© John Cheng

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Oct. 24, 2010 – Rebecca Bross of Plano, Texas, won the balance beam silver medal at the 2010 World Championships at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands. For the entire World Championships, the USA won one gold, two silver and three bronze medals for a total of six medals.

"We are very pleased with our performance at this year’s Worlds," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "Our athletes performed at the highest level and demonstrated that America remains a true medal contender. Rebecca Bross met every challenge this week with grace and poise in supporting her team and winning three individual medals."

The U.S. World medalists are: Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass., women’s vault gold; women’s team silver medal; Bross, balance beam silver medal and a bronze medal in both the all-around and uneven bars; and Jonathan Horton of Houston, men’s all-around bronze medal. The USA also just missed the medal podium in the men’s team finals and women’s uneven bars and floor exercise finals, finishing fourth.

Bross, who trains at WOGA, tallied a 15.233 for her well-executed routine, which included a standing Arabian; front aerial to back handspring, layout step out; switch leap, back tuck; side somi; and a round-off Arabian double front dismount, with a small step. She tied with Deng Linlin of China for second. The gold medal went to Romania’s Ana Porgras.

"I am happy with my silver medal and with how I did today," said Bross, who claimed four medals at this year’s Worlds. "I think (the best moment this week) is how our team did. Of course I am happy for myself and how I did, but it’s a team competition and that’s the main goal for us. We all want to be there for each other and we were."

Sacramone earned a 15.066, as well as the highest beam execution score in the finals, for fifth place. Her routine featured a front pike mount; front tuck; back handspring, layout; pike front, immediate layout step out; and two back handsprings, to double-pike dismount, with a small hop.

"I feel great," said Sacramone, who has nine career world medals and trains at Brestyan’s American Gymnastics. "My biggest concern was going out and doing a clean routine, and I think that’s what I did. I didn’t medal, but I am totally pleased with the outcome of everything and really proud of Becca for getting the silver."

In the women’s floor exercise, Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, finished fourth, just missing a medal by 0.050. Lauren Mitchell of Australia won the gold medal with a 14.833. Aliya Mustafina of Russia and Diane Maria Chelaru of Romania tied for second at 14.766.

Raisman, who had the second highest execution score for the floor finals, did an excellent routine that included a one-and-a-half step-out through to an Arabian double front to immediate split jump; triple full; double back; and a stuck double pike dismount.

"I am really excited about coming in fourth because I was in eighth place in the prelims and I jumped up a couple of places," said Raisman. "It’s a little frustrating because I missed a medal by just .050, but I am also excited about it. I definitely learned a lot, and I am going to go home and work on my execution."

Photos by John Cheng

 

In a horizontal bar final that had the crowd going, Danell Leyva of Miami/Universal Gymnastics and Chris Brooks of Houston/University of Oklahoma finished fifth and sixth, respectively. China’s Zhang Chenglong won the title, followed by Epke Zonderland of the Netherlands in second and Fabian Hambuechen of Germany in third.

Leyva’s high-flying routine included a Takemoto full to Yamawaki; a layout Kovacs; full-twisting layout Tkatchev (Liukin); and his double-twisting double layout dismount (with a small step). He had one small form break partway through the routine.

"I felt really good," said Leyva about competing in the finals. "The only thing I felt a bit off was the half Tak(emoto) – I was a little crooked — and the dismount. It (the World Championships) was a great experience – the whole World’s experience. I learned a lot in my first world all-around finals, not only my ‘pros’ but also my ‘cons.’ I enjoyed it."

Brooks also had the crowd going with his routine that featured a smooth Zou Li Min, Takemoto full to Voronin to Gienger; Takemoto half to a stretched Tkatchev; and a Tkatchev with a one-half turn to mixed grip.

"I loved it," said Brooks about the crowd. "People say I’m loud, but that crowd was insane. This is the stuff I live for. You practice all day and do all of this hard training and now you get to go out there and do it for these people who appreciate what you do. I love it."

In addition to awarding world medals, the 2010 World Championships also determine the 24 countries that advance to the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo. Countries have two opportunities to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games, finishing in the top eight in the team competition at the 2011 World Championships or in the top four at the 2012 Olympic Test Event in London. World champions and medalists will be determined for both men and women in the team, all-around and individual events.

2010 World Championships
Ahoy Arena
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Oct. 24, 2010
Second of two days of individual event finals

Men’s vault
1. Thomas Bouhail, France, 16.449
2. Anton Golotsutskov, Russia, 16.366
3. Dzmitry Kaspiarovich, Belarus, 16.316

Women’s balance beam
1. Ana Porgras, Romania, 15.366
2. Rebecca Bross, USA/Plano, Texas, 15.233
2. Deng Linlin, China, 15.233
Other U.S. finish
5. Alicia Sacramone, USA/Winchester, Mass., 15.066

Men’s parallel bars
1. Feng Zhe, China, 15.966
2. Teng Haibin, China, 15.616
3. Kohei Uchimura, Japan, 15.500

Women’s floor exercise
1. Lauren Mitchell, Australia, 14.833
2. Aliya Mustafina, Russia, 14.766
2. Diana Maria Chelaru, Romania, 14.766
U.S. finish
4. Alexandra Raisman, USA/Needham, Mass., 14.716

Men’s horizontal bar
1. Zhang Chenglong, China, 16.166
2. Epke Zonderland, Netherlands, 16.033
3. Fabian Hambuechen, Germany, 15.966
U.S. finishes
5. Danell Leyva, USA/Miami, 15.666
6. Chris Brooks, USA/Houston, 15.383