RICHMOND, B.C., Canada, April 11, 2014 – Bailie Key of Montgomery, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, won two gold medals and Norah Flatley of Cumming, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance, and Alec Yoder of Indianapolis, Ind./InterActive Academy, each captured a gold in the junior individual event finals at the 2014 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships at the Richmond (B.C., Canada) Olympic Oval. The USA claimed a total of 12 medals (four gold, five silver and three bronze). Men’s and women’s gymnastics wraps up tomorrow evening with the senior event finals at 2:30 p.m. Fans will be able to follow all of the action via a live webstream available through usagym.org.

Key took top honors for both the vault and the floor exercise, along with a silver for both the uneven bars and balance beam. Flatley captured the balance beam gold, and Yoder garnered the pommel horse gold, along with the still rings bronze. Nia Dennis of Westerville, Ohio/Buckeye Gymnastics, earned the vault silver. Marty Strech of Fountain Valley, Calif./Azarian U.S. Gymnastics Training Center, claimed the vault silver and floor exercise bronze medal. Davis Grooms of Katy, Texas/Champions Gymnastics, earned the pommel horse silver and the parallel bars bronze.

The senior event finals are on Saturday. Elizabeth Price of Coopersburg, Pa., and Kyla Ross of Aliso Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max, will both compete in the finals for the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center), qualified for the finals in floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars and horizontal bar. Alex Naddour of Gilbert, Ariz./Team Hilton Honors (USA Youth Fitness Center), advanced for the pommel horse and still rings finals, and is a reserve athlete for floor exercise and parallel bars. Chris Brooks of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Gymnastics), qualified the horizontal bar final, but withdrew due to his strained Achilles.

The U.S. women went one-two in the vault and beam. On vault, Key came up with the gold with a 14.975, and Dennis was right behind her at 14.900. Canada’s Shallon Olsen was third at 14.875. For the beam, Flatley’s 14.850 put her just ahead of Key’s 14.800. China’s Zhou Linlin was third at 14.200. Key captured her second gold on the floor exercise, where she tallied a 14.650. Canada’s Shallon Olsen was second at 14.156 and Rose-Kaying Woo was third at 14.000. Dennis was sixth at 13.250. Key’s fourth medal was the uneven bars silver. China’s Luo Huan was first at 14.700 and Liu Tingling was third at 14.300.

Pommel horse delivered a one-two sweep for the USA. Yoder notched a 13.550, and Grooms tallied a 13.250. Third place went to Japan’s Kakeru Tanigawa with 13.200.

On vault, Strech tallied a 14.400, which resulted in the silver medal. Australia’s Clay Stephens was first at 14.550, and third went to Japan’s Kenya Yuasa at 14.250. Yoder was fifth at 13.950.

Strech won the bronze medal for floor with a 14.100. Japan’s Kakeru Tanigawa and China’s Huang Mingai tied for first at 14.300.

Yoder was first off on the still rings, and his 13.450 held up for the bronze medal. Canada’s Ryan Oehrlein won the title with a 13.900, and China’s Zou Jingyuan was second at 13.750. Strech also competed and posted a 13.100 for seventh.

On parallel bars, Grooms tied for third with China’s Zou Jingyuan at 13.750. Strech finished fifth at 13.200. Japan’s Kakeru Tanigawa was first at 13.950, and China’s Huang Mingy was second with a 13.900.

Yoder just missed the medal podium with his fourth place finish at 13.200. Japan took first with Yuasa and Tanigawa who tied at 13.900. Huang was third at 13.650.

The remaining competition schedule is listed below, and each of these sessions will have a live webstream, provided by ViaSport Productions in partnership with Gymnastics BC and Gymnastics Canada, that has a separate feed for each apparatus. ViaSport also plans to archive each participant’s routines. The legend for the abbreviations used below is: WAG=women’s artistic gymnastics; MAG=men’s artistic gymnastics; RG-rhythmic gymnastics; TG=trampoline. The USA is competing in women’s gymnastics, men’s gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics.

Saturday, April 12

  • 9 a.m.-1 p.m. – RG: junior and senior event finals & awards
  • 2:30 p.m.-6 p.m. – MAG & WAG: senior event finals & awards; TG: finals & awards

In addition to the United States, the countries participating are: Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Philippines and Singapore.

Tickets are still available for the championships with some sessions sold-out or with limited availability. All tickets can be purchased on line at www.pacificrimchamps.eventbrite.com.

The 2014 Pacific Rim Championships are hosted by Gymnastics Canada and Gymnastics BC. The Pacific Rim Championships (known as the Pacific Alliance Championship until 2008) were last held in Canada in 2002 in Burnaby. Recent hosts include Honolulu in 2004 and 2006; San Jose, Calif., in 2008; Melbourne, Australia, in 2010; and Everett, Wash., in 2012. At the past four summer Olympics, Pacific Rim countries have combined for a total of 101 gymnastics Olympic medals including 37 gold. For more detailed information, go to www.pacificrimchamps.com.

The webstream is provided by ViaSport Productions. ViaSport Productions is the catalyst behind increasing the exposure, recognition and power of amateur-level sport across British Columbia. As the broadcast arm of ViaSport, the organization responsible for the growth and development of BC’s amateur sport sector, the goal driving ViaSport Productions is to bring a range of online sport programming – live-streamed event coverage, interviews, commentary and more – into every home across the province. Share your event with the world: apply to have your event live-streamed by ViaSport Productions. Visit www.viasport.ca/viasport-productions to learn more.