It was a good day for USA Gymnastics at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza in Tokyo (JPN), as American Sam Mikulak and Morgan Hurd won both the men’s and women’s competitions at the FIG All-Around World Cup.
Mikulak was dominant, winning by almost a full point over Japan’s Wataru Tanigawa and five-time Worlds gold medalist Kenzo Shirai. He scored 14.000 or above on all six apparatus, winning on Pommel Horse and High Bar, finishing second on Parallel bars, third in Floor and Rings and fourth on Vault.
For Mikulak to win so completely over an excellent field is a confidence boost for an athlete who has one World Championships medal – a bronze – in his career so far.
For Hurd, the 2017 World Champion, it was another step in her development – she’s still 17 – toward the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
She survived a rough routine in the Beam, scoring only 12.933, while piling up points on the Vault (14.233: 3rd), Uneven Bars (14.300: 1st) and Floor (13.633 (1st). Hurd out-pointed Canada’s Ellie Black by 0.067: 55.099 to 55.032.
“I honestly thought everything was just spectacular,” Hurd said afterwards. “The crowd, the equipment, the arena, everything was just amazing, and there wasn’t any negative parts.
“My overall impression of this Tokyo World Cup was absolutely amazing. Tokyo is stunning; the arena is great, people are so kind, and I love it.”
This wasn’t a dress rehearsal for the 2020 Games, as the gymnastics competition will be held in a temporary facility. The Musashino Forest Sports Plaza will host badminton. Summaries:
FIG Artistic World Cup
Tokyo (JPN) ~ 7 April 2019
(Full results here)
Men/All-Around: 1. Sam Mikulak (USA), 86.599; 2. Wataru Tanigawa (JPN), 85.665; 3. Kenzo Shirai (JPN), 82.964; 4. Nikita Ignatyev (RUS), 82.899; 5. Giarnni Regini-Moran (GBR), 81.030.
Women/All-Around: 1. Morgan Hurd (USA), 55.099; 2. Ellie Black (CAN), 55.032; 3. Asuka Teramoto (JPN), 54.799; 4. Aiko Sugihara (JON), 51.966; 5. Carolyne Pedro (BRA), 51.132.