10:55 a.m.: Today we'll see event finals for women's vault and bars, as well as men's floor, pommel horse and still rings. Some of the best in the world will vie for gold on rings, including World silver medalist Arthur Zanetti of Brazil and Venezuela's Regulo Carmona, who was also a finalist in Tokyo.
Women's bars should also be interesting, as we'll see whether Shawn Johnson and Pan Ams all-around champ Bridgette Caquatto can stay consistent enough to vie for the title on bars. Also in the hunt will be Peng Peng Lee of Canada. On vault, Yamilet Pena of the Dominican Republic may throw her tricky handspring double front as well.
11:02 a.m.: The men are being introduced for floor exercise. The lineup includes Diego Hypolito, Scott Morgan, Tomas Gonzales, Paul Ruggeri, Pan Ams all-around champ Jossimar Calvo, all of whom have a great shot at medaling. Calvo is sitting with his jacket around his shoulders, and looks to be concentrating intensely. He'll be first up...
Rotation one: Men's floor
Jossimar Calvo, Colombia: Whip to Arabian double, tiny hop. 3.5 twist, very good, small step! 2.5 to punch front full, small step. Russians, energetic. Randi, couple steps back. Front double full to punch front half and lands OOB with both feet, bounces straught up, oops. Triple full with a small step to the side. Wow, so much energy! He's so small, he seems to run about 10 steps into all of his tumbling passes. Eagerly awaiting his score...14.35/6.4.
Tomas Gonzalez, Chile: Double double tucked to open, STUCK. Front double full to front tuck full to single stag, great. 2.5 to Rudi, stuck again! Bravo. So far, so great. Press. Cartwheel to corner. Excellent whip to tuck Thomas. Layout Thomas. Haven't seen any deductions so far...triple full, best he's ever done it, tiny hop, legs together on landing, and that should medal! That was absolutely fantastic, and Tomas knows it too -- he pumped his fists as soon as his feet hit the mat and played to the crowd as he left the podium. 15.625/6.5.
Tyler Mizoguchi, USA: Roundoff, Arabian double pike, hop forward. Front double full to front half, stuck but landed legs a little apart. Press. Rudi side pass. Double full, stuck but again legs apart. 1.5 to front full, same thing. Cool! Standing back tuck full in the corner -- why not? Roundoff, Arabian double tuck is his last pass, small hop. Wearing blue tumbling shoes to match his blue shirt and shorts. Somehow the color makes them look less like tumbling shoes and more like actual sneakers. 14.125/5.8.
Alexander Rodriguez, Puerto Rico: Front double full to punch front full. Layout Thomas. Double full side pass. He has long, thin lines, more a finesse guy than power gymnast. Whip to tucked Thomas, well done. Russians. 1.5 to front layout half. 2.5 with a small hop. Nice. 14.9/6.0.
Paul Ruggeri, USA: Sits down Arabian double layout. Front double full to punch front full to his back...oh no. Just not enough height coming out of the 2.5 to do that well. Layout Thomas. Strength hold to press handstand. Running front 1 3/4. 2.5 to front layout. Press. Sits last pass of roundoff, Arabian double front as well. Wow. He just didn't look in the right condition to do that routine...11.4/6.1.
Scott Morgan, Canada: Smiling to himself a little as he gets ready on the podium. He has a long wait up there...Double layout, stuck. Tucked Thomas. The crowd likes him (they were impressed by how he stuck the double layout, I think)...Front double full to front tuck full. 1.5 to front layout, stuck. This is very good so far! Excellent landings. Press. 2.5 to front half, crowd clapping at every landing. Full in tuck, tiny step back. Very respectable routine! 14.675/6.0.
Diego Hypolito, Brazil: Tomas Gonzalez's greatest rival in South America...Whip to Arabian double pike, small hop. 1.5 to Randi, shuffle on landing. 2.5 to front double full, hops the landing. As impressive as Hypolito is, in the past few meets he has not been terribly precise on his landings...Tucked Thomas. Layout Thomas. Triple full to end, very good, small step back. He's celebrating, but I think Gonzalez was much cleaner on the landings. 15.8/6.8 moves him into first. With an E-score of 9.0?! I don't agree with that at all...
Luis Rivera, Puerto Rico: Arabian double pike. Front layout full to front layout, a bit messy, his timing was off. Tucked Thomas. Running front 1 3/4. 1.5 to front layout. Russians. 2.5 with a step. Not bad, not as complex as some of the others. 14.25/5.6.
Gold: Hypolito. Silver: Gonzalez. Bronze: Rodriguez.
Rotation two: Men's pommel horse
Daniel Corral, Mexico: He was the top qualifier to this event and seems to be the best swinger of the bunch...scissor to handstand, one pommel work, traveling Russians, Russians at the end of the horse, full pirouetting dismount. He's pumped! 15.3/6.1.
Luis Sosa, Mexico: Off after getting a bit out of line on Russians at the endo fthe horse. His left shoulder is all taped up. A little bit of a struggle on his handstand pirouette dismount also. Hm. 12.85/5.7.
Jason Scott, Canada: Nice extension. Powered through a good hit routine there, with full pirouette dismount. Well done. 13.425/5.2.
Sergio Sasaki Junior, Brazil: Wow -- he gets through this very good, very hard routine, and then kind of misses his handstand pirouette dismount and collapses and falls onto his back off the horse and onto the podium. Oh boy...
Jorge Pena, Colombia: Great long bodyline for horse, kind of the opposite of Sasaki. Very clean so far...dismount not in handstand. Hit routine, pumps his fist! 14.45/6.1.
Alexander Rodriguez, Puerto Rico: The new floor bronze medalist also has a bodyline well suited to this event. Moving well but a little slow in some places, not quite as extended as he could be in others. No handstand on the dismount either, but doesn't fall. 13.4/6.0.
Luis Vargas, Puerto Rico: Doesn't fall, but the routine is notably slow during the second half. 13.225/5.7.
Jorge Hugo Giraldo, Colombia: A couple leg separations during the interior of this routine, but a hit all the same, with full twisting pirouette dismount. Jorge pumps both his fists on landing. 14.625/6.1.
Gold: Corral. Silver: Giraldo. Bronze: Pena.
Rotation two: Women's vault
Fashion notes! Another stunning leotard from Mexico -- it's Elsa Garcia in emerald green with a most interesting neckline. Yamilet Pena is in swirly black and yellow with long sleeves. Brandie Jay, the top qualifier, is in the red leotard with silver diamante "belt" that the U.S. women wore during prelims at Worlds. Daniele Hypolito is in green with long mesh sleeves.
Elsa Garcia, vault: Yurchenko 1.5 with a step forward. Nice to see her make that well --- she's had trouble with it the past few times she's done it. Tucks her knees down just a little at the end. 14.325/5.3. Second vault is lovely piked Podkopayvea! Wonderful! Elsa is waving to the crowd. Great vault. 14.3/5.2 for her second vault.
Jessica Gil, Colombia: Yurchenko 1.5, a little messy in the air, large step forward. Jessica is in a turquoise. gold and white "petal" leotard that we've seen from Legacy Elite gymnasts, Jordyn Wieber and McKayla Maroney at the U.S. Championships. Pretty color combination. 13.8/5.3. Second vault is handspring front pike half, nice in the air, just the tiniest foot movement on landing. Well done. 13.975/5.0 for that.
Paula Mejias, Puerto Rico: Tsuk full with a pretty big step back. She's in a blue and white "wave" leotard, sleeveless. 13.725/5.2. Handspring front tuck full with a big step forward. She looks very happy, high fives her coach. 13.95/5.3.
Brandie Jay, USA: DTY with a large step back. 14.675/5.8. Second vault is piked Podkopayeva, legs a bit apart on preflight, step back. Very good power on both vaults. 14.0/5.2.
Daniele Hypolito, Brazil: Yurchenko 1.5 with a step forward. She has a game face on, looks angry. 14.3/5.3. Second vault is piked Podkopayeva, landed too low and puts her hands down. 12.875/5.2.
Yamilet Pena, Dominican Republic: Handspring double front to her bottom. No question on that one -- that will probably receive a zero since her bottom hit before her hands. She looks gutted. She has a long wait on the podium to stand and think about that as well, looks like she's trying not to cry. They give her a 10 for it -- 0.0 D-score, 10.0 E-score, which I guess is their way of saying they won't judge it. Second vault is Yurchenko 1.5 with two large steps forward. Crowd applauds enthusasiastically for her, especially after some put up a cheer of "USA! USA!" while she was waiting. 13.9/5.3. Sobbing in her coach's arms.
Adrian Gomes, Brazil: Yurchenko 1.5, very good landing, just a small hop. Big smile. 14.35/5.3. Handspring front pike half, runs backward out of it for several steps. She remains sunny as can be while waiting for this score -- 13.575.
Catalina Escobar, Colombia: DTY, just great, big step back, akin to Jay's landing. She really drops out of the sky on that -- hugely impressive! Fashion note: Is wearing very large blue heart shaped stufd earrings to match her sky-blue leotard with minimal rhinestone pattern. 14.9/5.8. Second vault is tucked Omelianchik, two small hops on landing. That is obviously her less practiced vault, but she did it well. 13.425/5.2.
Gold: Jay. Silver: Garcia. Bronze: Escobar.
Rotation three: Women's uneven bars
Fashion notes! Pan Ams AA champ Bridgette Caquatto is debuting a blue and silver version of the "tie" leotard thatMcKayla Maroney wore to win vault at the World Championships. Shawn Johnson is wearing the same leotard, but in pink, while Marisela Cantu of Mexico is in the exact same color. Nathalia Sanchez is in a red and white Adidas leotard from a few years ago, and has an Olympic tattoo between her shoulderblades that pretty much matches her leo...
Bridgette Caquatto, USA: Stalder full to toe Khorkina II, blind to Jaeger, Ricna. Church, very good! Bail to Ray. Giants to double layout with a small hop! Big hug from Jiani Wu for that routine. 14.525/6.0.
Elsa Garcia, Mexico: Toe shoot to high, 1.5 to pike Jaeger, sounds like she clipped her foot. Ricna or toe Tkatchev. Full turn to bail to Ray, blind to double front, stuck! The crowd goes wild! Elsa waves, a huge grin on her face. Second time she's stuck that here. 13.625/5.7.
Nathalia Sanchez, Colombia: Jump to high, toe stalder to Geinger, nice, full tor blind to Jaeger, also good. Bail, holds handstand a little too long, to Ray, giants to full twisting double tuck, too shy on height and puts her hands down. Shoot! 12.25/5.3.
Ivet Rojas, Venezuela: Hecht mount, overbalances clear hip and has to bend her legs, 1.5 to puke Jaeger. Full to bail to toe shoot to high, blind to double front with steps back. 12.7/5.2.
Christine Lee, Canada: Toe blind to Jaeger, nice, but then overbalances a stalder handstand and has to cover and swing the other way! That takes her out. The rest was very good. Double layout, small hop.
Marisela Cantu, Mexico: Big round of applause for her...Clear hip to Shaposh, hop change to Jaeger, Tkatchev. Full to bail to clear hip hecht, nice. Double front with a small hop! Great routine for Marisela! Coach lifts her in the air on the podium, Elsa Garcia gives her a big hug. 13.625/5.5.
Shawn Johnson, USA: Jump to high, Weiler, Weiler half (long pause but doesn't break form) to Geinger, hop change to Jaeger, clear hip to full to bail to toe hecht to high, giants to full twisting double layout with a step back. Blows a kiss to the audience as she comes off the podium. 14.5/5.9 puts her second to Caquatto.
Bibiana Velez, Colombia: Toe full (crooked) to Geinger, hop to pike Jaeger, hits feet on the bar and elects to jump down. Ouch. Toe stalder to bail to toe hecht to high, giant to Arabian double front dismount with a step. 12.15/5.5.
Gold: Caquatto. Silver: Johnson. Bronze: Cantu and Garcia.
Rotation three: Men's still rings
CJ Maestas, USA: Hit routine with good strength positions and stuck double double tuck dismount. Nice Yamawakis series to strength position as well. 15.55/6.7.
Tommy Ramos, Puerto Rico: Roll to Maltese. L-cross. Great inverted cross. Yamawaki to Maltese. Iron cross. Another inverted cross. Front giant, excellent control, and a stuck double layout! That was awesome! Pumps his fists. Truly one of the routines of the day. 15.15/6.4.
Brandon Wynn, USA: Nice "pushup" to Maltese to begin with...good inverted cross. Yamawaki to strength hold. Roll to iron cross. Planche. Giant to double twisting double tuck, just a tiny movement of his feet. Very nice routine! 15.625/6.9.
Arthur Zanetti, Brazil: Roll to Maltese -- "butterfly" pushing down and then back up to Maltese. Iron cross. A lot is expected of him here, being World silver medalist, so far, he's excellent...Yamawaki to planche...full twisting double layout with a tiny hop! That was excellent, but will it beat Wynn? Nope...15.6/6.5. Wynn's start score was just too big. So the American beats the reigning World silver medalist -- that's big.
Osvaldo Martinez, Argentina: Nice form and swing. Strength elements, Yamawakis to strength hold. Giant, tiniest hint of a struggle. Double pike front with two steps. Waves happily to the crowd. 14.4/6.3.
Regulo Carmona, Venezuela: Inverted cross. Roll to L-cross. Another inverted cross, maybe a little high...Maltese. Iron cross. Planche. Giant to pikey full twisting double layout, too low and puts his hands down. Gestures angrily, obviously frustrated with himself. 14.475/6.4.
Tomas Gonzalez, Chile: Strength positions. Yamawakis to iron cross, kip to press handstand, double double tuck with a fairly big step forward. 14.25/5.7.
Federico Molinari, Argentina: Sits 1.5 twisting double tuck dismount. 13.975/6.7.
Gold: Wynn. Silver: Zanetti. Bronze: Maestas.
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