SAN JOSE, Calif., March 30, 2008 – Lisa Wang of Buffalo Grove, Ill., won four medals in the senior division, and Marlee Shape of Buffalo Grove, Ill., claimed three medals in the junior division at the 2008 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships presented by Gillette Venus, held at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif. Rachel Marmer of Los Angeles earned a bronze medal in the senior competition, and Anastasia Torba of Orinda, Calif., added a bronze medal in the junior division. Including the team and all-around results, the USA claimed a total of 14 medals at the Pacific Rim Championships.
“I was very happy with how I did today,” Wang said. “I went out on the carpet and wanted to prove that I was strong. I knew that I could do it, and I did it.”
Wang claimed the senior gold medal in hoop with score of 15.825, edging Canada’s Alexandra Orlando, who posted a 15.800. In third was Australia’s Naazmi Johnston with a 14.650 and Rachel Marmer of Los Angeles finished fifth with a 14.275. Orlando won senior rope with a score of 15.950, followed by Wang in second at 15.500, China’s Deng Senyue in third at 14.500 and Marmer in fourth with a score of 14.400.
Wang and Marmer placed third and fourth, respectively, in clubs with scores of 15.700 and 15.025. Winning the gold medal was Orlando with a score of 16.175, followed by Russia’s Lina Gnirovskaya in second at 15.850. Orlando scored a 16.300 to win the gold medal in ribbon, while Wang was second at 15.550 and Marmer was third at 15.175.
In the junior division, Shape placed first in hoop with a score of 14.600, and Torba finished seventh with a score of 12.950. Shape also won the gold medal in rope with a 13.975, and Torba finished fourth with a score of 13.500. In ribbon, Shape scored a 13.475 and Torba posted a 12.400 place third and eighth, respectively. Torba claimed the bronze medal in ball with a score of 14.050, and Shape was sixth at 13.500.
“I thought I did okay,” Shape said. “My main goal was to perform for the crowd. In the all-around, I won for the crowd so today I just wanted to perform and do my best.”
In addition to Shape, the other junior event champions were Malaysia’s Brenda Ka Lye Yap with a 13.800 on ribbon, and Canada’s Nerissa Mo with a 14.650 on ball.
About the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships presented by Gillette Venus
The 2008 Pacific Rim Championships features competition in men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics; rhythmic gymnastics; and trampoline.
NBC Sports is broadcasting action from the Pacific Rim Championships on April 13 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The Pacific Rim Championships, previously known as the Pacific Alliance Championships, were held in Honolulu in 2004 and 2006. World champions Nastia Liukin and Chellsie Memmel tied for the women’s all-around title in 2006. In 2004, Paul Hamm won the all-around gold medal before becoming the 2004 Olympic all-around champion. In 2007, the San Jose McEnery Convention Center hosted rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics competition during the Visa Championships. The Pacific Rim Championships is the official championships of the Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Federations.
About San Jose State University
San Jose State — Silicon Valley’s largest institution of higher learning with 30,000 students and 4,000 employees — is part of the California State University system. SJSU’s 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation’s 10th largest city. For more information, please visit www.sjsu.edu.
About the San Jose McEnery Convention Center
Considered the hub for meetings and conventions in San Jose, the San Jose McEnery Convention Center opened its doors in April 1989. The facility has 432,000 square feet of function space, including a 22,000 square-foot ballroom and 30 meeting rooms.
About the San Jose Sports Authority
The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization that serves as the sports marketing agency for the City of San Jose. Since their inception in 1991, they have worked with community partners to bring more than 150 premier events and programs to the San Jose area. For more information, visit www.sjsa.org.
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2008 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships
San Jose State University Events Center
March 30, 2008
Rhythmic individual event finals
Senior results
Rope
1. Alexandra Orlando, Canada, 15.950
2. Lisa Wang, USA/Buffalo Grove, Ill., 15.500
3. Deng Senyue, China, 14.500
4. Rachel Marmer, USA/Los Angeles, 14.400
T5. Lina Gnirovskaya, Russia, 13.825
T5. Demetra Mantcheva, Canada, 13.825
7. Jaime Yoke Jeng Lee, Malaysia, 13.675
8. Naazmi Johnston, Australia, 13.325
Hoop
1. Lisa Wang, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 15.825
2. Alexandra Orlando, Canada, 15.800
3. Naazmi Johnston, Australia, 14.650
4. Deng Senyue, China, 14.475
5. Rachel Marmer, USA/Los Angeles, 14.275
T6. Demetra Mantcheva, Canada, 13.900
T6. Seow Ting Foong, Malaysia, 13.900
8. Lina Gnirovskaya, Russia, 13.725
Clubs
1. Alexandra Orlando, Canada, 16.175
2. Lina Gnirovskaya, Russia, 15.850
3. Lisa Wang, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 15.700
4. Rachel Marmer, USA/Los Angeles, 15.025
5. Seow Ting Foong, Malaysia, 14.650
6. Naazmi Jo