As the 2015 Pan Am Games come to a close here is a look at the men’s event finals.

FLOOR EXERCISE

Vega embraces his mother in the stands after winning gold.

History was made for Guatemala on the floor where Jorge Vega Lopez won his country’s first gymnastics gold, and first gold of the Games, with an action-packed routine. Vega had the highest execution of the final and competed a good balance of twisting and flipping elements: sticking his arabian double pike and taking just a step on his back triple.

His performance was enough for a surprise gold and an emotional reaction from his mother who was in the crowd and from Vega himself – for a score of 15.150 (6.6D/8.550E). One of the most heartwarming moments of the Games!

Silver and bronze went to the US men. Donnell Whittenburg went OOB on his opening pass, his back 1.5 twist to front double tuck (5/8 of the floor finalists went OOB the floor was feeling extra springy!). Demonstrating the highest difficulty of the final, Whittenburg went on to compete his double twisting double layout, a whip to front double pike, a back 2.5 twist to full, and a half-in half-out double pike, most which he hopped on the landings – for a 14.975 (6.8D/8.275E with .100 penalty) for the silver.

Bronze belonged to the USA’s Sam Mikulak, coming off of his victory in the all-around. Mikulak opened with his back 2.5 twist to front double tuck, which he hopped out of. He stepped OOB on his front full to front 2.5 twist, incurring a penalty, and completed his routine with a nice back 1.5 twist to front 1.5 twist and a hop forward on his back triple – earning him a 14.925 (6.6D/8.425E with .100 penalty).

Penalties sadden Sam.

Missing out on the medals was the top qualifier – Cuba’s Manrique Larduet. A number of messy landings left him with a 14.775 (6.7D/8.075E).

POMMEL HORSE

Gold would be shared by Colombia’s Jossimar Calvo Moreno and Marvin Kimble of the USA. Calvo competed a more difficult pommel routine than qualifications, upping his difficulty by.4, and showcasing some wonderful one pommel handstands for a 15.025 (6.4D/8.625). Tying him, Kimble competed a solid routine with great speed in his travelling elements for a matching score (6.6D/8.425E).

Bronze belonged to Mexico’s Daniel Corral Barron, the 2013 World silver medalist on this event. Corral was the top qualifier and started great but a brush of the table would knock his score into third position for a 14.825 (6.4D/8.425E).

Colombia’s Jorge Ginaldo Lopez would miss out on the medals with the cleanest routine of the final due to his less overall difficulty with a score of 14.825 (6.0D/8.775E).

STILL RINGS

Another day, another gold!

Brazil’s Arthur Zanetti, the top qualifier as well as reigning Olympic champion on this event, did not disappoint – capturing the gold with both the highest difficulty and execution for a 15.725 (6.8D/8.925). Rock steady strength positions and a tiny step on his full twisting double layout dismount secured him the win.

Trailing Zanetti by .200 and claiming the silver was Donnell Whittenburg. Whittenburg competed strongly, including an impressive wide-armed L-sit to top planche, and finished with a stuck double twisting double layout – to which he let out a triumphant cheer upon landing. Earning a score of 15.525 (6.7D/8.825E) Whittenburg claimed his second silver of the night.

Manrique Larduet took bronze, taking a hop on his double twisting double layout for a 15.450 (6.7D/8.750E) with Puerto Rico’s Tommy Ramos missing out on the podium with his score of 15.350 (6.8D/8.550E). Ramos had a heavily bandaged shoulder but his difficulty holding a handstand and his hop on his dismount would cost him the medal.

The Brazilian athletes definitely had some of the more … enthusiastic fans!

VAULT

After missing out in the all-around and on floor, Manrique Larduet secured the gold with his superior difficulty. Larduet’s first vault was a Lopez, a double twisting Kasamatsu, that landed low with a step to the side for a 15.200 (6.0D/9.200E). He followed that with a high flying Yeo 2, a front 2.5 twist, with a couple of steps backwards for a 15.050 (6.0D/9.050E) and a total score of 15.125.

Taking home his third silver was Donnell Whittenburg. Whittenburg vaulted his Dragulescu, a front double tuck with half twist, first taking a hop to the side and OOB for a 15.075 (6.0D/9.175E with .100 penalty). His second vault was a Driggs, a 1.5 twisting Kasamatsu, which earned a 14.850 (5.6D/9.250E) for a total of 14.962.

The Brazilian fans pictured above were very excited for the bronze winner – Brazil’s Caio Souza. Souza began with his Shewfelt, a Yurchenko entry with 2.5 twists, and landed with a huge hop forward for a 14.725 (5.6D/9.125E). He followed that with a Lopez, like Larduet, but stepped OOB for a 15.125 (6.0D/9.225E with .100 penalty) for a total of 14.925.

Jorge Lopez finished in fourth position, going OOB on his Driggs and landing low with steps back on his front double twist for a total of 14.775.

PARALLEL BARS

Jossimar Calvo Moreno added to his pommel horse gold with the parallel bar gold, just a fraction of a tenth ahead of Manrique Larduet. Calvo, leading the field in difficulty, executed a stellar routine complete with a stuck back full twisting double tuck dismount from the end of the bars for a 15.700 (6.9D/8.800E).

Trailing just behind Calvo was Manrique Larduet who scored a 15.650 (6.7D/8.950E). Also sticking his dismount, a front double tuck with half twist, and performing with some of the highest execution of the final, it would be just short of gold.

Bronze was claimed by Sam Mikulak who competed cleanly other than a bit of arching in a handstand and a deep squat on his front double tuck dismount for a 15.450 (6.7D/8.750E).

Jorge Giraldo Lopez would come in fourth again, as he did in the pommel horse final, due to his lower difficulty. With the cleanest execution of the final he finished with a 15.375 (6.4D/8.975E).

HIGH BAR

The feeling of a nice stick … and back to back gold!

Taking his third title of the finals was Jossimar Calvo Moreno. Calvo was the king of the high bar and certainly got the audience excited, competing a Liukin, Kolman, and Kovacs – all big releases. Finishing with a double twisting double layout dismount Calvo earned a 15.700 (7.3D/8.400E). A 7.3 D-score!!!

Silver was won by Canada’s Kevin Lytwyn who had the highest execution of the final. Lytwyn energized the crowd with his Deff and Kolman before ending with his stuck double twisting double layout dismount for a 15.475 (6.8D/8.675E).

Taking the bronze was Paul Ruggeri of the USA. Ruggeri popped out a total of four releases, including a huge Cassina, before ending with a double twisting double layout with just a tiny hop for a 15.450 (6.9D/8.550E).

Paul leaves with the bronze and a new friend – Pachi the porcupine.

In fourth position was Manrique Larduet who missed some handstand positions but ended the competition on a nice note with a stuck triple twisting double layout for a 15.250 (7.0D/8.250E). Just incredible!

THE END

As the Games come to a close the U.S. men certainly did well – team gold, AA gold, pommels gold, as well as a number of bronzes and silvers.

Manrique Larduet raised some eyebrows and while also raising interest in Cuban gymnastics – electrifying crowds with his performances and competing in every final except for pommel horse.

The standout individual, though, would have to be Jossimar Calvo Moreno, who won half of the event titles up for grabs, two of which with D-scores exceeding 7.0.

Article by Esteban Rodriguez-Vazquez