.S. junior titles went to Hezly Rivera, Kai Uemura (17), and Nathan Roman (16). Both Rivera and Uemura will be first-year seniors next year, with the latter looking forward to college visits this fall at Illinois, Michigan, and Stanford.
- Hezly Rivera claims junior title at 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, just weeks after rolling ankle
- Kai Uemura wins second-straight junior title as Nathan Roman holds off Danila Leykin at 2023 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships
Mersin World Challenge Cup sees return of Oleg Verniaiev as international stars warm up for worlds
Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev will compete floor, pommel horse, and parallel bars in his return to competition at the Mersin World Challenge Cup this weekend after his doping suspension for the banned substance meldonium was cut in half earlier this year.
Other names to watch for at the fourth stop of the FIG 2023 World Challenge Cup series include Heath Thorpe (AUS), Eddie Penev (BUL), Tin Srbic (CRO), Ahmad Abu Al Soud (JOR), Ahmet Onder (TUR), Ferhat Arican (TUR), and Oksana Chusovitina (UZB).
Two more world challenge cups will take place between now and the world championships in late September, including Szombathely (Sept. 8-10) and Paris (Sept. 16-17), inside the 2024 Olympic venue.
Rhythmic
Darja Varfolomeev dominates rhythmic worlds as Israel, China make history
Germany’s 16-year-old sensation Darja Varfolomeev became the youngest competitor ever – and the first gymnast in 12 year – to sweep the five individual titles at the 2023 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships last week in Valencia, Spain.
Varfolomeev was a podium favorite before the competition, but no one could have predicted the sheer dominance she would exhibit on her way to gold with the hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon. She added the all-around title to bring her tally to five golds before tacking on a silver in the team competition.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable. I never thought this would be possible,” Varfolomeev said. “The audience supported me a lot. They were really enthusiastic, and so I was quite enthusiastic in return in my performances. I’m so glad it all worked out this way finally!”
Varfolomeev is the first world all-around champion from Germany since Carmen Rischer in 1975, according to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
With less than a year to go until the Paris Olympic Games, Varfolomeev is now the favorite for the Olympic title, but 2022 world champion Sofia Raffaeli (ITA) is expected to continue to challenge her. Raffaeli, a favorite coming into Valencia, came away with three silvers (hoop, ball, all-around) and a bronze (team). She made a mistake with the clubs that kept her from usurping Varfolomeev.
The other individual headliners, Daria Atamanov (ISR) and Boryana Kaleyn (BUL), enjoyed successful worlds as well. Atamanov redeemed herself with the all-around bronze after having to pull out of the 2022 world championships last minute due to injury. Kaleyn won silver with the clubs and ribbon.
Israel won its first-ever world group all-around title, holding off China and Spain with its 5 hoops routine and 3 ribbons and 2 balls routine. It tacked on the 3 ribbons and 2 balls title as well.
China’s silver marked its first world medal since 1987. They followed it up with gold in the 5 hoops – the nation’s first world title in rhythmic gymnastics. After adding silver in the 3 ribbons and 2 balls, China was the only group to win three medals in Valencia.
The world championships also served as an Olympic qualification event. Individual berths for Paris 2024 went to Spain, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Israel, Uzbekistan, Germany, Hungary, Azerbaijan, France, Brazil, Italy, and Romania. Group berths went to China, Italy, Brazil, and France.
The U.S. delegation of Evita Griskenas, Lili Mizuno, and the senior national group finished 14th in the team competition. The group was 18th in the all-around final, failing to qualify to the event finals. Neither Griskenas of Mizuno advanced to the individual finals.
Trampoline
Reigning world double mini champion Ruben Padilla WOWs in tumbling video
2022 world double mini champion and U.S. trampoline and double mini national team member Ruben Padilla‘s forte may be trampoline, but he’s still got the tumbling skills.
Padilla recently shared a video of him doing a laid-out triple-double, triple back, and triple pike. Check it out!
