The 2018 American Cup took place on the 3rd of March in Chicago.
Morgan Hurd won the title with a total of 56.599. Morgan started with a solid vault, throwing a clean Yurchenko double full. On bars she has upgraded to a 6.1 compared to her 5.8 presented in Montreal, hitting an amazing clean routine for a 14.2. On beam she was clean but not perfect and a few hesitations cost her important tenths on execution. Still, she was able to pull off the highest score of the meet on the event (13.8/5.9): standing back tuck full, side aerial (check), switch leap- split leap, flick loso, aerial walkover, straddle jump, split jump, front tuck, switch ring leap, full in pike to dismount (chest low). On floor she received the highest execution score of the meet and sealed her victory with a 14.033/5.6. She introduced a double layout on the second pass (a bit messy); the Silivas to mount was very high and well controlled as was the double pike to finish.
Mai Murakami was second with a total of 55.633. Mai had the best double twisting Yurchenko of the day (14.600, tie with Maile O’Keefe). She looked clean and strong on bars (Maloney – Inbar G, pike J, straddle J, toe-on full, bail, Ray, full in) for a great score of 13.40/5.4. She followed through with a great performance on beam: pike front, flick – loso, switch ring leap, seide aerial, punh front to straddle jump to split jump, switch 1/2, aerial walkover, full turn w check, double pike for a 13.6/5.7. Her floor performance showed that her Montreal Worlds win on the EFs was no accident: triple turn, double-double, amazing double layout, 2 1/2- front full, double pike (hop back) for a score of 14.033/5.7.
Maile O’Keefe won the bronze medal with a 54.3565: she started the meet confidently with a 14.6 on vault but lost ground on bars where she hit the high bar with her feet on a pike Jaeger but she managed to stay on in a heroic effort which was rewarded with a score of 13.233/5.9 despite the miss (toe on full, Chow II to high bar – Pak, Maloney to Katchev, pike Jaeger (miss), double front dismount). On beam she slipped off the apparatus on the double wolf turn at the start of the routine but then gave her best (double W turn (fall), side aerial – loso- loso, switch half – split jump- straddle jump, aerial walkover, bs-bhs-layout to 2 feet, switch ring leap, flick- bhs- double back pike dmt) for a 13.066/6.1. She finished with a solid floor performance, rewarded with a score of 13.466: Arabian double front to stag jump, 1 1/2 to front 1 1/2 (OOB), double back tuck (stuck), double back pike.
On the 4th place was Lorette Charpy of France with a total score of 52.965. She had easier vault and floor routines but impressed on the uneven bars (toe on full, Chow I, pike Jaeger, Ricna, to Pak, van Leeuwen, double layout dismount – 13.833/5.7) and balance beam (loso mount, flick – loso, 2 1/2 wolf turn (hesitation), side aerial – leap jump – split leap, split leap, aerial walkover, double pike dismount – 12.866/4.8).
Kelly Simm from Great Britain finished 5th with a total of 51.898. Her routines were not perfect but she some great moments: on beam she was rewarded with a 12.633/ 4.9 (back flip to chest handstand mount, back tuck, aerial walkover connected to two artistic jumps, flick- back pike, full turn, double back tuck with step) while on floor she received a 12.466 (huge DLO, full in (messy legs), 1 1/2 to double back tuck, punch front to double back pike).
Elisabeth Seitz finished 6th after watered down routines on beam and floor (with D scores in the mid 4s). Her overall score of 51.866 was considerably increased due to an amazing bars routine which was rewarded with a 14.2/6.1.
Brooklyn Moors from Canada finished 7th (49.498) after falls on vault, bars and beam. She did delivered a superb floor routine (double front, Podkopayeva) for a 13.433/5.4.
Mao Yi (CHN) got injured after falling on the first event, vault. She already underwent thighbone surgery in the US and should be able to train again in 4-6 weeks.
The Brazilian Fabriane Brito also competed only on vault.
You can watch all the videos on the USA Gymnastics Youtube channel (WAG starts at video number 19):
Full WAG results:
<td width="105">
Name
</td>
<td width="92">
Country
</td>
<td width="79">
VT
</td>
<td width="87">
UB
</td>
<td width="96">
BB
</td>
<td width="98">
FX
</td>
<td width="64">
Total
</td>
<td>
Morgan Hurd
</td>
<td>
USA
</td>
<td>
14.566/5.4
</td>
<td>
14.2/6.1
</td>
<td>
13.8/5.9
</td>
<td>
14.033/5.6
</td>
<td>
56.599
</td>
<td>
Mai Murakami
</td>
<td>
JPN
</td>
<td>
14.600/5.4
</td>
<td>
13.4/5.4
</td>
<td>
13.600/5.7
</td>
<td>
14.033/5.7
</td>
<td>
55.633
</td>
<td>
Maile O’Keefe
</td>
<td>
USA
</td>
<td>
14.600/5.4
</td>
<td>
13.233/5.9
</td>
<td>
13.066/6.1
</td>
<td>
13.466/5.3
</td>
<td>
54.365
</td>
<td>
Lorette Charpy
</td>
<td>
FRA
</td>
<td>
13.400/4.6
</td>
<td>
13.833/5.7
</td>
<td>
12.866/5.2
</td>
<td>
12.866/4.8
</td>
<td>
52.965
</td>
<td>
Kelly Simm
</td>
<td>
GBR
</td>
<td>
13.833/5.2
</td>
<td>
12.966/5.3
</td>
<td>
12.633/4.9
</td>
<td>
12.466/5.1
</td>
<td>
51.898
</td>
<td>
Elisabeth Seitz
</td>
<td>
GER
</td>
<td>
13.600/4.6
</td>
<td>
14.200/6.1
</td>
<td>
11.600/4.7
</td>
<td>
12.466/4.4
</td>
<td>
51.866
</td>
<td>
Brooklyn Moors
</td>
<td>
CAN
</td>
<td>
12.433/5.0
</td>
<td>
12.166/5.2
</td>
<td>
11.466/5.0
</td>
<td>
13.433/5.4
</td>
<td>
49.498
</td>
<td>
Fabiane Brito
</td>
<td>
BRA
</td>
<td>
14.233/5.4
</td>
<td>
DNS
</td>
<td>
DNS
</td>
<td>
DNS
</td>
<td>
DNF
</td>
<td>
Yi Mao
</td>
<td>
CHN
</td>
<td>
12.900/5.4
</td>
<td>
DNS
</td>
<td>
DNS
</td>
<td>
DNS
</td>
<td>
DNF
</td>
Article: Bea Gheorghisor
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