Junior and Senior Pan-American Championships

Lausanne (SUI), June 26, 2012: Medellin, Seventeen federations convened in Medellín (COL) from June 19-25 for the 2012 Pan American Championships in Artistic Gymnastics. Several London Olympians, and those still awaiting Olympic designation by their federations, participated. Notables:

LONDON OLYMPIANS:

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Jorge GIRALDO (COL) 2004 and 2008 Olympian

Federico MOLINARI (ARG)

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Valeria PEREYRA (ARG)

Simona CASTRO (CHI)

Yamilet PEÑA (DOM)

Lorena QUIÑONES (PUR)

PROSPECTIVE GYMNASTS FOR LONDON*

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Luis RIVERA (PUR) 2008 Olympian

Alexander RODRIGUEZ (PUR)

Angel RAMOS (PUR)

Francisco BARRETO (BRA)

Pétrix AGUIAR BARBOSA (BRA)

Sergio SASAKI (BRA)

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Daniele HYPOLITO (BRA) 2004 and 2008 Olympian

Adrian NUNES GOMES (BRA)

OTHER PAST OLYMPIAN

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Jose Luis FUENTES (VEN) 2008 Olympian

*Note: Brazil has yet to select their women’s team for the 2012 Games. Brazil also has one additional male Olympian to select. Puerto Rico has several options for their male gymnast for the Games, still to be determined.

The divisions contested at this Pan American Championships included senior and junior Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics. The junior competition featured team, all-around, and apparatus final medals, while the seniors only presented medals in the apparatus finals.

Olympians, past and London bound, dominated the senior individual medals for both men and women. Luis Rivera (PUR), a 2008 Olympian and 2012 hopeful, won the floor exercise (14.750). Jose Luis Fuentes (VEN), also a 2008 Olympian, won the pommel horse (14.950). London bound Olympian Federico Molinari (ARG) was champion on the rings (15.225).

The vault title (15.513) was claimed by 2012 Olympic hopeful Angel Ramos (PUR). Jorge Giraldo (COL), soon to be a three-time Olympian, captured the parallel bar title (15.300). Daniele Hypolito (BRA), hoping to be named to her third Olympic team, won the balance beam (14.500) and floor exercise (13.825). London bound Olympian Yamilet Peña (DOM), known for her spectacular handspring double front, captured the vault title (14.763).

The junior men’s competition was dominated by Jossimar Calvo (COL), the 2011 Pan American Games AA champion. He won eight out of eight possible gold medals, including the All-around, while leading his Colombian team (254.600) over the USA (252.450). Canada won the junior women’s team competition (157.866) with a narrow victory over Brazil (157.432). Women’s junior Rebecca Rodrigues (BRA) added to her team silver with three gold medals in the all-around (55.133), vault (14.45), and floor exercise (14.225). She also won a bronze medal on the balance beam (12.875), bringing her total to five medals.

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics – Seniors

FLOOR EXERCISE

1. Luis RIVERA (PUR) 14.750

2. Alexander RODRIGUEZ (PUR) 14.725

3. Francisco BARRETO (BRA) 14.475

POMMEL HORSE

1. Jose Luis FUENTES (VEN) 14.950

2. Jhonny MUÑOZ (COL) 14.875

3. Luis RIVERA (PUR) 14.675

RINGS

1. Federico MOLINARI (ARG) 15.225

2. Luis RIVERA (PUR) 15.025

3. Osvaldo MARTINEZ (ARG) 14.95

VAULT

1. Angel RAMOS (PUR) 15.513

2. Juan GONZALEZ (CHI) 15.400

3. Petrix AGUIAR (BRA) 15.100

PARALLEL BARS

1. Jorge GIRALDO (COL) 15.300

2. Sergio SASAKI (BRA) 14.75

3. Luis RIVERA (PUR) 13.975

HORIZONTAL BAR

1. Nicolas CORDOBA (ARG) 14.975

2. Sergio SASAKI (BRA) 14.725

2.Angel RAMOS (PUR) 14.725

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics -Seniors

VAULT

1. Yamilet PEÑA (DOM) 14.763

2. Paula MEJIAS (PUR) 14.038

3. Adrian NUNES (BRA) 13.888

UNEVEN BARS

1. Bibiana VELEZ (COL) 13.850

2. Dovelis TORRES (CUB) 13.100

3. Selene VASQUEZ (MEX) 12.975

BALANCE BEAM

1. Daniele HYPOLITO (BRA) 14.500

2. Adrian NUNES (BRA) 13.925

3. Simona CASTRO (CHI) 12.800

FLOOR EXERCISE

1. Daniele HYPOLITO (BRA) 13.825

2. Bibiana VELEZ (COL) 13.425

2. Barbara ACHONDO (CHI) 13.425

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics – Juniors

TEAM

1. Colombia (COL) 254.600

2. United States of America (USA) 252.450

3. Puerto Rico (PUR) 245.450

ALL-AROUND

1. Jossimar CALVO (COL) 88.950

2. Alexis TORRES (PUR) 84.700

3. Akash MODI (USA) 84.500

FLOOR EXERCISE

1. Jossimar CALVO (COL) 14.725

2. Ernesto VILA (CUB) 14.325

3. Alexis TORRES (PUR) 14.000

POMMEL HORSE

1. Jossimar CALVO (COL) 14.675

2. Akash MODI (USA) 13.825

3. Fellipe ARAKAWA (BRA) 13.800

RINGS

1. Jossimar CALVO (COL) 14.625,

1. Alexis TORRES (PUR) 14.625

3. Marvin KIMBLE (USA) 13.975

VAULT

1. Jossimar CALVO (COL) 15.725

2. Alexis TORRES (PUR) 15.263

3. Audrys NIN (DOM) 15.175

PARALLEL BARS

1. Jossimar CALVO (COL) 15.000

2. Akash MODI (USA) 14.150

3. Timothy WANG (USA) 13.850

HORIZONTAL BAR

1. Jossimar CALVO (COL) 14.975

2. Ernesto VILA (CUB) 14.200

3. Alexis TORRES (PUR) 13.650

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics – Juniors

TEAM

1. Canada (CAN) 157.866

2. Brazil (BRA) 157.432

3. Mexico (MEX) 145.899

ALL-AROUND

1. Rebecca RODRIGUES (BRA) 55.133

2. Victoria KAYEN (CAN) 53.133

3. Aleeza YU (CAN) 52.667

VAULT

1. Rebeca RODRIGUES (BRA) 14.450

2. Carla CORNEJO (MEX) 13.625

3. Victoria KAYEN (CAN) 13.563

UNEVEN BARS

1. Victoria KAYEN (CAN) 13.850

2. Aleeza YU (CAN) 13.450

3. Gina ESCOBAR (COL) 12.825

BALANCE BEAM

1. Frida LOPES (BRA) 13.300

2. Malena FERREYRA (ARG) 13.125

3. Rebeca RODRIGUES (BRA) 12.875

FLOOR EXERCISE

1. Rebeca RODRIGUES (BRA) 14.225

2. Meaghan CHANT (CAN) 13.500

3. Lorrane DOSSANTOS (BRA) 13.350

The competition arena, the Jorge Hugo Giraldo Gymnastics Coliseum, is representative of the importance of gymnastics today in Colombia. Giraldo will be representing Colombia in his third Olympic Games this summer.

The competition was hosted by the Colombian Gymnastics Federation under the direction of their president Cecilia Sabogal (COL). FIG EC member and Pan American president Zobeira Hernandez (VEN) presided over the Jury of Appeals. PAGU Women’s Technical Committec president and FIG WTC member Naomi Valenzo (MEX) as well as PAGU Men’s Technical Committee president Jaime Corredor (COL) supervised the Men’s and Women’s competitions respectively.  —— Image © FIG

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