The Pacific Rim Championships came to a close today with all four event finals and four different champions. After consultation with Marta Karolyi, USA’s Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez gave up their spots in order to rest their bodies. (Biles qualified for all four finals and Hernandez qualified for beam and would have qualified for FX if Biles had been the only one to pull out.) It’s hard not to imagine that decision reflects anything other than their solid standing going into this protracted, Olympic trial process. Marta has seen enough from them for now.
Alas, that’s another discussion.
On vault, Canada’s Shallon Olsen took the title with an average score of 14.75 with a very clean DTY and a solid yurchenko half-on, tucked 1.5 twist off. She was followed by teammate (and second place qualifier, after Biles) Brittany Rogers, who struggled to put a DTY to her feet but performed a much cleaner tuskuhara full with a half to bring in an average score of 14.437. Coming in third was New Zealand’s Courtney McGregor, who brought in an average score of 14.25.
Full Results:
Shallon Olsen: 5.8/5.9/14.750
Larrissa Miller: 5.8/5.6/14.437
Courtney McGregor: 5.8/5.2/14.250
Mariana Vasquez: 5.2/4.8/13.837
Valentina Brostella Arias: 4.7/4.6/13.037
Sau Chung Cristal Kwan: 4.4/4.3/12.975
Emily Little: 5.0/5.2/12.192
Tsz Sum Elizabeth Chan: 4.6/4:6/12.775
On uneven bars, USA’s Ashton Locklear took gold with a massive 15.625. Typically lovely in her inbar stalder elements, pirouettes, and transitions, she also executed a huge jaegar, eliciting an audible gasp from the crowd (ok, maybe just from me). A small step on her full twisting double dismount was the only noticeable mistake. She was followed by Australia’s Larissa Miller, who earned silver with a 14.675 with dymanic releases and a full-twisiting double dismount, and Canada’s Brittany Rogers, who capped off a clean routine with a beautiful DLO dismount for a 14.6 and a bronze medal. Disappointingly, fan-favorite Brenna Dowell (USA) began her routine well but fell on her toe-on piked tkatchev.
Full Results:
Ashton Locklear: 6.5 D, 9.125 E, 15.625 total
Larrissa Miller: 6.1 D, 8.575 E, 14.675 total
Brittany Rogers: 6.0 D, 8.6 E, 14.600 total
Madison Copiak: 5.7 D, 8.35 E, 14.050 total
Brenna Dowell: 6.2 D, 7.8 E, 14.000 total
Kiara Munteanu: 5.5 D, 8.375 E, 13.875 total
Ginna Escobar: 5.0 D, 8.275 E, 13.275 total
Nagi Kajita: 5.6 D, 7.1 E, 12.700 total
On balance beam, USA’s first year senior Ragan Smith took gold on balance beam with a 15.225, executing a clean and flighty routine that included a BHS to layout, a back tuck full, and a BHS + BHS to double pike dismount. Finishing closely behind her was teammate Aly Raisman, whose original score of 14.8 was changed to a 15.1. Moving purposefully and rather quickly, she hit her hardest elements (BHS to layout was solid, Patterson dismount was solid) but picked up some execution deductions on her split jumps/leaps. Coming in third was Japan’s Nagi Kajita, who earned a 13.7.
Full Results:
Ragan Smith: 6.4 D, 8.825 E, 15.225 total
Alexandra Raisman: 6.5 D, 8.6 E, 15.100 total
Nagi Kajita: 5.6 D, 8.1 E, 13.700 total
Charlotte Sullivian: 5.4 D, 8.225 E, 13.625 total
Megan Roberts: 5.4 D, 8.200 E, 13.600 total
Courtney McGregor: 5.6 D, 7.975 E, 13.575 total
Shallon Olsen: 5.7 D, 7.775 E, 13.475 total
Kiara Munteanu: 5.3 D, 8.150 E, 13.450 total
Emily Little: 5.5 D, 7.150 E, 12.650 total
On floor exercise, Aly Raisman posted an identical score to beam–a 15.1–but in this final it was enough to take gold. She ditched her front layout out of the 1.5 twist to BHS + BHS to double Arabian, but the other passes were as planned and well-executed–a piked double Arabian to stag, a DLO (hop forward), and a double pike to end. She was followed by teammate Brenna Dowell, who posted a huge and redemptive 14.825 to make up for a disappointing bars performance with dynamic and clean front tumbling–mounting with a front layout to dowel front tuck and dismounting with a full to double full. Canada’s Shallon Olsen took bronze with a 14.4 –mounting with a double twisting double back and dismounting with a triple twist, capping off what was a fantastic evening for her.
Full Results:
Alexandra Raisman: 6.2 D, 8.9 E, 15.100 total
Brenna Dowell: 5.9 D, 8.925 E, 14.825 total
Shallon Olsen: 6.1 D, 8.300 E, 14.400 total
Nagi Kajita: 5.7 D, 8.250 E, 13.950 total
Georgia-Rose Brown: 5.3 D, 8.525 E, 13.825 total
Megan Roberts: 5.6 D, 8.150 E, 13.750 total
Emily Little: 5.1 D, 8.1 E, 13.200 total
Courtney McGregor: 5.3 D, 7.825 E, 13.025 total
**Article: Sara Dorrien-Christians **
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