Advertisement

Long Beach’s McKayla Maroney repeats as world vault champion

American McKayla Maroney poses with the gold medal after winning the women's vault final at the world championships on Saturday.
(Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images)
Share

McKayla Maroney of Long Beach, who became famous for her quizzical face at the 2012 Olympics when she landed a vault on her bottom after the gold medal had all but been conceded to her, defended her world vault championship Saturday in Antwerp, Belgium.

Maroney’s American teammate Simone Biles finished second, making it the first time ever the U.S. took gold and silver in the vault in a world championship meet.

Also, Kyla Ross of Aliso Viejo, who finished second to Biles in the all-around earlier in the week, took silver on the uneven bars. Jake Dalton of Reno also won a silver, on floor exercise, and Brandon Wynn of Voorhees, N.J., took bronze on the still rings.

Advertisement

In the vault final, Maroney was last up, and she nearly stuck her signature Amanar vault for a 15.966, with a 9.766 execution score. Her second vault, a Yurchenko half-on, front layout full off, earned a 15.483, which gave her a final average of 15.724 and the title.

Biles also performed an Amanar as her first vault, scoring a 15.933. Biles executed a Yurchenko half-on to layout front half for her second vault and a 15.258, giving her a 15.595 average for the silver.

“It felt great” to be on the medals podium, said Maroney. “It’s been a long time since I competed on the world stage, and it felt very good to go out there today and do exactly what I needed to do.”

In the men’s floor exercise final, Dalton performed an Arabian double layout to begin his routine. With a stuck triple twisting dismount, Dalton pumped his fists as he left the podium. His 15.600 resulted in
the silver medal, finishing behind Japan’s Kenzo Shirai. This is the first U.S. men’s floor medal since Paul Hamm won the event in 2003. Also, in the floor final, Steven Legendre of Port Jefferson, N.Y./Team Hilton Honors (University of Oklahoma), mounted with a front double full to double front and dismounted with a piked Arabian double front. His 15.366 tied him for fifth place with Diego Hypolito of Brazil.

“I am waiting for it to settle in,” said Dalton right after the event. “I’m still a little nervous and shaky from competing, but it is a great feeling [to medal] and was fun to be out there. My dismount sometimes gives me trouble, and sticking it at the end was a key for me. This is one of the best [I’ve done], and I am going to keep it going forward.”

On the uneven bars, Ross performed an in-bar stalder Shaposhnikova to Pak salto mount and stuck her double layout dismount that earned a 15.266. Biles once again was solid, working smoothly through her routine that included a piked and straddled Tkatchev. She scored a 14.716. Ross was second behind China’s Huang Huidan. Russia’s Aliya Mustafina was third, with Biles in fourth.

Advertisement

“I was really happy with my performance today,” said Ross, who took second in the all-around Friday evening and will compete in two events Sunday. “I went out and hit a really solid bar routine. And, I was happy to come away with the silver. [To get ready for tomorrow] I think I need to go back and rest tonight, especially because the competition finished late last night and we came over early today.”

Wynn showed his signature strength moves on the still rings, including two inverted crosses and an Azarian Maltese. He also stuck his full-twisting, double layout dismount, and his 15.666 secured the bronze medal, the second rings medal for the USA. Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti of Brazil was first, with second going to Russia’s Aleksandr Baladin.

“I am extremely proud and happy to come away with the bronze,” said Wynn. “The final was amazing and I am proud to be here. I heard this is only the USA’s second rings medal, which is an honor.”

The U.S. gymnasts competing on the last day of event finals are: men’s vault – Legendre; parallel bars – John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton Honors (U.S. Olympic Training Center), and Wynn; horizontal bar – Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast, Calif./University of Michigan; uneven bars – Ross and Biles; and women’s floor exercise – Biles and Ross.

ALSO:

Reggie Jackson tries to set record straight in autobiography

Advertisement

Obama says if he owned Redskins he would consider name change

ESPN’s David Pollack: Women don’t belong on college playoff committee

Advertisement