Jordan Chiles' score change overturned by court, Impacting final standings

Photo by Skylar Walker, Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

PARIS, FRANCE (August 10, 2024) The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently announced a decision that has changed the results of the women’s floor exercise event in gymnastics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. On July 5, Jordan Chiles of the United States had her score adjusted after an inquiry. However, the CAS ruled that the appeal was filed too late, exceeding the allowed time limit by four seconds. As a result, Chiles’ score of 13.666, which was initially revised upward, has been reverted to its original value.

This decision moves Chiles from third place to fifth place in the final standings. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee expressed their disappointment in a joint statement. They emphasized that the appeal was made in good faith, following the rules, to ensure accurate scoring.

The statement also addressed the negative treatment Chiles has faced on social media since the appeal.

The statement can be read here.

USA Gymnastics names Valeri Liukin as women’s national team coordinator

Photo by John Cheng, USA Gymnastics,, Copyright 2016
Used with permission via USA Gymnastics
Communications Department

From USA Gymnastics Press Release

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (September 16, 2016) Two-time Olympic champion Valeri Liukin of Parker, Texas, has been named the U.S. Women’s National Team coordinator, USA Gymnastics announced today.  Liukin, who has served as the elite developmental coordinator since 2013, is perhaps best-known as the personal coach for Nastia Liukin, who won the 2008 Olympic all-around title and has five Olympic and nine World career medals. Liukin, who will remain based in Texas, will report to Rhonda Faehn, senior vice president of women’s program for USA Gymnastics.

“Valeri has excelled as a personal coach, and he has demonstrated his ability to lead and guide other coaches through his efforts as the elite developmental coordinator,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics.  “He will provide a smooth transition from the program that has been created, and Valeri is recognized as a capable and talented coach.”

Faehn said, “Valeri already has been working with future national team members for 2020 and 2024 as the elite developmental coordinator.  He is known for his coaching techniques and his willingness to share that knowledge with upcoming coaches.  As a personal coach and developmental coordinator, Valeri has been involved in the semi-centralized system that has achieved the USA’s greatest international results and already has a strong working relationship with the country’s top coaches on the senior, junior and developmental levels. Valeri and I share a vision for the continued success of USA Gymnastics.”

“I am very honored to accept the position of national team coordinator,” said Liukin. “I'm ready to put all of my knowledge and passion into leading the women's national team to continued success.”

As the U.S. Women’s National Team coordinator, Liukin will develop the strategic plan and training program for all members of the U.S. Women’s National Team, including conducting national team training camps; attending national and international competitions as needed; overseeing international competition assignments for athletes, coaches and judges; coordinating scheduling and activities for the developmental program and the Talent Opportunity Program (TOPs); and working with the national coaching staff. He is just the third person to serve as the U.S. women’s national team coordinator, following Martha Karolyi (2001-16) and Bela Karolyi (1999-2000). 

Most recently, Liukin directed the women's athlete developmental program as the elite developmental coordinator.

Photo by John Cheng, USA Gymnastics,, Copyright 2016
Used with permission via USA Gymnastics
Communications Department

Liukin is a co-founder and owner of the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA), which has produced more than 30 national team members and 35 World and Olympic medals, including Olympic all-around champions Carly Patterson in 2004 and Nastia Liukin in 2008 and 2016 Olympic team gold and uneven bars silver medalist Madison Kocian. He was the personal coach for Nastia Liukin, who won the 2008 Olympic all-around title and has five Olympic and nine World medals to her credit; Rebecca Bross, who has six World medals; Ivana Hong, 2009 World balance beam bronze medalist; and Katelyn Ohashi, 2013 AT&T American Cup champion and 2011 U.S. junior all-around gold medalist. His coaching accomplishments and accolades include: U.S. National Team coach, 1998-2011; International Coach of the Year, 2002, 2004; International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, 2005; USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year, 2006; U.S. Team head coach, 2007 Pan American Games; 2008 U.S. Olympic Team coach; 2009 International Gymnastics Coach of the Year; and USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame (2016).

As an athlete, Liukin was a member of the Soviet National Team from 1985-92. During his career, he won two gold and two silver medals at the 1988 Olympic Games; five gold medals at the 1990 Goodwill Games; two gold medals and one silver at the 1987-91 World Championships; and four gold, one silver and one bronze at the European Championships. He was the first gymnast to perform a triple back flip on floor and has a horizontal bar skill named after him.

Liukin earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Kazakh Academy of Sport and Tourism in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Another vault. Another disaster. Another Olympic dream ended.

By AD Jewell

Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved

(Video courtesy of Everything Sports via YouTube.com)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (August 7, 2016) For the second time in four years, French gymnast Samir Ait Said's Olympic dreams came to a crash landing while vaulting. While attempting a double somersault off the vault at the Rio Olympic Arena on Saturday, August 6, 2016, Said landed forcefully on his right knee causing the tibia and fibuia bones in his calf to snap. Spectators and commentators have reported being able to hear the snap throughout the arena, while ultimately the world was watching and saw one of the most gruesome injuries in the sport on live television.

Said laid silently in pain, covering his face, while his right leg dangled awkwardly. His coaches and teammates also covering their faces after seeing the 26-year-old's injury. Said is said to be "the friendliest teammate" by his fellow French gymnasts  and his injury is a great loss to the whole team.

Unfortunately, Said has been in this spot before. While preparing for the 2012 Olympics in London at the Men's European Championship in Montpellier, France, Said broke his left leg on a similar vault, ending that Olympic run.

In a Facebook video posted by Said from his hospital bed, he vows to be back in the stands cheering on his teammates shortly while sporting a blue and red cast! In his video, Said is grateful for all the support fans and teammates are giving him and vows to win gold in Tokyo 2020.

Five Texan gymnasts to compete for USA in Pacific Rim Championships

Simone Biles will lead the USA gymnasts
at the Pacific Rim Championships.
Photo by John Cheng/USA Gymnastics

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (March 24, 2014) Five athletes from Texas were selected to represent the United States at the 2014 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships in Canada on April 9-11, 2014.

2013 World all-around champion Simone Biles of the World Gymnastics Centre will lead the team of elite American gymnasts to the competition in Richmond, B.C.,

Simone is the 2013 World Championships all-around & floor exercise gold medalist, vault silver medalist and balance beam bronze medalist. She also finished fourth in the uneven bars final.

In addition, she is the 2013 U.S. all-around champion and vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise silver medalist and the 2013 AT&T American Cup silver medalist.

The Spring, Texas native will be accompanied on the artistic team by fellow Texan Bailie Key (Montgomery, Texas) of Texas Dream Gymnastics.

Bailey is the 2013 P&G Championship junior division gold medalist in all-around, balance beam, and floor exercise.

On the men’s side, Houston’s Chris Brooks of Team Hilton HHonors and Cypress Gymnastics and Katy’s Davis Grooms of Champions Gymnastics will also compete in Canada.

Brooks is the 2014 Winter Cup Challenge all-around champion, high bar silver medalist, and an alternate for the 2013 U.S. Olympic Team.

Grooms is the 2013 Men's Junior Olympic (13-14) national champion in the all-around, high bar and still rings.

In addition, Nicky Wojtana of Plano, Texas and the Texas Rhythmic Academy will compete in the female junior rhythmic competition.

The Pacific Rim Championships is a major regional gymnastics competition held every two years and is open to teams from member nations of the Pacific Alliance of National Gymnastics.  

Member countries include Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, United States and other nations on the Pacific coast.

US Gymnastics Olympic Trials-Day 1 Results

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA (June 20, 2008)This document includes the results from the first night of the men’s competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Gymnastics (listed first), as well as the current rankings for the men based on the Olympic selection formula that includes combined results from the 2008 Visa Championships and U.S. Olympic Team Trials. They are being held at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia (Texas gymnasts are in red).

Day one of men’s competition

All-Around
1. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 90.650
2. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 90.550
3. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 90.500
4. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 90.350
5. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 88.800
6. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 88.350
7. Sean Townsend, Houston, Texas, 88.050
8. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 77.050
9. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 73.700
10. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 60.850
11. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 60.650
12. Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz., 55.900
13. Sean Golden, Camden, N.J., 46.750

Floor exercise
1. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 15.400
2. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 15.200
3. Sean Golden, Camden, N.J., 15.000
3. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 15.000
5. Sean Townsend, Houston, Texas, 14.950
5. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 14.950
7. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 14.900
8. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 14.750
8. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 14.750
10. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 14.550
11. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 14.050
12. Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz., 12.700

Pommel horse
1. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 15.650
2. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 14.900
3. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 14.500
4. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 14.400
5. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 14.300
6. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 14.050
7. Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz., 13.950
8. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 13.900
9. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 13.800
10. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 13.750
11. Sean Townsend, Houston, Texas, 13.450

Still rings
1. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 16.550
2. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 15.800
3. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 15.600
4. Sean Golden, Camden, N.J., 15.550
5. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 15.400
6. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 14.950
7. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 14.700
8. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 14.650
9. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 14.550
10. Sean Townsend, Houston, Texas, 14.400
11. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 14.000

Vault
1. Sean Golden, Camden, N.J., 16.200
2. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 16.050
3. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 16.000
3. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 16.000
5. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 15.950
5. Sean Townsend, Houston, Texas, 15.950
7. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 15.700
8. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 15.650
9. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 15.600
9. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 15.600
11. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 15.400

Parallel bars
1. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 15.700
2. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 15.600
3. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 15.500
4. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 15.400
5. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 15.350
6. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 15.250
7. Sean Townsend, Houston, Texas, 15.200
7. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 15.200
9. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 15.150
10. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 14.650
11. Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz., 14.400

Horizontal bar
1. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 15.550
2. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 15.400
3. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 15.200
3. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 15.200
5. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 15.050
6. Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz., 14.850
7. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 14.600
8. Sean Townsend, Houston, Texas, 14.100
9. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 14.000
10. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 13.950
11. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 13.750

Olympic selection ranking that combines the results from both days of the 2008 Visa Championships and the first night of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (the second night will also be added in)

All-Around
1. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 63.255
2. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 63.165
3. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 62.825
4. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 62.800
5. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 62.430
6. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 62.095

Floor exercise
1. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 10.740
2. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 10.695
3. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 10.660
4. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 10.495
5. Sean Golden, Camden, N.J., 10.460
6. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 10.240
7. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 10.225
8. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 10.075
9. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 10.055

Pommel horse
1. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 10.525
2. Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz., 10.215
3. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 10.200
4. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 10.195
5. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 10.150
6. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 9.960
7. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 9.930
8. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 9.880
9. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 9.650
10. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 9.615

Still rings
1. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 11.635
2. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 11.110
3. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 10.900
4. Sean Golden, Camden, N.J., 10.885
5. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 10.740
6. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 10.335
7. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 10.320
8. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 10.315
9. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 10.125
10. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 9.870

Vault
1. Sean Golden, Camden, N.J., 11.330
2. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 11.220
2. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 11.220
4. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 11.205
5. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 11.175
6. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 11.090
7. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 11.060
8. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 10.895
9. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 10.880
10. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 10.790

Parallel bars
1. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 10.890
2. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 10.770
3. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 10.735
4. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 10.730
5. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 10.700
6. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 10.655
7. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 10.620
8. Tim McNeill, Falls Church, Va., 10.375
9. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 10.325
10. Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz., 10.020

Horizontal bar
1. Joseph Hagerty, Rio Rancho, N.M., 10.865
2. Morgan Hamm, Waukesha, Wis., 10.580
3. Justin Spring, Burke, Va., 10.360
4. Alexander Artemev, Lakewood, Colo., 10.210
5. David Durante, Garwood, N.J., 10.165
6. Jonathan Horton, Houston, Texas, 10.160
7. Kevin Tan, Fremont, Calif., 9.975
8. Guillermo Alvarez, Denver, Colo., 9.865
9. Raj Bhavsar, Houston, Texas, 9.830
10. Yewki Tomita, Tucson, Ariz., 9.825

Houston Lands Mens Gymnastics Championships for 2008

By Robert H. Kelly

(HOUSTON, TX, August 8, 2007) Houston will has been selected as the site for the 2008 national championships for men's rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, along with the dicipline of trampoline in May 22-24 2008. The events will be held at Reliant Park.

This will be the first time in many years that the mens and womens championships will be contested at different times and locations.

Texas is the most active state in terms of mens gymnastics, with 22 of the 86 men competing at this years nationals coming from the Lone Star State.

Notable Texans who will be competing at this years nationals include former national all-around champions Sean Townsend and Todd Thornton, American Cup all-around champion Jonathan Horton and 2004 Olympic team alternate Raj Bhavsar.

Check back with TexSport Publications for further information and updated news on this event.