© Filippo Tomasi
JESOLO, Italy, March 23, 2014 – The U.S. women claimed 13 medals during the event finals of the City of Jesolo (Italy) Trophy competition held today. The senior champions were MyKayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz./Desert Lights Gymnastics, vault and floor, and Madison Kocian of Plano, Texas/WOGA, uneven bars. In the junior competition, Bailie Key of Montgomery, Texas/Texas Dreams, won the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise titles. Norah Flatley of Cumming, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance, took the balance beam gold.
Opening the competition, Skinner vaulted a two-and-a-half twisting Yurchenko and a Yurchenko half-on, Rudi off to take the vault title with a 15.634 average score. Italy’s Alesia Leolini was second with 13.617. Skinner and Leolini were the only competitors in the vault final.
In the second final, Kocian scored a 15.033 after sticking her full-twisting double back dismount on bars. 2012 Olympic team gold medalist Kyla Ross of Aliso, Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max, was just behind in second, at 14.967, with Italy’s Giorgia Campana taking the bronze, 14.000.
Alyssa Baumann of Plano, Texas/WOGA, tied for the silver medal with Italy’s Elisa Meneghini with a 14.200 on balance beam. She executed a standing Arabian and dismounted with a two-and-a-half twist. Romania’s Andreea Munteanu won the gold, scoring 14.833. Ross fell on her acrobatic series and finished sixth, 13.433.
On the floor exercise, Skinner grabbed her second gold medal of the afternoon. She tumbled an impressible layout double-double to open her routine, which earned a 14.533. Ross was second with 14.233, and Munteanu took the bronze (13.967).
In the junior competition, Flatley tumbled two back handsprings to a two-foot layout to grab the balance beam title with a 14.667. Key was second, 14.533, and Romania’s Andreea Iridon was third with 14.300.
Key opened her floor routine with an Arabian double front to stag leap and one-and-a-half through to a triple full. She earned a 14.533 for the gold medal. Romania’s Laura Jura, 13.733, and Japan’s Yuka Momiyama, 13.633, were second and third, respectively.
Key and Jordan Chiles of Vancouver, Wash./Naydenov Gymnastics, both performed Yurchenko double twists and Yurchenko full twists to finish first and second on the vault. Key averaged a 14.934 for gold. Chiles posted a 14.350 for second. Jurca was third with 14.234.
In the last final, Key added her third gold of the day by taking the uneven bars title. She closed her routine with a stalder full pirouette to a full-twisting double back dismount to score 14.267. Nia Dennis of Westerville, Ohio/Buckeye Gymnastics, was second on the event, 13.933, followed by Japan’s Marina Kawasaki with a 13.367.