Pan American Games 2003: Final Day

Memmel, Liukin Finish on Top in Women’s All-Around
by Carla O'Connell - U.S. Olympic Committee

++ The depth of the U.S. women’s gymnastics program was apparent Monday night at the Pabellon de Gimnasia in Santa Domingo’s Parque del Este as talented young Americans earned the gold and silver medals and a fourth-place finish in the women’s all-around competition at the 2003 Pan American Games.
Chellsie Memmel (West Allis, Wis.) turned in the top performance of the evening with a 37.962 total to finish just ahead of teammate Nastia Liukin (Plano, Texas) at 37.874.
Daniele Hypolito of Brazil took the bronze with 37.149, while California native Allyse Ishino (Santa Ana) tallied 36.649.

Memmel’s floor exercise earned the highest score of the competition – a 9.700 – and her 9.625 on the uneven bars also ranked first. Her marks on vault and beam, 9.275 and 9.362 respectively, placed her second on those apparatus. Liukin was first on the beam with a 9.637 and Leyanet Gonzales of Cuba was best on the vault (9.362).
The gold was the second of the competition for the 15-year-old Memmel, who along with her five fellow U.S. gymnasts earned the team gold on Saturday.
On Tuesday the talented teen will try to add to her medal collection when she competes on the uneven bars and beam.
Liukin also will attempt to continue her success in Santo Domingo on Tuesday in the individual events of uneven bars, beam and floor. Courtney McCool (Kansas City, Mo.) will represent the USA on the vault and Tia Orlando (Macungie, Pa.) will attempt to earn her second medal on the floor.
“We are looking very strong for tomorrow [Tuesday’s individual event finals],” said head coach Stephen Rybacki. “We have the potential of taking gold in every event, so it should be good.”

The Pan American Games medal tally for the U.S. gymnasts now stands at two gold, two silver (David Durante of Garwood, N.J. earned one Monday in the men’s all-around) and a bronze (men’s team).
Bob Colarossi, president of USA Gymnastics, is in Santo Domingo to see the athletes’ compete and is obviously pleased with their performance. “We did a lot of work to get our program to this point,” Colarossi commented prior to Monday’s medal ceremony. “It’s so strong and so deep right now, but this is just the beginning. We are going to be like this for a long time.”
The abundance of talent created a dilemma of sorts for USA Gymnastics with the Pan American Games coming so close to the World Championships, which are scheduled to open in Anaheim, Calif., later this month.
“It was really hard to decide who to send to World Championships and who to send here, but it looks like we made the right decision, ” Colarossi said.
According to Rybacki, Memmel has been named an alternate on the U.S. World Championships Team.
“I think this has been great for her, it’s really building her confidence up,” the coach stated. “Hopefully nothing happens to the team at the World Championships, but if it does, she’ll be able to step right in and feel really good about herself.”
Source: US Olympic Committee

R E S U L T S
2003 Pan American Games
- August 4, Santo Domingo -
br> Women's AA
1. Chellsie Memmel (USA) 37.962
2. Nastia Liukin (USA) 37.874
3. Daniele Hypolito (BRA) 37.149
4. Allyse Ishino (USA) 36.649
5. Melanie Banville (CAN) 36.637
6. Lydia Williams (CAN) 36.375
7. Leyanet González (CUB) 35.886
8. Camilla Comin (BRA) 35.737
9. Caroline Molinari (BRA) 35.589
10. Brenda Maga?a (MEX) 35.199

Individual Event Scores:
Chellsie Memmel (West Allis, Wis.) - Vault: 9.275; Uneven Bars: 9.625 (first place overall); Balance Beam: 9.362; Floor Exercise: 9.700 (first place overall)

Nastia Liukin (Plano, Texas): Vault: 9.250; Uneven Bars: 9.462; Balance Beam: 9.637; Floor Exercise: 9.525

Allyse Ishino (Santa Ana, Calif.): Vault: 9.125; Uneven Bars: 9.375; Balance Beam: 9.012; Floor Exercise: 9.137.

Men's Team
1. Cuba 221.475
2. Brazil 216.375
3. USA 215.925
4. Venezuela 212.775
5. Puerto Rico 212.225
6. Argentina 206.950

The All Around Men's Final on Sunday finished with Erik Lopez holding onto the Gold medal with a score of 56.20. USA gymnasts David Durante finished with the Silver with 54.625 and Giovani Quintero of Columbia took Bronze with a 54.55.

1. Eric Lopez (Cuba) 56.400
2. David Durante (USA) 54.625
3. Giovanni Quintero (Colombia) 54.550
4. Jonathan Horton (USA) 54.250
5. Luis Vargas (Puerto Rico) 54.250
6. Dan Gill (USA) 54.125
7. Charles Leon Tamayo (CUB) 53.975
8. Caricel Briceno (VEN) 53.275
9. Danilo Nogueira (BRA) 52.375
10.Mosiah Rodrigues (BRA) 52.200

MEN's AA Qualification:
1. Eric LOPEZ (CUB) 56.200
2. Charles LEON (CUB) 55.775
3. David DURANTE (USA) 54.450
4. Danilo NOGUEIRA (BRA) 54.050
5. Lazro LAMELA (CUB) 54.025
6. Mosaih RODRIGUES (BRA) 53.975
7. Luis VARGAS (PUR) 53.700
8. Clayton STROTHER (USA) 53.625
9. Daniel GILL (USA) 53.425
10. Jonathan HORTON (USA) 53.375

Lopez is the three-time defending men's all-around champion, having won in Havana in 1991, Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1995, and Winnipeg in 1999.
Competition continues today with the apparatus finals.