Rotation three: Men's high bar
Paul Ruggeri, USA: One arm giant. Tak half to Tkatchev layout. Tkatchev layout half, well done. Tak full to hecht to Geinger, nice! Hop to jam to inverted giant. Double double layout, STUCK! Finally for Paul at this meet! That sets the bar very high for everyone else to follow. Pumps his fists, then gets a big hug with Justin Spring and congrats from his teammates. 15.65/6.9.
CJ Maestas, high bar: Stalder to full spin. Kovacs (on the sidelines Ruggeri jumps about a foot in the air). Kolman. Tak half to Tkatchev. Tak full to hecht. Double double layout that he tucks his feet down at the bottom of. But anyways, it was stuck, and Maestas is thrilled. He's a very good gymnast, but also quite young -- needs to take his time a little more, not rush things quite so much on this event, extend on his elements. He says hi to everyone back home in front of the camera. 14.175/6.5. 7.675 E-score.
Nicolas Cordoba, Argentina: Hair note! Buzzed at the sides, regular length everywhere else. Kind of '80s. Big Tkatchev. Gets into trouble and does a weak clear hip as he swings. Tkatchev half. Almost loses his grip on Tak full and legs come apart. Full twisting double layout with a hop. 13.125/5.4.
Petrix Barbosa, Brazil: A man who had a great team competition and a rotten AA...Tak half. Layout Tkatchev. Tkatchev half. Hop full. Rybalko. Stalder to full spin. Jam to inverted giant. Stalder. Double double layout with a hop forward. Good routine. 14.3.
Jorge Hugo Giraldo, Colombia: A man who has had a very busy and successful Pan American Games...Hecht over, very nice. Tak half. Gaylord II, doesn't quite swing out perfectly (bends his elbows) but covers by doing some stalders. Such calm work. Jam to pop upward, a bit like Danell Leyva's. Full twisting double layout, hop forward. Smile. It was better in the all-around final, but what can you do? 14.3/6.1 puts him second right now, and he gets friendly congrats from Barbosa.
Alexander Rodriguez, Puerto Rico: Tak full, giant, hecht over. Lovely long line. Tak half not in handstand. Weiler. Front stalder with full spin. Front stalder. Double double tuck, STUCK. Ooh. Big happy smile on his face too. Waves to the crowd. 14.225/5.8.
Angel Ramos, Puerto Rico: Tak full (small break) to hecht to Geinger, nice. Tak half. Blind to front stander. One armed giant. Inverts. Double double layout with a small step. He claps his hands hard, sending a cloud of chalk into his face. 14.625/6.1 moves him into second right now!
Jossimar Calvo, Colombia: Tak full, breaks form to get it over, hecht. Tak half to layout Tkatchev. Kovacs. Stalder blind. Jam to pop like Leyva also. And was that a triple twisting double layout with a step forward? I think it was!
Gold: Ruggeri. Silver: Calvo. Bronze: Ramos.
Rotation two: Women's floor exercise
Kristina Vaculik, Canada: 1.5 to 2.5 with a big step forward. I like this classy, slightly intrigue-y piece of music. Elegant. Double tuck, good landing. Leap series. Double pike dismount. Whether or not she medals here, it was a nice way to end her busy Pan Am Games. 13.5/5.2.
Dovelis Torres, Cuba: Very Spanish beat. Side somie before her first tumbling run. Nice powerful double layout! Full in tuck, small hop back. Switch to Tourjete half. Switch side. Two whips to double pike, steps back and maybe OOB, hard to tell. Switch half. Double tuck, very good landing, tiny hop. Wow -- that was powerful and well done. Lacks the finesse of some of the other floorworkers, perhaps, but still a very good routine.
Jessie DeZiel, USA: Full in pike mount, small step/bounce back. 1.5 to 2.5. Switch ring, Tourjete half. Headspring. Kind of zany floor music, fast paced. Rudi, small bounce back. Double pike, small step back. Big happy smile as she comes off the podium. 13.325/5.2.
Elsa Garcia, Mexico: Very Mexican tune, begins softly and goes into something quite jazzy...full in tuck, step back. Bit of a break on her triple turn. Stuck Arabian double front! Switch ring to Tourjete half. 2.5 to front layout, steps forward and OOB! Too bad. Double pike, a bit underrotated, step forward. Still, a lovely routine to watch. 13.4/5.6.
Daniele Hypolito, Brazil: 2.5 to front layout to little kick back that looks like part of her choreo -- nice. 1.5 to front layout full to beat jump, well done. Switch ring to Tourjete half. Performing determinedly. Dramatic piece of music, very serious. She looks it, too. Double tuck, fights to stick and does. Double turn. Double pike, big step back but controls it. And finally, as she hits her ending pose, we see a genuine smile. Slaps her coach's hands hard in a high five as she comes off the podium. 13.75/5.3.
Ana Lago, Mexico: Nice double layout to open. Another Spanish piece of music, more drums and tambourine than anything else. Good high double tuck with a small bounce back. Switch to switch half. Punch front to double full, tiny hop back. Tourjete half. A shimmy and a smile! Double pike, underrotated, fights to keep it on her feet and -- I can't tell if she tripped or if that was part of the choreo -- but she goes forward and ends up on her knees for her ending pose. 13.8/5.6 puts her first at the moment!
Ana Sofia Gomez Porras, Guatemala: Spanish guitar with very tango beginning. Full in tuck, small hop forward. Triple full, hop forward. Switch to Tourjete half. Switch leap full. Great maturity for being 15...she's a trailblazer for Guatemalan gymnastics. 2.5 to punch front to her back -- yikes. Had nothing on the takeoff for the punch front. Double tuck, recovers well. Whoops. 11.3/4.4.
Mikaela Gerber, Canada: Dramatic beginning...1.5 to triple full with step back. Very dramatic dance. Rudi. Switch to switch half. 2.5 to single stag jump. Great triple turn! Tourjete half to the corner for her last pass...double pike, small hop back, ending just as dramatic as the beginning. 13.775/5.6.
Gold: Lago. Silver: Gerber. Bronze: Hypolito.
Rotation two: Men's parallel bars
Luis Vargas, Puerto Rico: Solid routine. Double pike dismount with a step back. Luis claps his hands. 14.825/5.7.
Jossimar Calvo, Colombia: Peach mount. Giant to English handstand! Does it again, but it appears to be an error and he does a half turn and then allows himself to come off the bars. Rechalks. Belle. Giant full to Bhavsar. Front giant/peach type element. Full twisting double tuck off the end of the rails -- I love it! So does the crowd. He waves to them, and they cheer. 13.6/5.8.
Carlos Campana, Cuba: Form break on peach half. Nice rhythm though -- giant, Stutz. Uprise to front straddle somie. Hits his foor on a rail on Belle. Double pike with a small hop back. 14.4/6.0.
Paul Ruggeri, USA: Clear hip mount, giant to double tuck. Uprise to front flip. Nice uprise to front straddle somie. Stutz. Back toss 1/4 to one bar, and you can hear the U.S. guys cheering him on...double pike with one small step back...nice routine! Big smile from Paul as soon as his feet hit the ground. He looks elated. 14.825/6.3.
Daniel Corral, Mexico: So smooth! Double tuck. Bhajsar. Belle to inside Diamadov. Uprise to double front with a small hop. Gorgeous routine! 15.525/6.3. Awesome. Where was this at Worlds?
Sho Nakamori, USA: Mount is a peach half and he misses a hand and collapses right away and comes off. Too bad! Two giants, two straddle cuts. Inside Diamadov. One bar work. Stutz. Double pike with a small hop forward. 13.475/5.7.
Jorge Hugo Giraldo, Colombia: Nice line and extension on all his elements. No catastrophes. Like Calvo and Corral, he does the Bhavsar. Double pike, small hop. 14.725/6.0.
Sergio Sasaki Junior, Brazil: He withdrew from the all-around final after the third event because he aggravated a foot injury in warmups, and all that after qualifying first to the all-around final...Peach, giant, double tuck. uprise to front straddle somie. Belle. Cut and catch. Double pike with a small step forward. Waves to the crowd. 14.8/5.8.
Gold: Corral. Silver: Giraldo AND Ruggeri AND Vargas.
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Rotation one: Women's balance beam
Fanny Briceno, Venezuela: Roundoff, layout stepout mount, excellent! Front aerial, bhs, layout, tiny step. Wobble on a leap. Jumps. Side aerial, small check, not major. Full turn. Switch to back tuck, aggressive, small check. Side somie. Handstand swingdown, nice positions. Roundoff 1.5 with a deep knee bend and big step forward. Not bad at all. 12.55/5.0.
Jessica Gil, Colombia: Old school mount: Jump to splits, no hands. In shiny purple and white today. Switch to scissone. Bhs, layout, comes off the beam. Shoulders were way off line. Supportive applause from the audience. Switch side. Front aerial, pause, side aerial. Full turn. Punch front, lands a tad awkwardly, wobbles but saves it. Double tuck with a step back. 11.8/5.3.
Karla Salazar, Mexico: Pretty mount sequence. Bhs, layout. Side aerial. Front aerial. Side sgood!omie. Switch. Jumps. Very pretty gymnastics. Switch half. Double turn, well done! Double tuck with a step forward and the crowd goes wild! Certainly the most confident routine we've seen yet on beam. Chest was a bit low on the dismount, but that was very good! A bright young hope for Mexico! 13.425/5.5. 7.925 E-score is a little low, IMO.
Ana Sofia Gomez Porras, Guatemala: Looks like she's matured quite a bit since the Youth Olympics...roll on mount. Bhs, tuck full, steps back but no real wobble. Switch to back pike, solid. Full turn, tiny check. Jumps. Switch half. Perfunctory choreo. Front aerial to back tuck. Side aerial. Switch side, now she's getting more confident. Dismount is bhs, bhs 2.5 with a hop and she's delighted! That was world class. Great routine for her. 14.175/6.0.
Talia Chiarelli, Canada: Leap on. Front aerial, nice. Bhs, layout. Switch side. Side aerial to switch to back tuck, very well executed. Looks quite good up there, very calm and assured. Jumps. Full turn. Really nary a wobble so far. There's a shadow of Alicia Sacramone in her movements and choreo. Roundoff, double pike with a step back. Great hit routine for Talia. 13.075/5.2.
Kristina Vaculik, Canada: Leap on. Switch to back tuck, solid. Rulfova. Front aerial, bhs, layout. Switch half, tiny check. Jumps. Side aerial. Full turn. Switch side, very nice! Roundoff, double pike with a step back. Very nice. The Canadians here as a group have just been solid! 13.925/5.8.
Daniele Hypolito, Brazil: A last shot at redemption for her here...Handstand mount. Bhs, bhs to two feet, layout to two feet, excellent. Side aerial -- good. Side somie and comes off! Beam has not been good to her lately. She fell on the side aerial during AA finals...switch ring, nice. Full turn with leg up to back tuck to sheep, nice combo. Scissone, wolf. Roundoff, bhs, double pike, STUCK. Coach comes right up to her with urgent words as she leaves the podium. She's sitting on the ground near the electric scoreboard, looking none too pleased. 13.75/6.3 puts her third right now, with one athlete to go...
Yessenia Estrada, Mexico: Jump to scale, double turn in sit position, popularized by Lauren Mitchell of Australia, very well done. Switch to back pike, very clean. Jumps. Front aerial to back tuck, little wobble, grabs beam with her toes. Side aerial. Side somie. Switch half. Nice rhythm to her work. Punch front and comes off! Ohhh...double pike with a step back. That means bronze is likely to go to Hypolito...12.5/5.8.
Gold: Gomez Porras. Silver: Vaculik. Bronze: Hypolito.
Rotation one: Men's vault
Diego Hypolito, Brazil: Tsuk 2.5, hop forward/to the side. 15.8/6.6. Roundoff, half on, front layout double full off, steps forward. Bit of leg form in the air. 15.95/6.8 for that one.
Paul Ruggeri, USA: Roundoff, half on, front layout double full off, deep squat landing it but stands it up. Both his ankles are taped...15.575/6.8, 0.1 ND (out of the alley). Second vault: Sits down Tsuk 2.5. Lets out a little yelp as he lands. Gets up smiling all the same. 14.15/6.6.
Scott Morgan, Canada: Tsuk double full, step back. Powerful and well-executed. 15.35/6.2. Second vault: Handspring Rudi, stuck! Getting congrats from his Canadian teammates. 15.45 for that, 15.4 average.
Luis Rivera, Puerto Rico: Sits down Tsuk 2.5. 14.45/6.6. Clutching the chalk bowl like he's tired at the end of a long workout. Second vault is simple handspring front tuck.
Tomas Gonzalez, Chile: Tsuk double pike to his hands and knees. He too looks tired -- bends double while waiting, grabs his knees. The vault final has been a bit of a mess so far...second vault: 15.3/7.0. Very nice Yurchenko 2.5 with a small hop second vault. Actually, he could still medal thanks to the difficulty of those vaults...15.875/6.6.
Javier Cervantes, Mexico: Handspring Rudi, well done, small step forward. He obviously color-coordinated with Karla Salazar, as both are in black. 15.225/6.2. Second vault: Tsuk double full with a step back. Waves to the crowd, and they give him a big round of applause. 15.45.
Angel Ramos, Puerto Rico: Tsuk 2.5 with two big steps back to keep it on his feet. A very likeable competitor, Ramos -- joyful when he does well, downright pissed with himself when he doesn't. Rudi, STUCK. 15.0. Wow. Now he's happy -- very intense, but happy. 15.575 for this second vault puts him third. He says something to the camera.
Hugh Smith, Canada: Tsuk 2.5, a bit of a hyperactive hop forward that he contains well (looks like he landed a little straight legged, and the hop was the result). Anyways, good vault. 15.95/6.6. Second vault: Rudi, bent legs in the air before landing, big step back, but only bent legs during the last half twist. He looks happy though, and blows some kisses to the crowd. 15.2, good enough for third place!
Gold: Hypolito. Silver: Gonzalez. Bronze: Smith.
10:55 a.m.: The Guatemalan moment. So here we go, the last hurrah of this quadrennium's Pan American Games. It's been a most interesting meet, and it's about to get more interesting with women's finals on beam and floor, and the men's competition on vault, parallel bars and high bar. There is no American in the beam competition, but Guatemala's Ana Sofia Gomez Porrashas a good shot to win her first major international title, as she hit her difficult routine to finish first in qualifying. Also in contention: Canada's Kristina Vaculik and Mexico's elegant Karla Salazar.
Fashion notes! Black and red are having a moment today. Karla Salazar, Daniele Hypolito and Ana Sofia Gomez Porrasare all in black, while Venezuela's Fanny Briceno and Canadians Kristina Vaculik and Talia Chiarelli have chosen red. The Mexicans seem to have ordered the same leotard in every color -- both Yessenia Estrada (blue) and Salazar (black) are wearing versions of the white leo Elsa Garcia wore in AA finals, and the pink leo Marisela Cantu wore to win bars bronze yesterday.
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