Stevens, Shostak earn Olympic berths; titles collected as USA Gymnastics Championships conclude
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (June 26, 2024) – Aliaksei Shostak (Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express) became a two-time Olympian while Jessica Stevens (Ellicott City, Md./Fairland Gymnastic) punched her first ticket to the Games Wednesday evening at the 2024 USA Gymnastics Championships. The championships concluded with more national champions crowned at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Olympic dreams realized
2023 World Championships trampoline bronze medalist and Pan American Games gold medalist Stevens secured her Olympic roster spot with her qualification performance on Monday night. Stevens had earned the U.S. Olympic quota spot by virtue of making the final at the 2023 World Championships in Birmingham, England. In Minneapolis she claimed the U.S. Olympic roster spot as her own by having the highest combined scores by an American in two of three Olympic qualifiers this season.
The 2023 World Championships and Pan Am Games silver medalist in synchro trampoline, Shostak likewise earned the U.S. spot by virtue of his performance in qualifications in Minneapolis. He won the spot in dramatic fashion, scoring a season-high 58.860 on his final routine Tuesday night to jump up from third to first in the rankings. This will be his second Olympic Games, first competing for the country in Tokyo, where he placed 13th in qualifications.
2016 and 2020 Olympian Nicole Ahsinger (Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express) and four-time World Championships gold medalist Ruben Padilla (Bluffdale, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling) will travel to the Games as replacement athletes for the women and men, respectively, after placing second in the U.S. rankings. The full selection procedures for the trampoline and tumbling Olympic Team are linked here.
In rhythmic gymnastics, Evita Griskenas (Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center) claimed an Olympic berth with her all-around silver medal-winning performance at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Lili Mizuno (Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center) will be second reserve to the Games with a continental qualifier spot per the FIG rhythmic Olympic qualification procedures.
Final batch of national champions crowned
On the final day of the championships, more athletes added their names to the national champion list. The U.S. rhythmic, trampoline & tumbling, and acrobatic programs also selected their Junior and Senior National Teams presented by Xfinity. Complete National Team lists will be posted shortly.
Acrobatic
All athletes showcased their combined routines on Wednesday evening. The senior women’s pair of Mo Arthur (Rolla, Mo./Mid America Acro Tumbling) and Ariana Katsov (Owensville, Mo./Mid America Acro Tumbling) won gold in their division with a 29.080, while the mixed pair of Abigail Novoseletskiy (Baltimore, Md./Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics and Cheer) and Trent Stoker (Spring Branch, Texas/Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics and Cheer) did the same in the mixed pair division with a 26.190.
Ethan Chang (Columbia, Md./Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics and Cheer) and David Vonder Haar (Laurel, Md./Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics and Cheer) won the men’s pair combined gold medal with a 26.650. The women’s group combined title was secured by Mariam Tutberidze (Owings Mills, Md./Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics and Cheer), Grace Vonder Haar (Laurel, Md./Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics and Cheer) and Kayla Vonder Haar (Laurel, Md./Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics and Cheer) with a 30.120.
In the junior division, the 13-19 women’s pair of Sydney Padios (Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy) and Willow Noble (Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy) took the combined gold medal with a 28.550, and Hailee Wong (Colton, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy) and Andrew Castro (Riverside, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy) the mixed pair gold with a 28.540.
The 13-19 men’s duo of Yaroslav Ossolodkov and Yevolod Ossolodkov (Beaumont, Calif./Incentive – AGT) topped their podium with a 29.400. Phylisha Pham (San Jose, Calif./Aerial Tumbling and AcroGymnastics), Kaylee Osorio (San Jose, Calif./Aerial Tumbling and AcroGymnastics) and Alison Lam (Gilroy, Calif./Aerial Tumbling and AcroGymnastics) earned the 13-19 women’s group combined title with a 26.670.
Athletes chosen to represent the U.S. at the 2024 Acrobatic World Championships September 12-15 in Guimaraes, Portugal will be announced shortly.
Rhythmic
First-year senior Rin Keys (Porter Ranch, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics) clinched the senior all-around title on the final day of USA Gymnastics Championships competition with a two-day total of 260.900. Fellow debut senior Megan Chu (San Diego, Calif./Pacific Stars Rhythmic Academy) claimed all-around silver with a 257.300, with Olympian Mizuno rounding out the top three with a 256.900.
Trampoline and Tumbling
Padilla added two more national titles to his illustrious resume, picking up his first senior individual trampoline and fourth double mini gold. He scored a 57.340 in trampoline to top the podium and put up a 30.530 on double mini to win his third-consecutive title on the apparatus to go along with his 2019 title. 2023 World Championships silver medalist Kaden Brown (Herriman, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling) took his fifth-consecutive men’s tumbling title on Wednesday with a score of 29.930.
On the women’s side, Sarah Webster (Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express) secured the individual trampoline gold medal for the third straight year with a 55.070. Aliah Raga (Denton, Md./Dynamite Gymnastics) earned double mini gold with a 26.000, while Emma Cox (Webb City, Mo./Oklahoma Extreme Tumbling & Trampoline) was the tumbling champion with a 22.370.
Athletes selected to compete in the Coimbra World Cup will be announced in the coming days.