Fifth rotation, ups and downs

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

PHILADELPHIA -- Fifth rotation.

WHO’S UP: Kevin Tan, whose major selling point is his still rings routine, worked the apparatus in stillness. The rings barely quivered, the crowd barely breathed until Tan landed daintily. His score of 16.550 was the best of the night on any apparatus as was his start value of 7.3. Tan, of Fremont, Calif., is now an assistant coach at his alma mater of Penn State. He is three-time defending U.S. rings champion.

WHO’S DOWN: Not that he was a serious team candidate but Tim McNeill, a California University senior, almost couldn’t finish his floor exercise and skidded to a bottoms-up landing. The crowd groaned.

--- Diane Pucin