TOKYO, Oct. 7, 2011 – After seven of 10 subdivisions, the United States led the team standings with a team total of 234.253, finishing ahead of China and Romania, respectively, at the 2011 World Championships at the Tokyo (Japan) Metropolitan Gymnasium.  The women’s qualification round, which determines which countries and athletes qualify for the finals, concludes later today. The USA’s Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich., posted the top all-around score of 60.032 through the first seven subdivisions. The U.S. women’s performance today also secured the United States a berth to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. The U.S. men compete tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. in the first session on the first of two days of qualifications.

The U.S. squad had all five gymnasts ranked in the top 10 in the all-around, with three subdivisions still to go that includes defending team champion Russia.  Although scores do not carry forward to the final round, the USA’s total team score was 3.883 ahead of China and 7.025 in front of Romania.
 
The women competing for the USA are: Gabrielle Douglas of Virginia Beach, Va./Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute; McKayla Maroney of Laguna Niguel, Calif./All Olympia AOGC; Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics; Sabrina Vega of Carmel, N.Y./Dynamic Gymnastics; and Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts’ Twistars USA. Team member Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, who tore her Achilles tendon during training, has returned to the States for medical treatment, and Anna Li of Aurora, Ill./Legacy Elite Gymnastics LLC, is the alternate.
 
“I am very proud of this very young team and how they pulled it together after Alicia’s injury,” said Martha Karolyi, national team coordinator for the U.S. Women’s National Team.  “They were very brave and fought for the United States and for Alicia.”
 
The U.S. women started on balance beam, earning a total 58.932 and the highest first rotation score for the championships thus far.  The USA did not relinquish the lead, scoring a 57.132 on floor, 60.190 on vault and finishing up on the uneven bars with a team score of 57.999.
 
In the all-around, Wieber earned a 60.032 total.  She executed an Amanar, which is a Yurchenko two-and-a-half, for a 15.433.  Her incredible floor routine included a double-twisting, double-back mount and scored a 14.566.  She also posted a 14.800 for the uneven bars and a 15.233 on the balance beam.
 
“I felt really good after today,” said Wieber.  “Our main goal as a team was to come out confident and aggressive, and I am really proud of each and every member of this team.  We all did what we could to go out there, have fun and do what we can for the USA.”
 

Photos by John Cheng

Raisman, who was third in the all-around after seven of 10 subdivisions, earned a 58.432 total.  Her double-twisting Yurchenko vault earned a 14.666.  She posted a 14.833 for her floor routine, performed to Nagila Hava that had the crowd clapping. Her first floor tumbling pass included a one-and-a-half to double Arabian punch front, a piked double Arabian, a triple full and a double-pike dismount to a jump. She also claimed a 14.000 for the uneven bars and a 14.933 on the balance beam.
 
“Today felt amazing,” said Raisman. “I’m really happy. At first we were all really upset that Alicia wasn’t here. We still really are, but we just tried to compete for her and. . . I know she’d be really proud of us.”
 
Douglas’ all-around score of 57.657 ranked fourth through seven subdivisions.  On the uneven bars, she executed incredibly high Tkatchev and Pak release moves and stuck her full-twisting, double-back dismount for a 14.866.  On the balance beam, her standing full was powerful, with a lot of amplitude, and she landed her back handspring, back handspring, double-tuck dismount to claim a 14.400.  She also earned a 14.558 for vault and a 13.833 on floor.
 
Vega was seventh in the all-around, at the conclusion of the USA’s subdivision, with a total of 56.665.  She executed a clean bar routine with a Gienger, Tkatchev and tucked full-in dismount to post a 14.333.  Her floor exercise featured a stuck piked full-in mount, a one-and-a-half to a double tuck into a stag jump, a two-and-a-half to front layout, and dismounted with a double pike to score a 13.900.  She also claimed a 14.066 on vault and 14.366 on beam.
 
Maroney, who was ranked ninth in the all-around, posted the event’s highest scoring vault and two-score average through seven subdivisions.  Her first vault, an Amanar, earned at 15.533 that counted toward the team score.  To qualify for the vault finals, she also performed a Yurchenko half-on front layout half-off for a 14.633 and a two-vault average score of 15.083, the highest thus far in the competition.  Her floor exercise, which earned a 13.833, included a three-and-a-half twist in her first tumbling pass.  Maroney also posted a 13.666 on the uneven bars and a 13.300 for the balance beam.
 
The qualification round rankings for the team, all-around and individual events will be final following the conclusion of the 10th subdivision.  The top eight countries in the rankings advance to the team finals, with 24 gymnasts qualifying to the all-around finals.  The eight highest-ranking gymnasts for each event will compete in the individual event finals. There is a limit of two per country in the all-around and individual event finals.
 
The men’s qualification rounds are Oct. 9-10.  The finals schedule is:  Oct. 11, women’s team; Oct. 12, men’s team; Oct. 13, women’s all-around; Oct. 14, men’s all-around; and Oct. 15-16, individual events.
 
The U.S. men will compete in the first session of the men’s qualification round on Oct. 9 at 11:15 a.m. local time.  The members of the U.S. Men’s Team are: Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./University of Oklahoma; Jonathan Horton of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Academy); Steven Legendre of Port Jefferson, N.Y./Team Hilton Honors (University of Oklahoma); Danell Leyva of Homestead, Fla./Team Hilton HHonors (Universal Gymnastics); Alexander Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./University of Oklahoma; and John Orozco, Bronx, N.Y., U.S. Olympic Training Center. Chris Brooks of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Academy), is the alternate.
 
2011 World champions and medalists will be determined for both men and women in the team, all-around and individual events. In addition to awarding world medals, the 2011 World Championships is the first of two opportunities to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.  Countries finishing in the top eight in the team competition automatically qualify for the Olympic Games.  Teams that finish 9-16 in the rankings have the opportunity to qualify for the Games by finishing in the top four at the 2012 Olympic Test Event in London.
 
Fans can follow the action at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships via the web, cable TV and network television.  Universal Sports will carry a live webcast of the finals, as well as same-day coverage on its cable network.  In addition, usagym.org will have photos and updates from Tokyo, with expanded coverage of “USA Gymnastics:  Behind the Team presented by AT&T.”  NBC Sports will broadcast coverage of the World Championships on Oct. 15-16.
 
Here’s a quick overview of the various ways to watch and follow the U.S. Team’s performances at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo.
 
Live webcast:  UniversalSports.com will have a live webcast of the team, all-around and individual event finals from Tokyo for $19.99.  For U.S. Eastern Daylight Savings time, the live webcasts are scheduled for:  Oct. 11 – women’s team final, 6 a.m.; Oct. 12 – men’s team final, 5 a.m.; Oct. 13 – women’s all-around final, 5 a.m.; Oct. 14 – men’s all-around final, 6 a.m.; Oct. 15 – individual event finals, 12:30 a.m.; and Oct. 16 – individual event finals, 1 a.m. (NOTE:  Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of New York City; when it is midnight in Tokyo, it is 11 a.m. in New York.)

Cable TV:  Universal Sports will show all of the finals on its cable network during prime time.  At 8 p.m. ET each day, Universal Sports will show the men’s team final on Oct. 12; men’s all-around finals on Oct. 14; and individual event finals on Oct. 15-16.  The women’s team final will air at 11 p.m. on Oct. 15, and the women’s all-around final, with men’s highlights, will air at 11 p.m. on Oct. 16.

NBC Sports:  NBC Sports’ coverage of the World Championships will broadcast the women’s team final at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, and the women’s all-around final, with men’s highlights, at 2 p.m. on Oct. 16.

“Behind the Team”:  “USA Gymnastics:  Behind the Team presented by AT&T” will provide expanded coverage from the World Championships, including John Macready’s take on the championships and Tokyo, interviews, and more.  To enjoy this added coverage, you can go to att.net/teamusa or access it from usagym.org.

usagym.org will provide enhanced coverage from Tokyo that will include results and exclusive photos from the competition, as well as daily video interviews. USA Gymnastics will also post event updates on Facebook and Twitter.
 
For more information on the World Championships, please go to usagym.org/worlds.
 
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States.  Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport.  Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics, and group gymnastics (also known as Gymnastics for All).  For more information, log on to www.usagym.org.
 
#
 
U.S. Women’s Team’s individual event scores from the qualification round
Wieber:  15.433, vault; 14.800, uneven bars; 15.233, beam; 14.566, floor; 60.032, AA (1)
Raisman:  14.666, vault; 14.000, uneven bars; 14.933, beam; 14.833, floor; 58.432, AA (3)
Douglas:  14.558, vault; 14.866, uneven bars; 14.400, beam; 13.833, floor; 57.657, AA (4)
Vega:  14.066, vault; 14.333, bars; 14.366, beam; 13.900, floor; 56.665, AA (7)
Maroney:  15.533, vault; 13.666, bars; 13.300, beam; 13.833, floor; 56.332, AA (9)