GYMNASTICS: Bock, Chiles claim USA Gymnastics’ Winter Cup All-Around titles

Winter Cup All-Around champion Jordan Chiles (Photo: Facebook page of Jordan Chiles)

The first step toward the U.S. Olympic Team in Artistic Gymnastics came this weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana with the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup, with Cameron Bock and Jordan Chiles claiming top honors in the All-Around competitions.

There was considerable anticipation for the first appearance since 2016 for women’s Olympic Team member and gold medalist Laurie Hernandez, but Saturday’s All-Around competition belonged to Chiles, 19, the 2017 U.S. All-Around silver medalist.

Chiles won or tied for the best score on the Vault (14.900), Beam (14.500 tie) and Floor (13.600) and was fourth on the Uneven Bars (14.050) to score 57.050, winning by almost two points. She was followed by Shilese Jones (2: 55.100), Emily Lee (3: 53.400), Lilly Lippeatt (4: 53.250) and Amari Dayton (5: 52.950). The top four qualified for the U.S. National Team for 2021.

Among the U.S. national-team stars who competed in some of the events, Jade Carey was second on Vault (14.800) and sixth and ninth on Uneven Bars and Beam; Riley McCusker was second on the Uneven Bars (14.650) and 10th on Vault and 19th on Beam; Sunisa Lee won the Uneven Bars (15.050) and was third on Beam (14.250).

Hernandez competed on Beam and was fifth (13.950) and Floor, finishing 13th (12.050). Other stars, including World Champions Simone Biles and Morgan Hurd, did not compete.

Among the men, the University of Michigan’s Bock was the most consistent of the men’s performers on Friday’s All-Around, finishing second or third on four of the six apparatus to finish with 84.150 points, almost a full point up on Riley Loos of Stanford (83.250). Third went to veteran star Shane Muldauer (82.600), followed by Shane Wiskus (Minnesota: 81.250), Allan Bower (Oklahoma: 81.150) and Paul Juda (Michigan: 79.850). The top six qualified for the 2021 national team.

The individual event winners were determined by the two-day scores on each apparatus. Wiskus won the Floor (28.550 two-day score); Alec Yoder took the Pommel Horse (29.500); Alex Diab won Rings at 29.800; Eddie Penev won the Vault at 29.150; Moldauer won the Parallel Bars with 28.150 and Genki Suzuki was tops on the High Bar at 27.250.

The USA Gymnastics National Championships in Artistic Gymnastics are from 3-6 June in Ft. Worth, Texas, and the Olympic Trials will be in St. Louis, Missouri from 24-27 June.

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