SOFIA, Bulgaria, Nov. 9, 2017 – USA qualified for both women’s and men’s team tumbling finals today at the 2017 World Trampoline and Tumbling Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Nicole Ahsinger of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, Hally Piontek of Warrensburg, Mo./Kansas City Trampoline Club, and Aliaksei Shostak of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express advance to the trampoline semifinals. Competition continues tomorrow with the women’s synchronized trampoline qualifications at 2 a.m. ET.
Rachel Thevenot of Metairie of La./Elmwood Gymnastics Academy tallied a 64.900 in the women’s tumbling qualification round, leading the Americans to grab the fifth and final place in the team final competition. Thevenot finished in 10th place and is the second reserve athlete for the women’s tumbling final. USA’s Hope Bravo of Dallas, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy, and Melissa Doucette of Somersworth, N.H./Capital Gymnastics National Training Center placed 19th and 20th, respectively, with 62.700 and 62.500. Eliza Floisand of Salt Lake City, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling finished 25th (61.900).
The U.S. men qualified to the tumbling team final with their fifth-place finish in qualifications. Austin Nacey of Braidwood, Ill./TwistStars Tumbling and Trampoline was the top individual finisher for the U.S., placing 12th with a 71.900 two-pass total. Nacey is the first reserve athlete for final. Alex Renkert of Columbus, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, who is the third reserve athlete for the final, placed 18th with a 69.200. USA’s Brandon Krzynefski of Centreville, Va./Capital Gymnastics National Training Center, finished 20th (68.800), and teammate Emilio Lehmer of Tempe, Ariz./ North Valley Gymnastics, rounded out Team USA’s efforts with his 65.800 total.
Piontek and Ahsinger advanced to the women’s trampoline semifinal with their performances in today’s qualifying round. Piontek earned a 47.535 for her compulsory exercise and a 53.635 in her optional routine for a combined 101.165, which was the top American score. Ahsinger’s total was 100.585, behind scores of 47.395 and 53.190. Jessica Stevens of Ellicott City of Md./Fairland Gymnastics and Sarah Webster of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling, finished with scores of 99.310 and 97.385, respectively. Stevens is the second reserve athlete. The U.S. women placed sixth overall in the team competition with their 301.060 total.
For men’s trampoline, Aliaksei Shostak of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express posted scores of 51.140 and 58.830 for a total of 109.970, advancing to the semifinal round. Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, scored a 109.435, and is the first reserve athlete for the semifinal. Isaac Rowley of Allen, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy (104.385), and Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic of Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy (37.060), also competed.
The 2017 World Championships’ competition schedule is as follows.
Friday, Nov. 10
- Women’s synchronized trampoline and men’s double mini-trampoline qualifications, 2 a.m. ET
- Men’s synchronized trampoline and women’s double mini-trampoline qualifications, 6:15 a.m. ET
- Women’s tumbling team final, 11 a.m. ET
- Men’s double mini-trampoline team final, 11:30 a.m. ET
- Women’s trampoline team final, 12:20 p.m. ET
- Men’s trampoline team final, 1 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 11
- Women’s double mini-trampoline team final, 8 a.m. ET
- Men’s tumbling team final, 8:30 a.m. ET
- Women’s tumbling final, 9:25 a.m. ET
- Men’s double mini-trampoline final, 9:55 a.m. ET
- Women’s synchronized trampoline final, 10:50 a.m. ET
- Men’s synchronized trampoline final, 11:20 a.m. ET
Sunday, Nov. 12
- Men’s and women’s trampoline semi-final, 6:30 a.m. ET
- Women’s double mini-trampoline final, 8:05 a.m. ET
- Men’s tumbling final, 8:35 a.m. ET
- Women’s trampoline final, 9:25 a.m. ET
- Men’s trampoline final, 9:55 a.m. ET
The USA’s draw for the qualification round for the World Championships is: women’s tumbling, group 1 (Nov. 9, 3:30 a.m. ET); men’s tumbling, group 3 (Nov. 9, 11 a.m. ET); men’s trampoline, group 8, women’s trampoline, group 7 (Nov. 9, 12 p.m. ET); women’s synchro, groups 1 and 3 (Nov. 10, 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. ET); men’s double-mini, group 2 (Nov. 10, 3 a.m. ET); men’s synchronized trampoline, groups 3 and 4 (Nov. 10, 8:15 a.m. ET and 9:15 a.m. ET); and women’s double mini, group 3 (Nov. 10, 8:15 a.m. ET)
The members of the U.S. Team, by event, are listed below.
- Men’s trampoline
Logan Dooley, Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics
Jeffrey Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy
Isaac Rowley, Allen, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy
Aliaksei Shostak, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express
Cody Gesuelli, Huntsville, Ala./Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy, alternate
Women’s trampoline
Nicole Ahsinger, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express
Hally Piontek, Warrensburg, Mo./Kansas City Trampoline Club
Jessica Stevens, Ellicott City, Md./Fairland Gymnastics
Sarah Webster, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express
Men’s tumbling
Brandon Krzynefski, Centreville, Va./Capital Gymnastics National Training Center
Emilio Lehmer, Tempe, Ariz./ North Valley Gymnastics
Austin Nacey, Braidwood, Ill./TwistStars Tumbling and Trampoline
Alex Renkert, Columbus, Ohio/Integrity Athletics
Drew Collins, McKinney, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy, alternate
Women’s tumbling
Hope Bravo, Dallas, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics Academy
Melissa Doucette, Somersworth, N.H./Capital Gymnastics National Training Center
Eliza Floisand, Salt Lake City, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling
Rachel Thevenot, Metairie, La./Elmwood Gymnastics Academy
Breanne Millard, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, alternate
Men’s double mini-trampoline
Matthew Hawkins, Phoenix, Ariz./North Valley Gymnastics
Austin Nacey of Braidwood, Ill./TwistStars Tumbling and Trampoline
Alex Renkert, Columbus, Ohio/Integrity Athletics
CJ Rhoades, Joplin, Mo./Amplify Gymnastics
Women’s double mini-trampoline
Paige Howard, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics
Hally Piontek, Warrensburg, Mo./Kansas City Trampoline Club
Tristan Van Natta, Plain City, Ohio/Integrity Athletics
Ways to follow the action
Coverage of the World Championships will be posted on usagym.org, including stories, photos and video, and on USA Gymnastics’ social media platforms. USA Gymnastics will post every U.S. routine from the qualifying rounds on its YouTube channel. The qualifications schedule for the live webcast is as follows.
Friday, Nov. 10
- 2 a.m. ET – Women’s synchronized trampoline
- 3 a.m. ET – Men’s double mini-trampoline
- 4. a.m. ET – Women’s synchronized trampoline
- 8:15 a.m. ET – Men’s synchronized trampoline and women’s double mini-trampoline
- 9:15 a.m. ET – Men’s synchronized trampoline
Fans can watch the finals live on OlympicChannel.com and through the Olympic Channel app: Friday, Nov. 10, 11 a.m. ET; Saturday, Nov. 11, 8 a.m. ET; and Sunday, Nov. 12, 6:30 a.m. ET.
The official website the World Championships is trawchsofia2017.com, and the FIG website is www.fig-gymnastics.com.
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 Gymnastics for All (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, log on to www.usagym.org.