KATY, Texas, Jan. 17, 2020 – Team USA won the team silver medal at the 2020 RD761 Junior International Team Cup at the Leonard Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. Khoi Young of Bowie, Md./Sportsplex Gymnastics won silver in the all-around, with teammate Isaiah Drake of Los Angeles/Gymnastics Olympica USA, tying for fourth. Competition wraps up today with event finals at 5:30 p.m. CT.

The U.S. team consisted of Drake, Asher Hong of Tomball, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, Ian Lasic-Ellis of Dover, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy and Young.

The U.S. gymnasts who advanced to event finals are listed below.

  • Floor exercise: Young, Drake
  • Pommel Horse: Young, Lasic-Ellis
  • Still rings: Drake, Lasic-Ellis
  • Vault: Young
  • Parallel bars: Hong, Drake
  • Horizontal bar: Hong, Drake

In the team competition, Japan took the title with a 237.150 total. The USA’s 236.050 put them ahead of France’s 226.950 for the silver. Brazil was fourth (225.900), followed by Canada (224.400) and Australia (229.950). The USA had the top team scores for pommel horse (38.800), vault (42.200), and still rings (39.900). The other team scores were: floor, 39.100 (3); parallel bars, 38.150 (3); and horizontal bar, 37.900 (2).

Young tallied an 78.950 for the all-around silver medal, with Japan’s Motomu Yushida claiming the title at 79.100. Japan’s Reo Kurata won the bronze with a 78.900. USA’s Isaiah Drake and France’s Leo Saldino tied for fourth at 78.050. Young’s event scores were: floor exercise, 13.650 (1); pommel horse, 14.000 (1); still rings, 13.050; vault, 14.550 (1); parallel bars, 11.800; and horizontal bar, 11.900. Drake’s scores were: floor exercise, 13.300; pommel horse 11.300; still rings, 13.500 (1); vault, 14.050 (3); parallel bars, 12.950; and horizontal bar, 12.950.

"Competing a much higher level of difficulty in competition under stress is a valuable step in the process to prepare our Junior National Team for a smooth transition to the senior level,” said Dusty Ritter, Junior Olympic Program Coordinator. “We have made it a mission within our program this year to compete with start values equal to the top countries in the world. This will make our athletes stronger and begin to prepare them for the 2024 Olympic cycle and beyond. While less consistency is expected in this developmental phase, taking these skills onto the competition floor will advance their rate of progress toward the ultimate goal. We must understand that our future World and Olympic success depends on our ability to match start values with other countries around the world and build a team culture and that exposure now will set us up for success in the future."

Pavel Sargsyan of Gymnastics Olympica USA is the head coach of team one, and Igor Vernyi of Cypress Academy of Gymnastics is the assistant coach.

The RD761 International Junior Team Cup is named in honor of U.S. Junior National Team member Ricky Deci, who tragically passed away in 2001. The annual RD761 age group invitational competition supports the Ricky Deci Memorial Fund. For more information, go to rd761.com.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The organization is committed to creating a culture that encourages and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority, the safety and well-being of the athletes. USA Gymnastics has taken specific, concrete steps to strengthen its athlete safety policies and procedures, including adopting the updated USA Gymnastics Safe Sport Policy. Former gymnast and business executive Li Li Leung is the new president and chief executive officer of USA Gymnastics. The organization’s 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, visit www.usagym.org