Ukraine's Nikolai (Mykola) Kuksenkov, ninth all-around at the 2009 World Championships, won the Valeri Liukin Invitational last weekend in Frisco, Texas.
Kuksenkov posted the highest scores of the meet on floor (14.8) and high bar (15.4) to finish ahead of runner-up Jonathan Horton of Houston and Takuto Tatikani of Japan. Horton did not complete full difficulty on all events, but he had the highest score of the entire meet on rings (16.1) and tabbed second place finishes on floor (14.7) and parallel bars (15.45). As usual, he was as usual outdone on pommel horse (13.0) and finished with an 89.45 all-around total to Kuksenkov's 90.1.
Russia's Dmitriy Stolyrov, fifth all-around, posted the best pommel score (15.0), while Josh Jefferis of Australia won parallel bars (15.55) and Japan's Shota Hisanaga won vault (16.0).
Oklahoma's Chris Brooks, in the top five on four events, had a disastrous 12.45 on pommel horse and finished sixth-tenths out of the medals. The other top-10 U.S. finisher was Danell Leyva (tied for eighth), another victim of pommel horse (12.35).
Chris Brooks, 2009 Valeri Liukin Invitational, Vault:
The meet, held at WOGA Gymnastics's Frisco branch, honors 1988 Olympic team and high bar gold medalist Valeri Liukin, coach and father of current women's Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin.
Related: Results from the 2009 Valeri Liukin Invitational
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