Leanne Seitzinger
© Todd Bissonette

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Nov. 13, 2009 – Team USA won three team medals at the 2009 World Trampoline and Tumbling Championships at the St. Petersburg (Russia) Sports and Concert Complex: the team silver medal in women’s tumbling and the team bronze medals in both men’s and women’s double mini-trampoline. Individual event finals will conclude tomorrow.

The U.S. women’s tumbling team won its third consecutive world team medal Friday, scoring a 94.000 to win the team silver medal. 2007 world team gold-medalists Kaitlin Tortorich of Haymarket, Va., and Leanne Seitzinger of Stafford, Va., scored 32.300 and 30.900, respectively. Susannah Johnson of Roanoke, Va., contributed a 30.800 for the three-member total. 2005 team silver-medalist Amy McDonald of McKinney, Texas, did not compete in the finals. Russia won the team gold with a combined total of 100.900. Canada finished third with a 93.400.

“It feels really good to win the silver,” said Tortorich. “We had some problems in prelims, but we all went out today (in finals) just focused on today, and everyone hit. To be able to represent the USA like that and win another world medal was a big honor.”

Both the U.S. men and women won team bronze medals in double mini-trampoline. The women’s team of Aubree Balkan of Carlsbad, Calif.; Sarah Gandy of Apple Valley, Minn.; and Sarah Prosen of Reno, Texas, posted a combined score of 101.900 to earn the USA’s fourth consecutive world-team medal in double mini (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009). Balkan, a member of the 2007 bronze-medal double mini team, earned the third highest individual score of the event with a 34.900. Prosen scored a 33.800, and Gandy contributed with a 33.200. Russia won the event, scoring 105.100, and Canada finished second with a 102.600.

“We started off a little shaky, but finished strong, only seven-tenths away from Canada,” said Balkan. “So not only did we medal, but we’re definitely closing the gap with the countries who’ve been at the top for a long time.”

2007 team silver-medalist Kalon Ludvigson of Pocatello, Idaho, led the way for the U.S men’s double-mini team, posting the second highest individual score of 37.600 to help the USA tally a 98.700 total. Stephen Raymond of Orlando, Fla., in his last competition before retirement, added a 35.900, and Austin White of Newport Coast, Calif., finished with a 25.200. Tony Doles of Lubbock, Texas did not compete in the finals. The U.S. men won the team silver medal in 2007. Portugal took this year’s team gold with 110.800. Russia finished with a score of 110.500 to take the silver.

“Kalon started us off with a strong pass and stayed in the landing zone; I had some technique difficulty, but managed to take a step and stay in; and Austin threw some big skills but just missed tonight,” said Raymond. “This was my last competition, so I’m just glad I was able to stick around for a second world championships and help the team win another world medal.”

The USA did not compete in the finals for women’s synchronized trampoline, men’s team tumbling, and men’s individual trampoline.

Individual event finals take place tomorrow, with Balkan and White looking to further their double mini success in individual event finals. 2009 U.S. tumbling champions Tortorich and Ludvigson will look for a medal in women’s and men’s tumbling, and 2009 World Cup gold-medalists Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., and Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif., will compete in the synchronized trampoline finals.

2009 World Trampoline and Tumbling Championships
St. Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex
St. Petersburg, Russia
Nov. 13, 2009
Final Results Women’s tumbling team finals
1. Russia, 100.900
2. United States (Kaitlin Tortorich Haymarket, Va., Susannah Johnson, Roanoke, Va., Leanne Seitzinger, Stafford, Va.), 94.000
3. Canada, 93.400
Individual U.S. scores
Kaitlin Tortorich, 32.300
Leanne Seitzinger, 30.900
Susannah Johnson, 30.800
Amy McDonald, McKinney, Texas, (only 3 compete in finals)

Women’s double mini-trampoline team finals
1. Russia, 105.100
2. Canada, 102.600
3. USA, 101.900 (Aubree Balkan, Sarah Gandy, Sarah Prosen)
Individual U.S. scores:
Aubree Balkan, Carlsbad, Calif., 34.900
Sarah Prosen, Reno, Texas, 33.800
Sarah Gandy, Apple Valley, Minn., 33.200

Men’s double mini-trampoline team finals
1. Portugal, 110.800
2. Russia, 110.500
3. USA, 98.700 (Kalon Ludvigson, Stephen Raymond, Austin White)
Individual U.S. scores:
Kalon Ludvigson, Pocatello, Idaho, 37.600
Stephen Raymond, Orlando, Fla., 35.900
Austin White, Newport Coast, Calif., 25.200