© Ricardo Bufolin

CALI, Colombia, November 27, 2021 – Katelyn Jong of Allen, Texas/Metroplex Gymnastics and Kailin Chio of Las Vegas, Nev./Gymcats Gymnastics secured first and second in the women’s all-around at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games Saturday in Cali, Colombia, en route to the gold medal in the women’s team competition. Canada’s Aurelie Tran took all-around bronze.

With teammates Madray Johnson of Dallas, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics and Tiana Sumanasekera of Pleasanton, Calif./West Valley Gymnastics the U.S. women (159.350) outscored silver-medal Brazil (143.000) by more than 16 points. Mexico (142.150) earned bronze, while Colombia (139.400) and Argentina (137.450) rounded out the top five.

Jong’s 53.250 topped the all-around field. Like her U.S. men’s artistic counterpart Vahe Petrosyan, she has earned a spot by name to compete at the 2023 Senior Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. The 2021 U.S. all-around champion also qualified to the vault (14.025), balance beam (12.450) and floor exercise (13.350) finals, which will be held Sunday and Monday.

All-around silver medalist Chio (52.500) will compete on uneven bars (13.350) and floor exercise (13.100). Despite posting the third-highest all-around score, Johnson was left off of the podium due to the two-gymnasts-per-country rule. She will look to add to her team gold medal in the uneven bars (13.250) and balance beam (12.950) finals. Sumanasekera, who finished fifth in the all-around with a 49.550, will join Jong in the vault final after advancing with a 14.050.

The men’s floor exercise, pommel horse and still rings finals, as well as the women’s vault and uneven bars finals will be held Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. ET. The men’s vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar finals, and women’s beam and floor finals will follow on Monday at 1 p.m.