BIRMINGHAM, England (November 9, 2023) – Nine U.S. athletes advanced past Round 1 of qualifications, and three teams made finals Thursday at the 2023 Trampoline World Championships in Birmingham.
In men’s individual trampoline competition, Aliaksei Shostak (Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express) and Ruben Padilla (Bluffdale, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling) will both move onto the second round of men’s individual trampoline qualifications. Shostak put up a 59.110 to advance in fifth to Friday’s Round 2, while Padilla was 20th with a 58.100. Americans Isaac Rowley (Allen, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy) and Ryan Maccagnan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Stars Gymnastics) were 36th (56.560) and 44th (55.640). The top 24 athletes, limited to three per county, advanced to the second round.
Padilla, Maccagnan, Rowley and Shostak were fourth in team qualifications with a 340.780 and will compete in the men’s trampoline team final on Saturday.
In women’s competition, Jessica Stevens (Ellicott City, Md./Fairland Gymnastics) and Sarah Webster (Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express) each claimed a spot to Saturday’s second round of competition. Stevens scored a 53.870 to qualify 15th and Webster a 53.550 for 19th. Nicole Ahsinger (Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express) was 28th with a 53.010 and will be third reserve for Saturday’s qualifications, while Ava Hernando (Holmdel, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy) was 52nd with a 50.740.
Ahsinger, Hernando, Stevens and Webster combined for a total 311.500 and will be first reserve in the trampoline team final.
Thursday featured women’s tumbling competition where Americans Miah Bruns (Crete, Ill./World Champions Centre), Nastia Katchalova (Lakeland, Fla./Elite World Gymnastics) and Hope Bravo (Frisco, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy) each made it through to Friday’s second round of qualifications. Bruns was second qualifier with a 51.200, second only to Candy Briere-Vetillard of France (51.500). Katchalova (47.900) and Bravo (46.700) qualified in 11th and 13th, respectively. With only three athletes per country allowed to move onto Round 2, Tia Taylor (Knoxville, Tenn./Premier Athletics Knoxville) did not advance despite landing 14th (46.700) in the standings.
The U.S. team of Bravo, Bruns, Katchalova and Taylor qualified in third (145.900) to the women’s tumbling final. They will go up against the teams from Belgium, France, Great Britain and Japan.
Padilla pulled double duty at the championships, advancing in double mini trampoline as well. The 2022 World champion scored a 58.500 to advance to Saturday’s qualifications in the top spot. Joining him in the second round are teammates Tomas Minc (Chevy Chase, Md./Dynamite Gymnastics), who qualified in fifth (55.400), and Dylan Kline (Syracuse, Utah/Flipside Tumbling), who took the seventh spot (55.300). Simon Smith (Springville, Utah/Utah Valley Trampoline & Tumbling) was 24th with a 51.100.
The American team was first qualifier in team competition with Kline, Padilla, Minc and Smith scoring a 170.400 to advance to the final.
Action resumes Friday morning with qualifications in synchronized trampoline, women’s double mini and men’s tumbling. Visit the FIG microsite for complete results and follow the competition live at allgymnastics.tv.