Feb. 6, 2020 – U.S. gymnast Ruben Padilla of Oakley, Calif/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling, has been announced as the International World Games Association’s (IWGA) Athlete of the Month for the month of January, the first time a trampoline & tumbling athlete has been recognized for the prestigious award.
Padilla won three silver medals at the Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo in December 2019. The 19-year-old Californian earned silver in men’s double mini for the second consecutive year, coming within a single point of beating the Russian Federation’s legendary Mikhail Zalomin, the reigning World Champion.
Ruben Padilla’s international achievements include:
- 2019 World double mini, double mini team and team all-around silver medalist
- 2019 Pan American Games trampoline bronze medalist
- 2019 U.S. double mini champion
- 2018 World double mini silver medalist
- 2018 U.S. double mini silver medalist and synchro bronze medalist
Huge congratulations to The World Games Athlete of January 2020, #Gymnastics #Trampoline star Ruben Padilla 🇺🇸!
Read more: https://t.co/xAXGc7NSQZ#TheWorldGamesAOTM #WeAreTheWorldGames #RoadtoBHM #TWG2021 @gymnastics @TWG2021BHM @ProtectiveLife pic.twitter.com/uO0eHifHBs
— The World Games (@TheWorldGames) February 5, 2020
The IWGA has nominated an outstanding athlete as its “Athlete of the Month” since 2013. Rhythmic Gymnastics Olympian Laura Zeng (USA) won it in 2015, while Acrobatic Men’s Group Li Zheng, Rui Liuming, Zhang Teng and Zhou Jiahuai (CHN) were honored following a golden performance at the World Championships in 2016. Rhythmic stars Dina and Arina Averina (RUS) were named Team of the Month in September 2017 after dividing The World Games golds among themselves that July. Ruben Padilla will receive The World Games Athlete of the Month diploma as well as a branded gift from the Official Sponsor of Athlete of the Month, Protective Life.