© Steve Lange
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 15, 2007—Alexy Bilozertchev of Hilliard, Ohio, and John Orozco of Bronx, N.Y., won the junior men’s 16-18 year-old and 14-15 year-old all-around titles, respectively, at the 2007 Visa Championships at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. In addition, Bilozertchev also won pommel horse, while Orozco claimed three individual event titles: still rings, parallel bars and high bar.
“I’ve been training a year for this,” Bilozertchev said. “I feel like I’ve accomplished something. It feels great.”
“I’m very proud of him,” said Dmitry Bilozertchev, Alexy’s father and coach, who is a former world and Olympic champion. “The goal today was to come in and do a good job and he did. He deserved it.”
Bilozertchev held the lead after three rotations with a score of 43.200, but fell to second with one rotation left. His 14.300 on pommel horse earned him the all-around title with a total score of 84.850, followed by Glen Ishino of
Josh Dixon of San Jose, Calif., who was the 2006 U.S. junior floor exercise and vault champion in the 14-15 year-old division, won floor and vault in the 16-18 year-old division. His floor routine, which included an Arabian double front and a solid two-and-a-half punch barani, scored a 15.100, while his Kasamatsu one-and-a-half vault earned a score of 15.300. Bilozertchev posted a 14.300 on pommel horse to earn the gold medal, while Bunthuwong nailed a double pike dismount on parallel bars to win with a 14.900. Ishino’s still rings routine, which included a Jonasson immediate straddle planche, earned a score of 14.200 and the gold medal. Tyler Mizoguchi of
In the 14-15 year-old division, Orozco won the all-around title with a final score of 83.900. Sam Mikulak of
“I’m so happy; I’m ecstatic,” Orozco said. “I didn’t expect to win. It’s my first year here and my first year on podium. I fell on my first event, pommel horse, but I told myself I had to do my best and have fun.”
“It’s a long journey,” said Jason Hebert, Orozco’s coach. “He’s worked so hard. He has lots of difficulty and we’ve just been working on refining his form.”
Orozco took over the all-around lead after the fifth rotation with a 13.700 on high bar. His individual event titles came on: parallel bars (14.750); still rings (14.050); and horizontal bar, which included a stuck full twisting double layout dismount.