COLORADO SPRINGS, Dec. 18, 2019 – The eight junior men who will represent the United States at the 2020 RD761 International Team Cup were chosen following the conclusion of the recent Levels 10 and 8 & 9 U.S. Junior Men’s National Team Camps at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The USA is fielding two teams for the RD761 Team Cup, slated for Jan. 17-18 in Katy, Texas.
The members of the teams are listed below, along with the coaches.
U.S. Team #1
Isaiah Drake, Los Angeles/Gymnastics Olympica USA
Asher Hong, Tomball, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
Ian Lasic-Ellis, Dover, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy
Khoi Young, Bowie, Md./Sportsplex Gymnastics
Non-traveling alternate: Nick Kuebler, Seattle, Wash./Metropolitan Gymnastics
Head coach: Pavel Sargsyan, Gymnastics Olympica USA
Assistant Coach: Igor Vernyi, Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
U.S. Team #2
Jaden Bottarini, Valley Village, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA
Alex Duebler, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics
Danila Leykin, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics
Kai Uemura, Chicago/Lakeshore Academy of Artistic Gymnastics
Non-traveling alternate: Preston Ngai, Elk Grove, Calif./Elevate Gymnastics Academy
Head coach: Sergei Pakanich, WOGA Gymnastics
Assistant Coach: Arkadiy Andryuschenko, Lakeshore Academy of Artistic Gymnastics
The Level 10 National Team Camp focused the athletes on performing routine sequences in competition uniforms for analysis and start value rankings. The camp performances, along with submission of routine videos from the Level 8 & 9 National Team, were considered as one of the criteria for selecting the teams for the upcoming RD761 International Team Cup. The first team was selected from among the members of the Level 10 U.S. National Team. Selection criteria included consideration of routines that demonstrate high start values that are competitive with Japan and other top countries. The second team was selected from the youngest Level 8 and 9 National Team members to provide experience for future international assignments.
The junior men’s next Level 10 National Team camp is scheduled for Jan. 2-6, 2020, at the USOPTC. Athletes named to the teams for the RD761 must demonstrate readiness for the competition, as well as future assignments.
Held at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, Jan. 17-18, the countries invited to participate in the RD761 International Team Cup include Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Poland and USA. Four gymnasts will compete for each team, with three scores counting toward the team score. The all-around ranking will be based on performances in the team competition, with a maximum of two per country. For the individual event finals, the top eight athletes, with a maximum of two per country, for each event in the team competition will advance to the respective finals. Athletes from Team 2 will not be eligible to qualify to individual event finals.
The tentative competition schedule is team and all-around competition at 5 p.m. CT on Jan. 17 and event finals at 5 p.m. on Jan. 18. For more information, check the official website. The RD761 is held in conjunction with the Men’s National Invitational.
The RD761 International Junior Team Cup is named in honor of U.S. Junior National Team member Ricky Deci, who tragically passed away in 2001. The annual RD761 age group invitational competition supports the Ricky Deci Memorial Fund. For more information, go to rd761.com.