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Please refresh every few minutes for the most recent updates which will appear at the top of the page. This is the live blog for the Men's Gymnastics Team Final/AA and Event Qualifications at the 2021/2023 FISU World University Games. The Live Stream Link is at the bottom! 2021/2023 FISU World University Games Team Results China took home the gold in team final for the first time, beating 11-time champion, Japan by over two points! All-Around Qualifiers While China took the team title, it was Japan's Hashimoto Daiki who qualified first in the AA. Hashimoto's 88.698 is the highest score internationally this year to date! That being said, Hashimoto outscored Zhang by .999...and Zhang had a fall (worth 1 point). This final is going to be excellent! Both Japan and China had all three all-arounders in the top 7; sadly Shi Cong and Kawakami Shohei were two-per-countried for the all-around despite their very competitive scores. I have often wondered if all three gymnasts qualify in the top 6 should be able to qualify regardless of the two-per-country rule because they have a very viable shot at the top. Unlike other major championships, only the top 18 will qualify to the AA final. Floor Exercise Qualifiers Minami Kazuki (JPN) - 14.7333 Hashimoto Daiki (JPN) - 14.700 Milad Karimi (KAZ) - 14.666 Ryu Sunghyun (KOR) - 14.566 Zhang Boheng (CHN) - 14.400 Niccolo Vannucchi (ITA) - 14.266 Lorenzo Bonicelli (ITA) - 14.133 Dmitriy Patanin (KAZ) - 14.000 Pommel Horse Qualifiers Hashimoto Daiki (JPN) - 15.033 Lee Chih-kai (TPE) - 14.866 Nariman Kurbanov (KAZ) - 14.433 Zou Jingyuan (CHN) - 14.366 Kaya Kazuma (JPN) - 14.333 Shiao Yu-jan (TPE) - 14.000 Lan Xingyu (CHN) -13.866 Gagik Khachikyan (ARM) - 13.766 Still Ring Qualifiers Lan Xingyu (CHN) - 15.300 Nikita Simonov (AZE) - 14.966 Zou Jingyuan (CHN) - 14.933 Adem Asil (TUR) - 14.833 Mahdi Ahmad Kohani (IRN) - 14.600 Artur Avestisyan (ARM - 14.566 Mehmet Kosak (TUR) - 14.533 Vinzenz Hoeck (AUT) - 14.466 Vault Qualifiers Nazar Chepurnyi (UKR) - 14.699 Tseng Wei-sheng (TPE) - 14.399 Kim Jaeho (KOR) - 14.366 Niccolo Vannucchi (ITA) - 14.266 Pau Jimenez (ESP) - 14.249 Adem Asil (TUR) - 14.066 Asadbek Azamov (UZB) - 13.999 Milad Karimi (KAZ) - 13.883 Parallel Bars Qualifiers Zou Jingyuan (CHN) - 15.866 Zhang Boheng (CHN) - 15.400 Sugimoto Kaito (JPN) - 14.866 Hashimoto Daiki (JPN) - 14.600 Milad Karimi (KAZ) - 14.266 Marco Sarrugerio (ITA) - 14.166 Dominic Tamsel (SUI) - 14.100 Ryu Sunghyun (KOR) - 14.066 High Bar Qualifiers Hashimoto Daiki (JPN) - 15.266 Zhang Boheng (CHN) - 15.233 Shi Cong (CHN) - 15.200 Milad Karimi (KAZ) - 14.800 Kawakami Shohei (JPN) - 14.7000 Fred Richard (USA) - 14.600 Taylor Christopulos (USA) - 13.833 Lee Chih-kai (TPE) - 13.800 Subdivision 4 (JPN, TPE, KOR, ITA, GER, AUS) - I'm going to go sleep for an hour, but I'll fill in updates when I wake up! Rotation 6 After 5: Milad Karimi (KAZ - HB) Zou li min, 1/2, Cassina, tuck to Kolman WOW! tak 1/2, straddle to pike tkatchev,1/2 to eagle, lots of front giants, 1/2, Stuck double double! WOW! 14.800 Zou Jingyuan (CHN - HB) front uprise, Makuts, Diam, Back toss, peach 1/2 a bit short, BIG straddle front to long hang... that is So hard. , The Bhavsar is unreal, Tippelt, Healy, kicks out and sticks the landing! Legend. 15.866 Zhang Boheng (CHN - PB) peach to 1 bar with a bend, healy from one bar, Diam, Back toss, peach, front 1 1/4, Bhavsar, 1/2, Tippelt, Healy, STUCK dismount! 15.4 HOLY WOW! That goes into the lead but Zou Jingyuan is up next! Shi Cong (CHN - PB) - 14.666 Lan Xingyu (CHN - PB) double salto with 1/2 turn peach 1/2, Belle, Big double flipping elements early on, The Bhavsar was huge! Turnover ont he Tippelt wasn't up to par, a big hop on the dismount. Marco Pfyl (SUI - FX) front double full to punch layout to open, front full to double front with a big back step, front lay to front tuck lay, a bobble on the handstand, double arabian with a step OOB, Oh man. Scary landing on the dismount. He has had a rough go today! 11.700 Ricardo Rudy (AUT - PB) unique mount on the side, Moy, giant, Unless I'm mistaken he did a Moy twice? a little short on the stutz, good L sit, double pike with a small hop back. 12.433 Rotation 5 After 4: China - 172.363 USA - 166.195 Switzerland - 163.630 Kazakhstan - 162.196 Turkiye - 161.396 Ukraine - 159.294 Spain - 155.895 Austria - 155.828 Ooh, Olly just announced on the broadcast that only 18 will make it into the AA final compared to the 24 we usually see. Milad Karimi (KAZ - PB) Whippet to mount, peach, he really is so fluid on this event. Was a little low on the Tippelt, small arch on the Diam, double front 1/2 out dismount. 14.266 for the lead on PBars. Shi Cong (CHN - VT) Too much power on the Kas double and stumbles backwards. 13.533 Zhang Boheng (CHN - VT) Handspring Randi with a big step back. 14.500 Su Weide (CHN - VT) A much better Kas double from Su. Much cleaner and a better landing! 14.600 Lan Xingyu (CHN - VT) BIG height on the Kas double. A little bit of leg form in the air. Good direction but has to take a HUGE step back. 14.433 Marco Pfyl (SUI - HB) oh no came completely off on the tak full. remounts. lay taktchev, into his tkatchev series, yamawaki, quast, actually quite a good Rybalko, OH NO! he lost his hands on the tak 1/2, Step back on the dismount. 10.133 Ravshan Kamiljanov (UZB - PB) L sit to handstand, a little lacking in amplitude on the Moy, a shorter routine that he dismounted with a double tuck. Several steps back needed. 11.833 Samir Serhani (SUI - HB) Strong routine highlighted by a straddled to pike Tkatchev! 13.400 Rotation 4 After 3: China - 128.830 USA - 124.129 Switzerland - 123.497 Kazakhstan - 122.164 Turkiye - 119.697 Spain - 116.563 Austria - 115.996 That rings rotations was absolutely superb! What a treat to watch! Zhang Boheng (CHN - SR) azarian maltese, kip to maltese. He's very good here, but the positions are not quite as perfect as Lan Xingyu's which makes it very hard to follow that routine. Double double with a small hop. 14.833 He *Just* gets two per countries. Lan Xingyu (CHN - SR) pull to planche, the slowest bounce to perfect maltese, honma cross, wow these positions are phenomenal. truly a brilliant planche, yami to maltese to iron cross, near perfect handstand, STUCK double double straight. Honestly poetry in motion! That should take the lead, I think. 15.300 Zou Jingyuan (CHN - SR) back uprise to inverted cross then puss into planche, then the V cross, kip to yami to joh. Wow. The forms is so good. Maltese, honma cross, levers to maltese, beautiful kick out to handstand and a small hop on the dismount! 14.933 for the lead! Dmitriy Patanin (KAZ - VT) The Kas 1.5. The most difficult of the three vaults from Kazakhstan so far. 14.200 Ilyas Azizov (KAZ - VT) Kas full! Had good power and direction! Just a small pike down and step on the landing. 13.933 Diyas Toishybek (KAZ - VT) Just a Tsuk full! Fairly clean minus the toe point. 12.900 Ian Raubal (SUI - PB) peach 1/2 to open, peach, Whippet, a little messy in the Makuts, and again in the Healy, big straddle front, Stutz, Diam, L sit, double pike with a big hop back. 13.733 Vinzenz Hoeck (AUT - SR) pull to planche and lower to maltese, back uprise to inverted cross, does well ont he singing elements into the maltese, up to planche, bounce cross, good handstand, STUCK full-in. He absolutely should be in finals! 14.466 He's quite disappointed in that. Puts him in 6th for now. Dominic Tamsel (SUI - PB) Whippet, Peach 1/2, Peach, giant, Suarez, Healy, Diam (hands walking) Diam 1/2, Stutz, double pike with a hop back. 14.100 puts him into first for now on parallel bars, but in two rotations, the greatest parallel bar worker of all time is going to perform on p bars! Asadbek Azamov (UZB - VT) 13.999 Average VT 1 - Roche (Handspring double front) 14.133 VT 2 - Handspring Rudi. Form is quite good in the air! 13.866 Rotation 3 After 2: China - 83.764 USA - 83.197 Switzerland - 82.264 Ukraine - 81.764 Kazakhstan - 79.798 Turkiye - 76.565 Austria - 76.531 Spain - 75.098 Tim Randegger (SUI - VT) A Kas 1.5. that was well performed. Some very slight form issues but good overall! 14.166 Lan Xingyu (CHN - PH) Also mounts with a Li Ning, D Flop, a bit piked on the spindle oh... he has an interesting style on pommel horse. It's very aggressive and piked. 13.866 Zhang Boheng (CHN - PH) Li Ning to open that he does a weird straddle out of, and oops after the second one, he hit the pommel horse on the Sohn, D Flop, Wu to Tong Fei to Magyar to Sivadogood on the triple russians, and does well on the dismount! 13.333 Milad Karimi (KAZ - SR) back uprise to straddle planche, holds the handstand well, and again, joh to yami to straddle sit, apparently Kazakhstan utilizes the same rings routines. Just changes the dismount for a double double! 13.133 Ilyas Azizov (KAZ - SR) back uprise to straddle planche, giant to handstand, front giant to handstand, joh to yami to straddle sit, just a small hop on the tucked full-in dismount. 12.533 Zou Jingyuan (CHN - PH) Li Ning to open with a slight arch, his form overall is reception on this event, the russians are textbook into the Magyar Sivado and flies up to the handstand. WOW! 14.366 (Over a 9.000 in execution!!) Daniel Zander (AUT - PH) Scissors to open, pretty short routine with some Stoekli's and a 1/2 Sivado before the dismount. 11.066 Ravshan Kamiljanov (UZB - SR) Straddle planche to L sit, and swings well into the L sit again. Big push into the handstand, biiggg bend on the handstand, STUCK full-in! 11.733 Manuel Arnold (AUT - PH) C Scissor to open, D flop, and falls off on the single pommel work. Remounts into a Tong Fei, Magyar, Sivado and goes well into the dismount. 12.600 Ian Raubal (SUI - VT) Wow! Beautiful stuck Kas full! 13.966 Marco Pfyl (SUI - VT) Kas full. 13.766 Rotation 2 After 1: China - 41.732 Kazakhstan - 40.732 Switzerland - 40.366 Ukraine - 40.265 USA - 40.098 Turkiye - 39.699 Austria - 39.265 Finland - 38.600 Shi Cong (CHN - FX) WOW! That opening pass is incredible. Just the smallest of hops on the double front pike, just a simple back layout side pass, handstand is well-held! And finishes off with a double full. 13.866 Nariman Kurbanov (KAZ -PH) Mikulak to open, Tong Fei, Magyar Sivadogood travel work, single russian on one pommel Sohn, oh no big push into the dismount and he didn't do the dismount he would have wanted. 14.433 Zhang Boheng (CHN - FX) front full to double front pike, back 3.5, Randi, beautiful side double full, back 2.5 to front lay, lovely non-acro work, triple full with a small hop. 14.400 puts him into first on floor. Su Weide (CHN - FX) had a fall, which China will hope to drop It took nearly the entire first rotation to find all the new links so, we are just getting started with China on floor. Based on the scores it looks like Mahdi Ahmad Kohani from Iran had a successful rings routine (14.600) As per usual with gymnastics, watching is never straightforward. The FISU Stream is not working but the Olympic Channel one is. Live Stream: https://olympics.com/en/sport-events/2023-fisu-world-university-games-chengdu Live Scores: https://results.2021chengdu.com/?lang=en#/sports/result/unit?discipline=GAR&event=GARM------------------&module=schedule&date=&unit=GARM------------------QUAL000003--&key=result&active=&ScheduleStatus=RUNNING Start List: https://pdf.2021chengdu.com/CHENGDU2021/GAR/PDF/CHENGDU2021~2023-08-01~2023-08-01~213525559~DT_PDF~C51A~GARM------------------QUAL000003--~~~1.0~P~.pdf?random=0.40973328472798065 Rotation 1 Subdivision 3 (CHN, AUT, UZB, KAZ, SUI, IRI) After Day 1 of AA and Event Qualifications/Team Finals Team: USA - 246.361 Türkiye - 241.894 Spain - 236.093 Ukraine - 235.826 Finland - 224.895 Cyprus - 217.659 AA: Fred Richard (USA) - 82.999 Adem Asil (TUR) - 81.698 Nicolau Mir (ESP) - 80.931 Josh Karnes (USA) - 80.798 Ivan Tikhonov - 79.698 Landen Blixt (USA - 2PC) - 79.032 Pantely Kolodii (UKR) - 79.031 Mehmet Kosak (TUR) - 78.165 Nazar Chepurnyi (UKR) - 78.164 Pantely Koladii (UKR - PH) B Flop, D Flop, Magyar, Sivado, Roth, Tong Fei into triple russian dismount. 13.600 Antti Varjolaakso (FIN - HB) completes both a lay and straddle tkatchev really had to tuck the full-in straight dismount to not crash. Nicolau Mir (ESP - FX) 13.766 Adem Asil (TUR - HB) Yami to endo to zou li min, tak 1/1, tak 1/2, lay tkatchev, straddle tkatchev to piked tkatchev, full-in straight with a big hop. 13.800 Rotation 6 After 5: USA - 206.128 Turkiye - 201.262 Ukraine - 197.893 Spain - 195.261 Finland - 188.829 Cyprus - 181.527 Anton Jaaskelainen (FIN - PB) Not the most difficult of routines but his line is stunning. dumped the double pike over, landed a bit lock-legged. 12.500 Neofytos Kyriakou (CYP - HB) Really struggled throughout the routine and ended up falling off the high bar. 10.633 Georgious Angonas (CYP - HB) a bit late on the tak full, good on the tak 1/2, lay tkatchev, straddle tkatchev, stalder, one-arm giant, double double with a big step forward. 13.100 Bohdan Suprun (UKR - FX) front full to double front with a hop back, punch randi, sat the front lay to double full, back double full with a hop for a side pass, good russians, sits the back 2.5 as well, triple full to dismount. 10.833 Mehmet Kosac (TUR - PB) Whippet, peach 1/2 with several adjustments, peach, giant, peach basket to L sit, 1/2, double front 1/2 out to finish! Marco Jovicic (CRO - FX) - 11.600 Pau Jimenez (ESP - HB) Yami, Kovacs, 1/2, zou li min, tak 1/2, one-arm giant, layout full-in with a small hop. 12.500 Oriol Rifa (ESP - HB) endo 1/2, straddle tkatchev, stalder, stuck full-in! 12.500 Jakov Vlahek (CRO - FX) punch tuck to punch layout, groundout back tuck, lovely flairs, back layout to finish. That's quite a short routine but it was executed quite well! Rotation 5: After 4: USA - 166.195 Turkiye - 161.396 Ukraine - 159.294 Spain - 155.895 Finland - 151.730 Cyprus - 146.261 Georgious Angonas (CYP - PB) Whippet, Peach, Diam, Stutz, peach basket to L sit, Healy, double pike with a step. Nazar Chepurnyi (UKR - HB) zou li min, 1/2, Kovacs, lay tkatchev, straddle tkatchev, one-arm giant, endo, double double with a big step back. 12.966 Patrick Palmroth (FIN - VT) 13.033 Average VT 1 - Tsuk 1.5 VT 2 - Tsuk full Nicolau Mir (ESP - PB) Whippet, peach 1/2, peach, Diam, Giant, front 1 1/4, Tippelt, Stutz immediately into the double pike. Mehmet Kosak (TUR - VT) - 13.533 Adem Asil (TUR - VT) - 14.066 VT 1 - Wow - lots of height on the Blanik (handspring double front pike). He opens up well before the landing. Just a small hop back. 14.166 VT 2 - Handspring Rudi. So not full difficulty today. 13.966 Yunus Gundogdu (TUR - VT) sat the Handspring double front (Roche) 12.966 Rotation 4 After 3: USA - 124.129 Ukraine - 121.629 Turkiye - 119.697 Spain - 116.563 Finland - 111.498 Cyprus - 108.796 Nazar Chepurnyi (UKR - PB) Whippet, peach to 1 bar, and again to the side rail, has been moving well throughout the apparatus, Big Bhavsar into Diam 1 1/4. Double front with a step forward to dismount. 13.666 Pantely Kolodii (UKR - PB) kip to l sit, good straddle to handstand, giant (hands walking), Tippelt, 1/2, front uprise from upper arms to front 1 1/4, Healty, 1/2, Diam, Stutz, double pike with a small hop. 13.166 Patrick Palmroth (FIN - SR) a little high on the iron cross, L Sit, joh to yami to L sit, a little bobble on the handstand, big arch on the second but another Stuck dismount for Team Finland! 12.000 Georgios Angonas (CYP - VT) - 13.766 Average VT 1 - Yurchenko double with a small hop! 13.833 VT 2 - Kas Full. It was a little less clean than his first vault. 13.700 Antti Varjolaakso (FIN - SR) good honma L sit, joh to yami to L sit, bent arms as he presses for the handstand, and a little arch on the second, stuck double front pike to end! He's very happy about that! 12.266 Mehmet Kosak (TUR- SR) Beautiful positions and capped off the routine with a stuck dismount and a shout! 14.533 Adem Asil (TUR - SR) back pull to planche, azarian maltese (low), kip to inverted cross (high), joh to yami to maltese, back uprise to planche, bounce cross, kip to handstand, double double with a big step back. He really needed a big score as the reigning world still rings champion. 14.833 That score puts him into second for the still rings final behind Simonov. Nicolau Mir (ESP - VT) Kas full. Lots of power and a hop back. 13.833 Joshua Williams (ESP - VT) Yurchenko full. Not a lot of difficulty but was performed very well. Just a small hop at the end. 13.266 Yunus Gundogdu (TUR - SR) Azarian maltese, bounce cross, back uprise to planche, yami to joh to maltese, honma cross (low), giant to handstand, several stumbles back on the double front pike dismount. 13.133 Rotation 3 After 2: USA - 83.197 Ukraine - 81.764 Turkiye - 76.565 Spain - 75.098 Finland - 74.599 Cyprus - 68.597 Nazar Chepurnyi (UKR - VT) - 14.699 Average VT 1 - Dragulescu. Lots of power, honestly a bit too much and does well to keep it on his feet. 14.533 VT 2 - Kas double with a big step back. 14.866 Tarmo Kanerva (FIN - PH) Has a really lovely swing, struggle to keep that beautiful form on some of the traveling elements but flies up to the difficult dismount. 12.366 Neofytos Kyriankou (CYP - SR) Did quite well to not come off the rings after such a big break on the handstand! 10.566 Pau Jimenez (ESP - SR) azarian iron cross, kip to l sit, a little swings on the handstand hold, joh to yami to L sit, big break on the handstand, double double with a big step back. 12.433 Adem Asil (TUR - PH) Li Ning to start, Tong Fei into triple russian and then absolutely did a fascinating unintentional dismount. Quite similar to Fred Richard's fall. remounts and flies up to the dismount. 11.600 Joshua Williams (ESP - SR) kip to L sit, joh to yami to straddle sit, some struggles to keep the rings still on the handstands but sticks the dismount! 12.733 Kerem Sener (TUR - PH) scissors to start, some regular circles, magyar to sivado to dismount. 11.133 Rotation 2 After 1: Ukraine - 40.265 Turkey - 39.699 Finland - 38.600 Spain - 36.966 Cyprus - 33.365 Pantely Kolodii (UKR - SR) Azarian iron cross, honma cross, joh to yami to L sit, straddle to handstand (well-held) a little bobble on the subsequent handstands, stuck dismount! 13.533 Bohdan Suprun (UKR - SR) maltese to open, kip to maltese, bounce cross with open hands to show there is no false grip, rings swinging a bit on the handstand, joh to honma cross, straddle planche, a little bit of wobbling on the handstand. Nearly sticks the double double tucked. 13.466 Tarmo Kanerva (FIN - FX) Randi to open, front lay to front double full with a hop, just a little shy on the double tuck but lovely split to handstand, has a little pause ont he second handstand, front full for a side pass, back double full with a small hop, back 2.5 to dismount. Nazar Chepurnyi (UKR - SR) a little high on the iron cross, joh to yami to L sit, stuck double double dismount! 13.266 Olly is announcing on the stream that there have been changes to the Cyprus line-up, and possibly a withdrawal to the competition. Neofytos Kyriakou (CYP - PH) clean routine throughout with a bit of a push to get through the dismount. 11.633 Turkey is submitting an inquiry for Adem Asil on Floor. His score was increased by 0.1 Yunus Gundogdu (TUR - FX) Had a couple of stumbles on the first two passes, low chest on the double layout, Layout for a side pass, good handstand sequence, double arabian to end. 12.966 Adem Asil (TUR - FX) front full to double front pike (big step back) front lay to double front, just a small hop on the third pass, very open double arabian, well-held handstand, full-in to end. 13.533 (It was previously 13.433 before the inquiry) Orial Rifa (ESP - PH) C Scissor, Stoeklie into Magyar into Sivado and cleanly into the dismount. Joshua-Jack Williams (ESP - PH) Goes cleanly through the Magyar Sivado and flies up to the dismount! 12.300 Pau Jimenez (ESP - PH) A little bit piked throughout but managed to stay on! 11.700 The gymnasts are warming up on their first apparatus. Live Stream: https://www.fisu.tv/videos/fisu-tv-3-chengdu-2021-fisu-games Live Scores: https://results.2021chengdu.com/index.htm#/sports/result/unit?module=schedule&discipline=GAR&date=2023-08-01&event=GARM------------------&month=8&unit=GARM------------------QUAL000002--&key=startlist&active=&ScheduleStatus=[object%20HTMLLIElement] Start List: https://pdf.2021chengdu.com/CHENGDU2021/GAR/PDF/CHENGDU2021~2023-08-01~2023-08-01~104132519~DT_PDF~C51A~GARM------------------QUAL000002--~~~1.0~P~.pdf?random=0.05468188498608573 Rotation 1 Subdivision 2 (TUR, FIN, ESP, CYP, CRO, UKR) Subdivision 1 Results Team USA - 246.361 AA Fred Richard (USA) - 82.999 Josh Karnes (USA) - 80.798 Ivan Tikhonov (AZE) - 79.698 Landen Blixt (USA) - 79.032 Jose Medes Nogueira (POR) - 78.098 Ricards Plate (LAT) - 75.931 Sebastian Gawronski (POL) - 75.465 Alkinoos Graikos (GRE) - 74.598 Of the top event scores from the first subdivision, Nikita Simonov (AZE) and Artur Avetisyan (ARM) should move through to still rings finals; and, Fred Richard should move through to high bar finals. Most of the others are wait and see. Fred Richard (USA - PH) Li Ning to open, triple russian in between the pommels, great flair spindle work that gets a big applause from the audience, oh nooooo he loses it in the travels and came off of the horse, remounts and goes well into the handstand. 13.400 Josh Karnes (USA - PH) C Scissor, Wu, Flop, Sohn, spindle in flairs, slide travel in flairs, wow very efficient routine from Karnes. 13.300 Fredrik Aas (NOR - FX) double tuck to open with a small hop, front full to layout 1/2, stuck double full, stuck layout for the side pass, lovely handstand, triple full dismount. 12.566 Landen Blixt (USA - PH) Mikulak to open, C scissor, Stoekli, and oh wow almost came off on the second flop, travels well, but that was not the intended dismount. 12.633 Ian Skirkey (USA - PH) Mikulak to open, D flop, wild on the Sohn but clips the horse on the Bezugo, clean through the Wu and the Roth, Magyar to Sivado, triple russian dismount on the end. It's amazing that he did not fall on that routine. 13.533 Ivan Tikhonov (AZE - HB) Wild on the Cassina, and again a huge straddle on the Kolman, lay tkatchev, straddle tkatchev, 1/2, 1/1, grip change to eagle, endo, stalder, beautiful stuck double double! 13.400 Sixth Rotation After 5 USA - 206.128 Team USA Floor Total: 39.933 (This is well down from what it should have been). Fred Richard (USA - FX) This has been a wild floor rotation for the U.S. He missed the punch and connection into the double front and just did a single salto. Following the flairs (which were excellent), he's done well on the landings. Aside from high bar, his performance has been pretty nervy in comparison to his usual. 13.533 Julian Jato (ARG - PB) Healy, peach 1/2, peach, giant, Tippelt, 1/2, I think he clipped his foot on the Bhavsar, double pike with a small hop. 12.266 Taylor Christopulos (USA - FX) double double straight to open, sits the front full to double front combo, good double double tuck with a small hop, really lovely form on the russians, a small bobble on the wide-arm handstand, sticks the double full side pass, and sticks the fifth pass as well, just a small hop on the triple full dismount. 12.900 Ricards Plate (LAT - HB) zou li min, tak 1/2, piked Tkatchev, straddle tkatchev, stalder 1/2 (very late), tak, 1/2, piked/layout (unclear) full-in dismount. 12.466 Sebastian Gawronski (POL - PB) Not the most difficulty but was a pretty clean routine! 12.733 Josh Karnes (USA - FX) Some small hops on the first couple of landings but lovely flair work, just a layout for a side pass, triple full to dismount. 13.500 Ivan Tikhonov (AZE - PB) Whippet, Peach, peach 1/2, giant, Suarez, Healy, has to walk a bit after the Stutz, nearly misses the back toss but good dismount! 13.166 Frankie Lee (HKG - FX) missed the first half of the routine but his russians looked a bit short, and has to end the triple full with hands down. 11.466 Fifth Rotation After 4: USA - 166.195 High Bar Total 42.666 Taylor Christopulos (USA - HB) zou li min, tak 1/2, Kolman, Kovacs, Straddle Tkatchev, stalder, quast, one-arm giant, Stuck dismount! 13.833 Fred Richard (USA - HB) Cassina, Kolman, lay tkatchev, straddle to pike tkatchev, quast to one arm, 1/2, tak 1/1, tak 1/2, full-in with a small hop. That will almost certainly make the high bar final. The crowd was really in 14.600 Wout Teillers (NED - PB) kip to L sit, straddle to handstand, peach, giant, front uprise to front 1 1/4, Diam to Suarez, double pike with a small hop. 12.533 Landen Blixt (USA - HB) 13.300 Josh Karnes (USA - HB), Zou li min, tak 1/2, tightly tucked Kolman, Lay Tkatchev, Straddle to pike Tkatchev, giant 1/2, tak, big hop on the full-twisting double layout. The height on his releases is incredible. If he cleans up his tak/Adler entry, his score would increase quite a bit, I think! 13.633 Sebastian Gawronski (POL - VT) 13.516 VT 1 - A Handspring double pike right to his bottom. That looked like it hurt, a lot. On the replay it does look like his feet hit first. 13.566 VT 2 - Falls on the Tsuk double pike. 13.466 Julian Jato (ARG - VT) Kas full. Was a little bit off direction. 13.200 Alkinoos Graikos (GRE - PB) Makuts, Healy, Diam, Stutz, front uprise, double pike. 12.533 Ivan Tikhonov (AZE - VT) - 13.516 Average VT - 1 Sits the Yurchenko double pike 13.633 VT -2 Kas 1.5. Legs were a bit messy and had to take a huge step off of the mat. 13.400 Jose Mendes Nogueira (POR - PB) giant to open, Moy, peach, front uprise, double pike. 12.600 Fourth Rotation After 3: (Only USA is competing with a full team in the first subdivision) USA - 124.129 Team USA PB Total:40.932 Landen Blixt (USA - PB) peach to handstand (walk), a little bent knees on the Bhavsar, 1/2, Tippelt, Healy, 1/2 weird bobble before the front 1 1/4 from upper arms, stuck double pike to end. 13.566 Fred Richard (USA - PB) kip to handstand, Makuts, really short on the Stutz into the Suarez and front 1 1/4, a little low on the Bhavsar, 1/2, Tippelt, big bend in the Healy, STUCK double front. 13.900 Josh Karnes (USA - PB) Whippet to open, peach - lots of hands walking, a little slow on the Makuts, Healy, Diam, Moy, 1/2 giant, Big Bhavsar, 1/2, Tippelts, double front with a small hop. 13.466 Sebastian Gawronski (POL - SR) kip to planche, giant to handstand, and front giant to handstand, maltese, bounce cross, straddle sit, press to handstand, double double to end with a hop back. 13.400 Ricards Plate (LAT - VT) 13.166 Average VT 1 - Kas full. Some bent legs in the air with a -0.3 step on the landing. 13.666 VT 2 - Yurchenko full. Didn't get the block he needed so he had to pike down before a low landing. 12.666 Ruan Lange (RSA - VT) really pretty Yurchenko double full with a step back. 13.966 Volodymyr Otreshko (SVK - SR) Azarian iron cross, kip to a very slow yami to iron cross, L sit, quite a large arm bend as he pushes to handstand. Stuck the tucked full-in dismount. 12.333 Nikita Simonov (AZE - SR) azarian planche to azarian maltese. back uprise to inverted cross, yami to joh to maltese, bounce cross, giant to handstand, STUCK layout full-in! 14.966 HUGE number for him! That will definitely make finals! Nicolas Garfias Chan (PER - SR) the video buffered at the beginning of his routine, good through the swinging elements to L sit, well-held handstand, beautiful full-in double tuck with a small hop. 11.500 Artur Avetisyan (ARM - SR) The reigning Universiade SR Champion, beautiful azairan planche to azarian maltese. Near perfect execution. Iron Cross is well held, good on the handstand. Yami to maltese, pull to iron cross, back uprsie to planche, small arch in the final handstand, small hop on the full-in layout. 14.566 Alkinoos Graikos (GRE - VT) Kas full with several little steps. 13.633 Jose Medes Nogueira (POR - VT) Kas 1.5 13.666 Third Rotation After 2: (Only USA is competing with a full team in the first subdivision) USA - 83.197 USA Vault Total: 43.099 They never showed Christopulos' vault but he scored a 14.466 Julian Jato (ARG - PH) Just a little bit off and ends up coming off the pommel horse. 9.533 Josh Karnes (USA - VT) Big upgrade to a Kas double full. The vault has a lot of potential. Legs are currently a bit messy but if he can clean that up, it will be a big and necessary vault for the U.S. as he is one of the only ones doing a 5.6 + difficulty vault. 13.933 (-0.3 ND) Fred Richard (USA - VT) oh wow! Nearrlllyyy stuck the handspring double front but I don't know how. His landing was so incredibly low. 13.800 Landen Blixt (USA - VT) STUCK Shewfelt (Yurchenko 2.5). Wow that was good! 5.2/9.500 14.700 Ricards Plate (LAT - SR) kip to L sit, beautiful yami to joh to L sit, a little swing on the handstands, sits the 1.5 twisting double tuck. 11.600 Ka Ka NG (HKG - VT) - 13.650 Average VT 1 - Falls backward on the Tsuk double pike - 13.400 VT 2 - Handspring double front with a big step forward. 13.900 Stavros Gkinis (GRE - SR) beautiful azarian maltese, kip to maltese, bounce cross, really lovely so far! OH NO! huge bend on the handstand. It was going so well. cleanly through the swinging elements to honma cross, Very large step froward after the double double dismount. 12.666 Gagik Khachikyan (ARM - PH) Scissor (C) to open, and oh wow, he came off on what I think was an attempted Kerr. He would have likely been a favorite for the final, remounts and does perform the Kerr very well, some FLOP sequences and a lovely russian in between pommels. Does very well on the Wu. It really is a shame about the opening move. 13.766 (with a fall!) Alkinoos Graikos (GRE - SR) L sit to open and out to a planche, some form issues on the giants and a big bobble on the front giant to handstand, ends with a double double with a small step. 12.133 Second Rotation After 1: (Only USA is competing with a full team in the first subdivision) USA PH Total - 40.098 Nicolas Garfias Chan (PER - FX) missed the first half of the routine but has a small bobble on the first handstand and redeems the second, back 2.5 to end. 12.133 Fred Richard (USA - SR) kip to planche (good) to L sit to maltese (was angled and will receive a deduction), well through the swinging elements, good handstands and double double to end with a small step. 13.766 Julian Jato (ARG - FX) front lay full to double front, double front full, tidy third pass, a bit of messy legs on the back double full but manages to stick it. Holds the wide arm handstand well into V hold (B), back 2.5 to end! 12.566 Josh Karnes (USA - SR) kip to L sit, push to handstand, yami to joh to straddle sit, straddles up to the handstand, giant handstand, and again, nearly stuck the full-twisting double layout. Needed a step at the end. 12.966 Ricards Plate (LAT - PH) opens with some scissors, Stoeckli into B flop, travels well across teh pommel, Magyar to Sivado into the triple russian dismount. 13.100 Taylor Christopulos (USA - SR) pull to iron cross (good), back uprise to straddle planche and lowers well to the iron cross, joh to yami to straddle sit (rings are swinging a small amount), press to handstand, giant to handstand, and again, double double with a small step. 13.366 Sebastian Gawronski (POL-FX) opens with a really powerful double front pike with a big pike, comes back with the double front with an OOB, lots of power but struggles to keep it in bounds as he goes OOB with the double arabian as well. Small step on the side double full. Lovely Russians, back 2.5 to front lay, and triple full with a big bounce back to end. 13.033 Ivan Tikhonov (AZE - FX) - front lay to Randi to open, a lovely double layout for the second pass. Does well to stick the side double full, back 1.5 to front tuck full, and a small hop on the dismount. 13.033 Jose Mendez Nogueira (POR - PH) scissors to open, 1/2 sivado to Magyar to Sivado and presses well into the dismount. 12.466 First Rotation Subdivision 1 (USA, HKG, PER, AZE, POL, SGP, SVK, ARG, GRE, POR, RSA, LAT, NOR) LIVE Stream: https://www.fisu.tv/videos/fisu-tv-3-chengdu-2021-fisu-games LIVE Results: https://results.2021chengdu.com/index.htm#/sports/result/unit?module=schedule&discipline=GAR&date=2023-08-01&event=GARM------------------&month=8&unit=GARM------------------QUAL000001--&key=result&active=&ScheduleStatus=SCHEDULED Don't want to miss a post? Scross to the bottom and subscribe! Article by: Kensley Behel

On May 6, 2023, USA Gymnastics announced the five-man roster for the 2023 FISU World University Games – Landen Blixt, Taylor Christopulos, Josh Karnes, Fred Richard, and Ian Skirkey. Just under two months later, their ability to compete in China was put in jeopardy. According to four sources, USA Gymnastics pulled funding from the 2023 FISU University Games with less than a month's notice. Neutral Deductions reached out to USA Gymnastics for comment; this was their response. "USA Gymnastics planned and budgeted for a men’s delegation to the Chengdu World University Games in 2021, which was later rescheduled to 2022 and then again to 2023. Several countries and/or U.S. NGBs are not sending delegations. Airfare to Chengdu in 2023 has been an [at] exorbitant levels ($10k+ for economy seats at times) and far beyond budget capacity and accepted norms for NGB airfare spend [ing]. By July 1, airfare had not come down to rates that would make it feasible to send a full men’s delegation. Therefore, on July 3, the USAG Men’s Program communicated to athletes that it could cover hotel and on-site costs in Chengdu but could not cover airfare. Athletes could still choose to compete in Chengdu (paying their airfare individually) or could switch to the Core US Classic if they sought a more affordable competitive opportunity." The timing of this decision left athletes and coaches scrambling to find funding for flights from their respective athletic departments just three weeks before they were scheduled to depart. Some institutions were able to provide funding and some were not, meaning that some athletes and coaches had to self-pay. Parallel Truths In a time where many seek black and white, it can be hard to see the growth of a program that has a history of athletes feeling "tossed aside." It is easy to point to the budgetary limitations USA Gymnastics is still facing in the wake of scandal, bankruptcy, and the COVID-19 pandemic and add it to the organization's long list of systemic problems. However, while those affected communicated their disappointment in USA Gymnastics' decision to withdraw funds at such short notice, they also spoke of the changing culture and the increased opportunities provided. They feel the program is, as a whole, moving in a positive direction. Ironically, the attempt to increase opportunities for athletes may in fact be what led to this problem in the first place. According to two sources, USA Gymnastics' employees cited the large roster for the US Classic, and consequently the last-minute need to rent the NOW Arena for Sunday's competition as the reason funding was pulled. Registration for the US Classic was left wide open when the stardards for competing were: "Any USA Gymnastics athlete member 18 years of age or older (must be 18 in 2023) may enter the U.S. Classic with the intent of qualifying to the Senior Division at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships." According to USA Gymnastics, a record-breaking 170+ male athletes registered for the event. Therefore, USA Gymnastics had to unexpectedly rent the venue for another day of competition, and according to sources, the funding for the venue had to come from somewhere. That somewhere was allegedly the flight budget for the FISU World University Games. It's unfortunate that this open format may have been the reason the five athletes selected for the World University Games were left to make a difficult decision between self-paying or not being able to compete in China. Resilience Regardless of the reason(s) partial funding was pulled, all five athletes and two coaches found a way to move foward and represent Team USA in China. More than anything, those affected by USA Gymnastics' decision wanted to communicate that the true story here was not in the failure of USA Gymnastics to provide flights for their athletes, but rather the resilience of the gymnasts competing in China this week. Despite the setback and added stress during the last-minute preparation for the Games, the athletes have posted about the amazing experience each of them fought so hard to have. Since their arrival, they had the opportunity to workout in the home gym of Olympic Champion Zou Jingyuan and marched in the opening ceremony (something that has not always been a given at major events). And in the coming days, the athletes will have the opportunity to use their resilience and fight for a spot on the podium. Gymnastics competitions begin Tuesday, August 1. Information on how to follow the event can be found here. Love men's gymnastics coverage? Click the link below to financially support more live event coverage! Don't want to miss a post? Scroll to the bottom and subscribe! Article by: Kensley Behel

A. FIG Removes Sanctions for Russia and Belarus beginning in 2024 The International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG) announced that the bans on athletes from Russia and Belarus will be lifted beginning January 1, 2024. Though the ban has been lifted, athletes will only be granted participation as "individual neutral athletes." Athletes wishing to compete in Olympic qualifying events must agree to the "Ad-hoc rule" that the FIG will specify in the coming weeks. Participation in the 2024 Olympic Games is the "responsibility of the IOC [International Olympic Committee]". B. Australia Names Its Worlds Team without National Champion, Heath Thorpe Gymnastics Australia named its World Championships Team and notably missing was National AA Champion, Heath Thorpe. Gymnastics Australia's primary stated goal in choosing a team for the World Championships was to qualify a team for the Olympics [Which would require a top-12 finish at the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships]. According to these calculations, Thorpe would have been on the highest-scoring team. Based on the team selected, it's improbable that Australia will be able to put up three gymnasts on floor and vault, meaning they would not be able to put up a competitive team score. [Note: based on the aforementioned highest-potential team score, Australia would still not likely qualify a team to the Olympics, but it would at least give them a fighting chance]. GymCastic sent an inquiry to Gymnastics Australia to learn more about their selection. This was their response. By all accounts, Gymnastics Australia went with a team of individual event specialists (the national champions on floor, pommel horse, vault, and high bar + Tyson Bull – a high bar specialist who has been very competitive on the world circuit but didn't compete at Australian nationals). Neutral Deductions broke down their chances for qualifying for the Olympics here. C. Genki Suzuki Named OU Assistant Coach Photo: OU Gymnastics Oklahoma is the first MAG NCAA team in the country to add a fourth, paid coaching position. Former Sooner and national team member, Genki Suzuki served as the volunteer assistant coach from January 2023 - June 2023; Suzuki will now serve as assistant coach for the Sooners. Read the full press release here. D. 2023 Spanish National Gymnastics Championships Thierno Diallo improved his AA score by over four points in a year to take the all-around title at the 2023 Spanish National Championships. In addition to his gold in the all-around, Diallo took home medals on five events. Nestor Abad and Pau Jimenez took silver and bronze respectively in the all-around. 2022 All-Around champion, Joel Plata, did not compete as he is still recovering from a severe and extremely dangerous car accident. Full results can be found here. E. 2023 Bulgarian Gymnastics National Championships The 2023 Bulgarian National Championships took place in Sofia, Bulgaria where Bozhidar Zlatanov took home the all-around title with an 80.726. As Bulgaria is unlikely to qualify a team to the Olympics, that score will be competitive to qualify an individual spot via the all-around competition in Antwerp. Ruslan Delibaltov and Teodor Trifonov took silver and bronze respectively in the all-around. Note: Neither Kevin nor Eddie Penev competed. Full results can be found here. F. 2023 FISU University Games Updates This past week, China announced its team for the 2023 FISU University Games led by World Champion, Zhang Boheng, and Olympic Champion, Zou Jingyuan. It is no exaggeration to say that the all-around fight for gold will be more competitive and exciting than the competition in Antwerp. Roster details can be found here. G. Tomas Gonzalez Releases New Book Chilean gymnast, Tomas Gonzalez, released his autobiography entitled, Campeon: Lecciones, Triunfos y Caidas de un Gimnasta Olympico (Champion: Lessons, Triumphs and Falls of an Olympic Gymnast). In the book, he details his path to becoming the most successful Chilean gymnast in history as well as overcoming "extremely difficult circumstances personally and professionally." Gonzalez used this opportunity as a chance to come out as gay. As reported by the Olympic Channel, “I guess it’s not a topic anymore, but yes, I’m gay,” Gonzalez said, according to El Desconcierto. “If it’s about making it public, I prefer to do it in this book.” You can purchase the book here. H. Competitions This Week Two major competitions are taking place this weekend. The 2023 FISU University Games and the 2023 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) are scheduled for this week. See below for event information. Information about the FISU University Games can be found here. Information on how to watch EYOF can be found here. Information on the EYOF rosters can be found here. I. Interview with Paul Juda Photo: UM Athletic Department Kensley sat down with University of Michigan's Paul Juda to hear his story of perseverance and his plans for the future, which includes a comeback at the 2023 Core Hydration Classic. Read the full interview here. Don't want to miss a post? Scroll to the bottom and subscribe! Article by: Kensley Behel

The European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) is a biennial multi-sport event for junior athletes aged 14 - 18 [Note: the 2021 EYOF was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic]. This year, athletes from 48 countries will gather in Maribor, Slovenia to fight for a spot on the podium. It's common to see a few athletes from EYOF that become household names within the gymnastics community. Illia Kovtun, Joe Fraser, and Nile Wilson are just a few of those who won gold medals at their respective EYOF and continued on to success in the senior ranks. This year, Armenia's Hamlet Manukyan and France's Anthony Mansard are among those favored to take home gold in the all-around. Though he missed the all-around podium in Turkey, Manukyan managed to take home gold at the 2023 Junior World Gymnastics Championships on pommel horse and still rings. For a full list of competitors, click here. 2023 EYOF Gymnastics ScheduleQualifications10:00 am1:45 pm How to Watch the 2023 European Youth Olympic Festival? EYOF has its own streaming platform where the events will be live-streamed. You can find their link here. The new gymnastics app, Elevian, has also been reported to host videos and results from EYOF. Make sure to download it before the competition. Smart Scoring will be used to post results. EYOF 2023 has its own app which will also have results! Any updates will be posted here as information becomes available. Article by: Kensley Behel

When Paul Juda committed to the University of Michigan, the gymnastics team was still under the leadership of legendary and longtime head coach, Kurt Golder. During Juda’s freshman year, Golder relayed a valuable piece of information that has carried Juda through his career; he said, “A unique situation deserves and requires a unique solution.” And if there’s one word to describe Juda’s gymnastics career, it’s unique. When asked to describe the last two years of his career, Juda spoke of the ups and down, not with disdain, but rather with an appreciation of the lessons his career has taught him. He believes that the ups and downs of gymnastics are a perfect metaphor for life, and holds fast to the belief that “you aren’t always going to be winning, but you also aren’t always going to be losing.” Juda entered college in 2019 as one of the most anticipated NCAA gymnasts since the likes of Sam Mikulak and Yul Moldauer. He quickly made his mark, earning a 15.000 on the high bar and picking up Big Ten and All-American honors. The COVID-19 pandemic brought his first season to an early close but he came back even stronger for the 2021 season. Throughout his sophomore season, he tallied 18 individual event wins and capped the NCAA season with two All-American honors; one in the all-around, and the other on pommel horse. Photo provided by the Universitiy of Michigan Athletic department. Securing an Additional Olympic Spot But after the 2021 NCAA championships, his motivation and momentum to keep going ebbed. The NCAA season has a grueling schedule, and he had to decide whether or not he was going to use the NCAA offseason to rest or to continue to pursue his dream of competing at the Olympic Games. Several weeks after the conclusion of the NCAA Championships, senior elite national team members were invited to a selection camp where they could opt to compete for a spot at the 2021 Pan American Championships. When asked about his experience at camp, he said that particular camp was where he matured the most. He had to wrestle with the thought, “What if I don’t make the Olympic Team?” His conclusion: whatever the selection, he would be ok. After talks with those closest to him, he realized that he was loved whether he hung up his grips or continued pushing forward, and that he didn't need to define himself by one goal or one sport. With that renewed assurance and confidence, push forward he did. Juda earned the opportunity to compete at the Senior Pan-American Championships in June of 2021, where the United States desperately needed a top-two finish in the all-around to secure an additional spot for the Olympics later that year. On June 4, 2021, Juda claimed the final +1 quota spot available to the U.S. men’s team by placing second in the all-around. There was much confusion in the media about whether or not Juda had actually earned a spot for himself (nominative) or if the spot was a quota spot for the United States. As it turns out, the latter was true. At Olympic Trials, he place 8th in the all-around, and missed a spot on the team or as an alternate. While disappointment was the natural reaction to falling short of a long-term goal, Juda, ever the optimist, holds his head high for helping Team USA get an extra Olympic spot; and, for helping Alec Yoder’s Olympic dreams come true. It’s in these moments that he fully represents what it means to be a Michigan Wolverine. In the words of beloved Michigan football coach, Bo Schembechler: “No man is more important than the Team. No coach is more important than the team. The Team, The Team, The Team.” Refocusing on NCAA Not making the team meant that Juda escaped weeks of isolation in Japan as the pandemic continued to rage. He was also able to take it easy before the upcoming NCAA season. The men’s elite program had been pushing for upgraded difficulty but he didn’t feel the timing was right to put in upgrades. His mentor, Kurt Golder, had told him “You just gotta do the stuff you know you can hit and build your confidence.” So Juda sought sustainability instead of upgrades. That choice meant he used slightly less difficult routines to start the season. At the Maize and Blue intrasquad in December 2021, he hit six for six, foreshadowing what was to come. Juda’s junior season was nothing short of eventful. When trying to compete at the 2022 Winter Cup, the Michigan gymnasts' flights were canceled due to weather. The next morning, he woke up at 2 A.M. to catch a different flight, only to have that one canceled too. He did finally make it to Texas for the final day of competition and reiterated his gratefulness to USA Gymnastics for allowing him to compete and retain his spot on the U.S. National Team. From there he was selected to represent the U.S. at the Cairo World Cup, where he brought home silver medals on both floor and high bar. But for Juda, the highlight of the season came at NCAA Championships. It was down to the last rotation and he needed the vault of his life to clinch the title. As he stood at the end of the vault runway, he could hear and feel the energy generated by his team. They needed a big vault from him, and he delivered. He had never stuck that vault in competition, but this day was different. With legs glued together pre-flight and with a stuck landing, he secured both the all-around and vault titles. He said that moment made all the sacrifices worth it. A Nine-Month Injury Arc That high wouldn’t last for long, as he got back in the gym putting in upgrades for the upcoming elite season. He was working a back 2.5 through to double front on floor and during warm-up for the 2022 U.S. Classic, he injured his knee. That moment would begin a nine-month injury arc that would test Juda’s determination and perseverance. In January 2023, he was training a Kolman on high bar and missed. When he landed, one leg was on the mat, and the other one wasn’t leading to yet another injury. That particular injury took him out of contention for most of the NCAA season, but he was slated to make a comeback on three events at the NCAA National Championships. Parallel bars was not one of the three events he was going to compete, but he wanted to stay warm before high bar (parallel bars comes before high bar in the competition sequence). So, during the one-touch, he warmed up a Healy but missed his hand, meaning his head hit the bar. Concussion protocol was followed, and even though the medical team cleared him, he and his coaches decided to have him sit out of the meet so that he could take his redshirt year. Juda says that all this had a silver lining: it gave him a chance to better his pommel horse and to increase his still rings strength. It’s a story all too familiar to another Wolverine great, Sam Mikulak. Following an ankle injury in 2011, Mikulak worked pommel horse and rings strength which he credits for helping him make the 2012 Olympic Team. Perhaps the extra time and attention to those apparatuses will lead Juda to his first Olympic Games, just over a year away. The Journey to the Paris Olympic Games When he steps foot on the competition floor at the 2023 U.S. Classic, Juda will be competing on the national stage for the first time in nearly a year. He is already pre-qualified to the national championships, so he can use this meet as a true warm-up ahead of the run towards making the 2023 World Championships team. Regardless of how this elite season unfolds, he will have at least one more season as Captain with the Wolverines while completing a graduate certificate in real estate. As our interview concluded, he reiterated the joy in the unpredictableness of the journey, saying, ‘It’s not the same old song and dance.” Though undecided on what he is going to compete at the U.S. Classic, he is training the all-around. Immediately following our interview, he left to go to the gym for a one-on-six—that is, one routine on each of the six events. The truly incredible thing about Juda’s career is his determination to make the best of each situation. His eagerness to learn from his mistakes and misfortune in gymnastics translates far beyond what he presents on the competition floor – it gives him a positive outlook on both the sport and on life. Juda will return to elite competition on Sunday, August 6th where he will compete in the first session. Information about tickets and streaming can be found here. Article by: Kensley Behel

Gymnastics Australia released their 2023 World Championships roster today, and notably missing was 2023 Australian National Champion, Heath Thorpe. Photo: Health Thorpe Thorpe wrote on Twitter: I am absolutely heartbroken to share that I have not been selected to the Australian team for the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships. Despite my many results and improvement this year alone, including my recent Australian All-Around title, I will not be one of the five Aussie gymnasts afforded an opportunity to compete in the biggest Olympic qualifier come October. At this time, I am not allowed to speak to the selection process and what has occurred, but am hopeful that the subsequent findings are made public in due course. It is an impossible task to summarise the overwhelming emotions that I am currently experiencing...but know that I have more words to share soon with my friends, family and fans. I wish the team selected nothing but the best and hope they all have a successful and health Worlds campaign. 2023 World Gymnastics Championships Team and Their Path to Olympic Qualifications The Australian team for the World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp is comprised of Tyson Bull. James Hardy, Clay Mason Stephens, Mitchell Morgans, and Vedant Sawant. By choosing this team, Gymnastics Australia has bypassed the opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games with a team; they have instead stacked the team full of two-all-arounders, two high bar specialists, and a pommel horse specialist. Neither Clay Mason Stephens, nor James Hardy are likely to qualify via the all-around, though they each have a standout event of floor and vault respectively. Australia's best chance at Olympic qualifications through the 2023 World Championships is going to come from one of their three specialists. Tyson Bull qualified to the Olympics during the last Olympic cycle by making the finals at the 2019 World Gymnastics Championships. However, the International Federation of Gymnastics, significantly reduced how many athletes can qualify to the Olympics via the pre-Olympic World Championships; in the prior Olympic cycle, up to three athletes could qualify per event – this year, it's only one. Lauren from the Gymternet outlines the full qualification procedures here. While Bull is outstanding on high bar, he's going to have to compete with the likes of Cyprus' Ilias Georgiou and his own teammate Mitchell Morgans for a shot at competing in Paris. Sawant is comparatively new to the international stage, having made his World Cup debut in 2022. However, he has made several World Cup pommel horse finals, and should he perform his best, he certainly has a shot at making the pommel horse final in Antwerp. The problem for Sawant is: the pommel horse final is always filled with gymnasts from countries that will not qualify a team like Ireland, Armenia, Croatia, and Jordan. And only one of those gymnasts can make it from the 2023 World Championships to the 2024 Olympic Games. It is unlikely that any of the chosen gymnasts will qualify to the Olympics from this route, but if I was to put my money on one, it would be Tyson Bull on high bar. Article by: Kensley Behel

A. USA Gymnastics Changes Men's Core Hydration Classic Schedule With the final qualifier for the U.S. national championships having incredibly lax standards, it is no surprise that record-breaking numbers (141) of gymnasts elected to compete on the big stage in Illinois this year. "Any USA Gymnastics athlete member 18 years of age or older (must be 18 in 2023) may enter the U.S. Classic with the intent of qualifying to the Senior Division at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships," It immediately became clear that the scheduled one session could not reasonably accommodate 141 athletes in one-2.5 hour session. On July 14, USA Gymnastics released an updated schedule in which, the U.S. men were moved to two sessions on Sunday, rather than one session on Saturday. Tickets originally purchased for the single session on Saturday will be honored for both sessions on Sunday. Information on the draw for each session can be found here. B. International Training Camps Members of the U.S. Senior National Team have had training camps in Funabashi, Japan since before the Tokyo Olympics. This past week, the Level 10 National Team traveled to Japan where they worked on skill development and also got to meet Olympic Champion, Hashimoto Daiki. Italy and Germany also had a joint training camp in beautiful Porto San Giorgio, Italy C. Courtney Tulloch Podcast Photo: Courtney Tulloch Tulloch details his life from birth where he nearly died to becoming the first British man to win a medal on still rings at the World Championships. Don't miss this candid interview between former national teammates Sam Oldham and Courtney Tulloch. Listen on Apple Podcasts here. D. EYOF Gymnastics Rosters Announced The 2023 European Youth Olympic Festival is set to take place from July 23 - July 29 in Maribor, Slovenia. No official cumulative roster has been announced, but Lauren at the Gymternet has curated a list based on team announcements. E. NCAA Gymnast and Tik Tok Star, Dylan Kolak Announced Retirement from Gymnastics Illinois gymnast, Dylan Kolak, announced his retirement from gymnastics. The Big Ten floor finalist had planned to take his 5th year, however, after a back fracture and Achilles tear, decided to medically retire. The Tik Tok star has gained over 750k followers during the course of his collegiate career where he posts content on gymnastics and fitness. He plans to transition from gymnastics to bodybuilding and to use his platform to inspire others. F. Brody Malone and Curran Phillips moved to EVO. After graduating from Stanford University earlier this summer, World Champion, Brody Malone, and Pan American Champion, Curran Phillips, moved to EVO in Sarasota to continue training for the 2024 Olympic Games. G. Sean Melton Selected for OSU Hall of Fame The Ohio State University released its Class of 2023 Hall of Fame. Among them is former national team member, Sean Melton. During his career, Melton amassed 10 All-American honors, seven Big Ten Championship titles, and in 2018, Melton was awarded the prestigious Nissan-Emery award for being the best NCAA athlete. H. GymACT College Bound Camp Historically, universities use summer camps as recruiting opportunities, but if a gymnast is interested in more than one university, it can make for a very expensive summer. For those interested in competing within the gymnastics association for college teams (GymACT), they only need to go to one camp to meet with all of the different program coaches. XTreme Altitude Gymnastics, based in Lafayette, Colorado, is a world-class facility that plays host to the College Bound Camp. This year, 80 gymnasts gathered to work with representatives from each of the GymACT programs. I. European Silver Medalist, Maxime Gentges Gets Married This has been a banner year for Belgium's Maxime Gentges. Earlier this year, Gentges won Belgium's first medal at a European Championships, and on July 15, he wed his longtime partner, Julia, in an intimate ceremony. Hours before the wedding, he posted an urgent message for a photographer because the one they had hired had broken their wrist; he later posted that a new photographer had been found. As is the case for so many weddings of gymnastics royalty, the dance floor was filled with tricks, including some nice flair work from brother and coach, Gilles Gentges. J. Nick Kuebler Creates YouTube Channel Stanford University gymnasts including Ian Gunther, Khoi Young, and Riley Loos have been taking the internet by storm with their engaging YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok videos. Junior, Nick Kuelber is the most recent teammate to start bringing content to YouTube. Check out his first video below! K. Swedish Olympian, David Rumbutis, seeks second Olympic Games after Injury In an interview with International Gymnast Magazine, Swedish Olympian, David Rumbutis detailed his injuries and comeback in an effort to make his second Olympic Games. L. 2023 Colombian Gymnastics National Championships Many of the top gymnasts who competed at the Pan American Championships, such as Andres Martinez Moreno did not compete at the Colombian National Championships this past weekend. Marcos Norte de Santander won the all-around with a 71.333 followed by David Mateo Bogata with a 66.000, and Juan Felipe Bogota with a 63.933. Full results can be found here. Don't want to miss a post? Scroll to the bottom and subscribe! Article by: Kensley Behel

It's no secret that men's gymnastics has historically had less coverage and less information on understanding the sport than women's artistic gymnastics. We are here to change that. This series is on understanding men's vault. If you missed Part 1, I suggest that you start there! In 2022, the FIG made some radical changes to vault families. Historically, the vault entry (i.e. Yurchenko, front handspring, etc.) determined the vault family. That is no longer the case. For example, a gymnast used to be able to perform a yurchenko vault and a yurchenko 1/2 on vault as they were from two different families. Currently, all Yurchenko vaults are grouped together in one category. On the flip side, front handspring vaults have been separated into two categories, one with a single flip and complex twists, and the other with a salto. This change allowed world champion, Artur Davtyan, to perform a Dragulescu (handspring double front 1/2 out) and a Randi (handspring with 2.5 twists) in event finals. For the 2025 - 2028 code of points, the FIG is considering moving back to five vault groups rather than the four that exist now. The proposed changes are as follows: "1. Single salto vaults with complex twists 2. Handspring vaults with or without simple twists, and all double salto fwd. 3. Handspring sideways and Tsukahara vaults with or without simple twists, and all double salto bwd. 4. Yurchenko with twists (New) 5.Yurchenko with saltos (New)" Article by: Kensley Behel

A. German Gymnastics National Championships The 2023 German Gymnastics National Championships concluded on July 9 in Düsseldorf and a new national champion was crowned. The only gymnast to break the 80.000 mark, Pascal Brendal, took his first national all-around title in the absence of Olympic silver medalist, Lukas Dauser. While Brendal was the favorite for gold, Nick Klessing was a surprise for the silver medal. Klessing, known for his exceptional work on still rings, managed to secure second place though for most of the competition, he was battling for bronze with Lucas Kochen and Maxim Kovalenko. Pommel horse standout, Nils Dunkel had been challenging Brendal for the title but a mistake on high bar in the final rotation led him to slip down the rankings to third. Brendal and Klessing also took home event titles on vault and still rings respectively but it was newcomer Daniel Mousichidis, who managed two titles on both floor and pommel horse. Mousichidis was not a favorite for either title but falls on floor from Klessing and a disastrous pommel horse final allowed the 18-year-old to take home two gold medals. Glenn Trebing secured gold on parallel bars with a 13.933. Veteran, Andy Toba, struggled through most of the competition. After the all-around and day 1 event finals, he posted on Instagram detailing that he was thankful to be able to compete on all apparatuses, but struggled with the fact that his training was not reflected in his competition. On the last day of the competition, Toba soared to new heights claiming the high bar title. After dealing with a collarbone injury, he said that this success was "a very emotional moment." Full results can be found here. B. New Zealand Gymnastics National Championships More than 900 gymnasts competed across multiple disciplines and age groups at the 2023 New Zealand Gymnastics National Championships. Unsurprisingly, Misha Koudinov took the elite all-around title followed by Sam Dick and William Fu Allen. Event Results can be found here. C. 2023 Pan Arab Games The Pan Arab Games returned for the first time in 12 years, where 22 nations and territories gathered in Algeria. University of Michigan's Lais Najjar, took home gold in the all-around for Syria with a 78.267. World silver medalist, Ahmad Abu Al-Soud of Jordan took gold on pommel horse. D. New Professional Gymnastics League Launched "The World Gymnastics Association, the first-ever professional gymnastics league, has just been launched after years in the making, offering an opportunity for gymnast talents to be rewarded with big cash prizes. The World Gymnastics Association (WGA) currently focuses on men’s artistic gymnastics but plans to introduce women’s gymnastics soon." The WGA provides a platform for gymnasts to participate in online competitions, with plans to host in-person events in the near future. As the league grows, so will the prize pools, providing an even greater incentive for gymnasts to participate. The WGA aims to help gymnasts earn money while pursuing their passion. Additionally, the WGA introduces a new rulebook with fewer restrictions and more skills, allowing for more unique routines. Olympian and 5-time Oceania champion, Misha Koudinov, says that when he heard of the WGA, he was “immediately drawn to the idea” and that it will “help keep gymnasts around for longer.” The founder of the WGA, Owen Magraken, states “The launch of the WGA will revolutionize gymnastics forever. It provides a long-awaited platform to engage fans and monetize gymnasts’ careers.” Olympic gymnast René Cournoyer also shares his excitement saying that the WGA is a great way to “make our sport even more exciting for the public and increase its popularity.” The WGA’s first virtual competition is scheduled from July 9-25, with the prize pool totaling $10,000 CAD. For the first competition, the WGA is offering free registration. The competition is open to anyone, and you can sign up now at WGAgymnastics.com and submit your routines on your own schedule. The routines will be judged and broadcast on their YouTube channel @WGAgymnastics on July 28. For more information on the World Gymnastics Association and its upcoming events, visit WGAgymnastics.com" E. World Champion Earns Honorary Doctorate World Champion, Rhys McClenaghan received an honorary doctorate from Ulster University last week. "McClenaghan was recognized for his outstanding dedication in the pursuit of excellence and improvement in sport” F. Oklahoma Gymnastics Gets a Facelift The decorated Sooners gymnastics program received updates to their already stellar training gym. These updates come ahead of the proposed $13,750,000 in renovations. Photo Credit: OU Gymnastics G. New Skills The new Men's Technical Committee Newsletter was published earlier this month. There's not a lot new aside from rules clarifications. However, the MTC did confirm four new skills including the Reid on pommel horse. Other new skills include the Minami 2 on floor (H), the Dolidze on pommels (D), and the Matsunaga on parallel bars (D). Six new skills have also been added to the NAIGC Code of Points. H. Italian Gymnastics Announces FISU Games Team Italy is the latest country to announce its team for the 2023 FISU Games in Chengdu, China. The team is comprised of Lorenzo Bonicelli, Lay Giannini, Stefano Patron, Marco, Sarruggerio, and Niccolo Vannucchi. For a full list of announced teams competing, click here. I. New Gymnastics App Launched Olympic Champion, Max Whitlock, and his coach, Scott Hann, have launched a new app called Gymnastics Genius. The app is geared toward coaches and includes comprehensive resources for both men's and women's artistic gymnastics. Don't want to miss an update? Scroll to the bottom and subscribe! Article by: Kensley Behel

This week, both New Zealand and Germany will host their respective national gymnastics championships. New Zealand's Championships will be held July 5 - 8; and Germany's National Championships will be held July 6 - 9. 2023 New Zealand Gymnastics Championships New Zealand returns to Mercury BAYPARK TAURANGA for the first time since 2018 where over 200 MAG athletes will take the floor. The athletes are led by 2016 and 2020 Olympian, Misha Koudinov and 2022 Commonwealth Games Finalist, Ethan Dick. The competition will not serve as a selection event for the World Championships as New Zealand has already announced the gymnasts (Koudinov and Dick) who will compete in Antwerp later this year. The National Championships will therefore serve as one of several "key events" that the selection committee takes into consideration when choosing the 2023 National Team. Photo: GymnasticsNZ Fans have the opportunity to tune in live at watch.gymnasticsnz.com. There is a daily pass option (NZ$ 35) or a weekly pass option (NZ$ 75). Podium training took place on Tuesday, July 4th and gymnasts were not able to fully complete podium training as the lights went out earlier than planned. Gymnastics New Zealand announced that the lights have since been restored and that the competition should take place as normal. Competition Schedule: 2023 German Gymanstics National Championships The 2023 German Gymnastics National Championships will take place in Düsseldorf from July 6 - July 9. Gymnastics is only one of eighteen German Federations that will hold their national championships this weekend, three of which will join gymnastics in Düsseldorf. Reigning national champion, Lukas Dauser pulled out of the competition for precautionary measures after having dealt with a shoulder injury. Dauser is the strongest German all-arounder, so with him out of the picture, a new national champion will be crowned. Coming off a solid performance at the 2023 European Championships, Pascal Brendel is a favorite for the title. His 81.164 at Euros would have placed him 2nd in the all-around at last year's national championships. In addition to a new all-around champion, it is very likely that there will not be a repeat gymnast on the podium. Silver medalist, Philipp Herder, announced his retirement last season, and bronze medalist, Glenn Trebing sustained an injury in Stuttgart that kept him out of the European Championships in April. Trebing is expected to compete this weekend. Photo: DTB There will be a live stream with commentary for each day of the competition. Live stream links and competition times can be found in the table below. Competition Schedule Article by: Kensley Behel

A. Germany and South Africa Announced Their Universiade Teams Germany and South Africa have announced their rosters for the 2023 Universiade in Chengdu China. Germany is sending a full team including Willi Binder, Carlo Hörr, Alexander Kunz, Mika Säfken, and Moritz Müller. This is a relatively inexperienced team on the international level with Hörr serving as the veteran having competed at the World Championships in 2021 as well as a handful of World Cups. South Africa is sending two athletes: Luke James and Ruan Lange. James is a power gymnast who was a staple in floor and vault line-ups at the University of Nebraska. Lange is an up-and-coming gymnast who has represented South Africa at the Youth Olympic Games and the 2019 Jr. World Championships. Both Müller (Germany) and James (South Africa) represent the University of Nebraska during the NCAA season. They join Team USA's Taylor Christopulos bringing the total number of Husker Gymnasts competing at the Games to three. An updated list of athletes competing at the FISU Games can be found here. B. Central American and Caribbean Games The Central American And Caribbean Games held in San Salvador wrapped up the gymnastics portion of the Games this past week. Having improved his all-around total by nearly five points in a year, Diorges Escobar (CUB) won the all-around with a 79.100. His performances on parallel bars and high bar gained the top scores of the day allowing him to edge out Audrys Nin Reyes by .200. In addition to his silver in the all-around, Nin Reyes (DOM) had a superb performance bringing home medals on pommel horse, vault, and high bar. Dilan Jimenez (COL) rounded out the all-around podium with a 78.150. See below for a medal breakdown by country! *"Athletes from Guatemala competed under the neutral flag of the Centro Caribe Sports after their National Olympic Committee was suspended by the IOC in 2022." C. NCAA Updates The men's gymnastics program at the University of Oklahoma is hiring a new assistant coach and an athletic trainer. Illinois Men's Gymnastics got a new floor, and Michigan's Fred Richard launched a new clothing line. E. FIG Proposed Changes for the 2025-2028 MAG Code of Points The big news in the run-up to the Los Angeles Olympic Games is that the FIG is proposing to change the number of counting elements from ten to eight, which would bring the senior men's code in-line with the senior women, and junior men's code. The FIG is also attempting to increase artistry on floor by proposing a choreography sequence and a scale. Stick bonuses may also apply on all events except pommel horse. Read the full overview of changes here. F. Decorated Gymnasts Welcome New Babies Artur Davtyan (ARM) and Andrey Medvedev (ISR) both welcomed baby girls to their families this week. G. Draw for the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships The FIG has announced the draw for the upcoming world gymnastics championships in Antwerp. J. The roster for the U.S. Classic was announced. Count them... 141 combined senior and junior athletes are slated to compete at the U.S. Classic outside of Chicago. According to USA Gymnastics documentation, "Any USA Gymnastics athlete member 18 years of age or older (must be 18 in 2023) may enter the U.S. Classic with the intent of qualifying to the Senior Division at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships." The competition is currently set to take place from 12:15 - 3pm EDT. Based on the current number of registrants, a second men's session may need to be created, or the session may need to be extended. Find out who's competing here! Don't want to miss an update? Scroll to the bottom and subscribe! Article by: Kensley Behel

On June 27, an outline of the FIG's Men's Technical Committee's (MTC) proposed changes was posted, giving us a better look at what may be coming in the future. The big overall change would be to move from ten counting skills to eight. Currently, the junior men and the senior women also count eight elements, so this proposed change would bring the senior men's code in line with others. Other notable proposed changes include: Max amount of elements per element group (EG) moves from 5 - 4 A,B, & C skills used to fulfill the 0.5 EG requirements. Now, gymnasts will receive 0.3 for A, B, and C skills (some exceptions apply). Stick bonuses would apply for all dismounts rated C or higher with the exception of pommel horse Changes for Floor Exercise There are two big changes on floor. One is an attempt to increase artistry. The MTC has proposed a choreography sequence and also proposed that gymnasts must show a one-leg balance element. The second major change is to the dismounts. Seniors will now be required to show a multiple salto dismount, meaning no more triple twist dismounts. To accommodate this change, the MTC has also proposed an increase to several common double salto elements (i.e. Double back pike (C to D), Arabian double pike (D to E), and Double layout (D to E). Changes to Pommel Horse The MTC's proposed changes to pommel horse are going to limit flaired elements. There will now be a max of four per routine (perhaps this should be nicknamed the Abbadini rule), and Flop sequences will not be upgraded with with flairs. There are also several clarifications proposed on how to perform skills (i.e. The Wu must have two hands between the pommels, otherwise it will be considered a Roth). Changes to Still Rings In the previous code of points, holds on rings were allowed no deviation without deduction. Now, there will be a 5-degree allowance without deduction. This rule has changed the hold and angle deductions will be categorized. 5 degrees to 20 degrees will be .0.1, 20 - 45 will be 0.3, and greater than 45 degrees will receive a 0.5 deduction and non-recognition for the skill. Utilizing Fujitsu for these angle deductions would be beneficial as differentiating between 5 degrees by the human eye may be impractical. Changes to Vault Because the MTC is proposing to change counting skills to 8, it seems they have also decided to lower vault values again by 0.4 to be in line with probable D scores on the other events. The MTC has also proposed moving back to five vault element groups. The proposed groups are: "1. Single salto vaults with complex twists 2. Handspring vaults with or without simple twists, and all double salto fwd. 3. Handspring sideways and Tsukahara vaults with or without simple twists, and all double salto bwd. 4. Yurchenko with twists (New) 5.Yurchenko with saltos (New)" Changes to Parallel Bars The MTC has proposed that all swing-to-handstand must continue in the same direction which may mean that we may see an increased number of 1/2 pirouettes. They have also proposed a maximum of two front uprise style elements. Like on floor, they have also proposed upgrading many of the double-flipping elements on parallel bars. Changes to High Bar In the general section of proposed changes, the MTC says there will be a max of four elements per element group; However, for high bar, five flight elements from group two would be permitted if at least two of them are connected. If the MTC follows through with this change, this means we could see high bar routines with five of the eight counting elements from one group and then one from each of the other three EG. Connection bonus and angle deductions were also clarified. Several elements may also increase in value including Gienger (C to D) and Jaeger (C to D for straddle and D to E for straight). Finalization of these proposed changes is expected to happen later this year or early next year. Article by: Kensley Behel *Previous versions of this article stated that the new angle deductions for still rings was for handstand deductions. The article has been updated to clarify that the new proposed angle deductions are for hold and angle deductions.