Jordyn Wieber
© Lange

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, Nov. 24, 2007 – The USA brought home a gold and four silver medals on the first day of the individual event finals at the 2007 Junior Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala.  Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich., and Mattie Larson of Los Angeles went one-two, respectively, in the uneven bars, and Alexy Bilozertchev of Hilliard, Ohio, claimed the silver medal in pommel horse and floor exercise, with Glen Ishino of Santa Ana, Calif., taking the silver in the still rings. This brings the USA’s total medal count to five gold, six silver and two bronze medals.

 

Wieber, who trains at Twiststars USA, won the uneven bars gold medal with her 15.000.  Larson, who trains at All-Olympia, was right behind her at 14.950.  Brazil’s Ethiene Franco was third at 14.250.  The United States did not compete in the vault, which was won by Canada’s Dominique Pegg.

 

The U.S. men garnered three silver medals in the individual events.  On floor, Bilozertchev, who trains at Ohio State Boy’s Gymnastics, scored 14.575 to finish behind Brazil’s Arthur Zanetti.  Ishino just missed the podium and finished fourth behind Brazil’s Petrix Barbosa.  Ishino, who trains at SCATS HB, posted a 14.100.

 

On pommel horse, Bilozertchev’s 14.375 put him behind Colombia’s Fabian Meza.  Brazil’s Sergio Eras was third at 13.800.  Miami’s Danell Leyva, who trains at Universal Gymnastics, was fourth at 13.400.

 

Brazil’s Zanetti also finished on top in the still rings with a 14.725.  Ishino’s 14.200 put him in second, followed by Brazil’s Eras at 13.750.  Steven Legendre of Flower Mound, Texas, finished in eighth place at 12.350.  Legendre, who is a member of the University of Oklahoma gymnastics team, scaled back his routine because of a mishap in the warm-up due to a torn grip.

 

Earlier in the championships, the USA won both the women’s and men’s team titles, as well as all three all-around medals for both the men and women. The members of the men’s gold-medal squad are Bilozertchev, Ishino, Leyva and Legendre. Legendre is the all-around champion, with teammates Ishino and Bilozertchev placing second and third, respectively.  The members of the women’s championship team are: Olivia Courtney of Fairfax, Va.; Chelsea Davis of Austin, Texas