© Filippo Tomasi

SOFIA, Bulgaria (November 17, 2022) – U.S. tumbling and double mini trampoline athletes pocketed men’s and women’s team medals Thursday, as the 2022 T&T World Championships continued at Sofia’s Arena Armeec. American gymnasts also advanced to the men’s and women’s synchronized trampoline finals and men’s individual tumbling second-round qualifications.

Team USA captured silver medals in women’s tumbling and double mini and added bronze medals in men’s tumbling and double mini. All four competitions took place under a new structure implemented by the International Gymnastics Federation in 2022. Each team final Thursday consisted of five teams competing across three rounds. Teams were comprised of three gymnasts, and one athlete per country was active in each round. Points were assigned by round based on the placement order. The highest-scoring pass in each round received the maximum five points. The remaining gymnasts were awarded one point less for second- through fifth-place with the lowest-scoring pass earning one point.

U.S. tumblers Miah Bruns (Crete, Ill./World Champions Centre), Nastia Katchalova (Lakeland, Fla./Elite World Gymnastics) and Tia Taylor (Knoxville, Tenn./Premier Athletics Knoxville) were outpaced only by Great Britain, who claimed the women’s tumbling title with 13 points. France (10) rounded out the podium. Katchalova led off (24.700) followed by Taylor (20.100). Each slotted in third in her round, tallying three points. Bruns’ 25.400 was the highest score of the final round, earning an additional five points for the Americans who finished with 11 points. Isabel Steinmetz (Batavia, Ohio/Gymnastics Central), who participated in qualifications, did not compete in the final.

U.S. gymnasts accumulated 10 points in the women’s double mini final en route to the silver medal. Shelby Nobuhara (Mapleton, Utah/High Altitude) and Maia Amano (Huntsville, Ala./Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy) each picked up three points behind scores of 25.400 and 25.000, respectively. Veteran Tristan Van Natta (Maryville, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 24.600) added four points in the final round. Aliah Raga (Denton, Md./Dulles Gymnastics Academy), who contributed to the team qualification score Wednesday, did not compete Thursday. Australia led the way with 13 points, and Great Britain took bronze with nine points.

On the men’s side, U.S. tumblers posted the day’s second-highest point total but were nosed by Denmark in the tie break. Patrick Lyell (Kenner, La./Elmwood Gymnastics Academy, 25.300) and Kaleb Cave (Columbia, Md./Fairland Gymnastics, 26.900) earned three points apiece, while reigning The World Games men’s tumbling champion Kaden Brown (Herriman, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling) delivered a 29.100 and five points in the final round to bring the American total to 11 points. Great Britain topped the scoresheet with 12 points. U.S. gymnasts qualified in the third spot earlier in the day with a combined 160.800. Brown (57.400), Cave (52.600) and Lyell (50.400) each advanced to the second round of individual qualifications, which will take place Friday. Dominic Dumas (Athens, Ala./Air Extreme) was 18th with a 48.700.

The U.S. was also edged in a tie break in the men’s double mini final. Tomas Minc (Chevy Chase, Md./Dynamite Gymnastics) opened with a 27.300, earning 3 points. Changa Anderson (Washington, D.C./Silver Stars Gymnastics, 22.500) added two points, and three-time World individual medalist Ruben Padilla (Bluffdale, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling) anchored the team with a five-point 29.800. Merrill Hunter (Camarillo, Ca./Coach Patty’s Gymnastics) participated in qualifying but was not active in the final. Spain took the gold medal with 12 points, and Portugal was second with 10 points.

Finals fields for men’s and women’s synchronized trampoline were also determined Thursday at Arena Armeec. Nicole Ahsinger (Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbing Express) and Sarah Webster (Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbing Express) advanced to the women’s final in the fourth position with a 48.770. Teammates Amano and Jessica Stevens (Ellicott City, Md./Fairland Gymnastics) finished 19th with a 43.140.

Due to the number of competitors, men’s synchro qualifications consisted of two rounds. Cody Gesuelli (Huntsville, Ala./Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy) and Zachary Ramacci (St. John, Ind./Element Tumbling and Trampoline) were eighth in the opening round with a 50.140 but fell short of the final after earning a 10.640 in Round 2. The pair of Isaac Rowley (Frisco, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy) and Aliaksei Shostak (Youngsville, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express) slipped into the final with a second-round 34.390. The duo earned a 49.710 in the first round.

Second-round qualifications for men’s and women’s individual trampoline and tumbling and men’s double mini are set for Friday. Individual tumbling and double mini champions will be crowned later in the day. Synchronized trampoline finals will take place Saturday.