BRAZIL DOMINATES THE FINAL DAY OF ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS
Team Panam Sports Ambassador Rebeca Andrade finishes with two golds and two silvers.
Brazil had a spectacular performance on the last day of apparatus competitions in artistic gymnastics, claiming a total of 6 medals: 2 gold and 4 silver. At the Collective Sports Center, the final men’s and women’s events took place, with Brazil’s gymnasts Rebeca Andrade, who is an ambassador for Team Panam Sports, securing gold on the balance beam, and Arthur Nory winning the gold on the horizontal bar. Flavia Saraiva added two silver medals to Brazil’s tally, while Rebeca Andrade, an ambassador for Team Panam Sports, completed her Santiago 2023 journey with two golds and two silvers.
The gymnasts praised the fantastic atmosphere during the competition, noting that Chile’s audience provided incredible support and energy.
“There is a great audience out there, the people of Chile, we love them; they made it so much fun to compete in this event. And again, it was a great experience with Chile’s audience,” said the gymnast Felix Dolci from team Canada.
“Chile’s audience welcomed me very well. I didn’t realize I was so well known here. There’s a lot of love, and I’m very happy about that,” mentioned Brazil’s Nory.
“Truth is, the competition environment here in Chile is excellent. It’s easy to build confidence with such a supportive audience,” added Canada’s Ava Stewart.
“Hospitality has been incredible. I am very thankful. The best atmosphere during the competition was amazing,” expressed USA gymnast Curran Phillips.
MEN’S VAULT COMPETITION
The Dominican Republic’s Audrys Nin Reyes replicated his performance from the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, earning the gold with an average score of 14.466 on the vault. Brazil’s Arthur Nory, a silver medalist on the floor exercise at the 2023 Pan American Games, secured the silver with 14.466 points. The bronze went to Canada’s Felix Dolci, who had previously won the gold in the All-Around event at Santiago 2023, with a score of 14.383.
“I am happy to be the vault champion again, just like I was in Lima 2019. I have the gold medal now, and I have also qualified for the Olympic Games. This is a great happiness for me,” said the Dominican Nin Reyes.
“I’m very content with my results and the goals I had set. But next year, I hope to be even stronger and better prepared. I’m very pleased to have won more medals for my country and Brazil’s gymnastics,” added Reyes.
“Going first in the final isn’t an advantage because, obviously, all the other competitors can see your performance and scores, and they can adapt. My team and I decided to reduce the difficulty of my vaults, to lower the routines to keep them clean, safe, and avoid injuries because my season isn’t over yet. We did an incredible job here in Santiago. Two good vaults, not perfect but good; I think that’s enough for a bronze. Overall, the team results are something I’m extremely proud of; we were able to achieve that,” remarked Canada’s Felix Dolci, a multiple medalist.
BALANCE BEAM
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, an ambassador for Team Panam Sports and gold medalist in the floor exercise at the 2023 Pan American Games, secured the gold with a score of 14.166 on the balance beam. Her compatriot Flavia Saraiva, a silver medalist in the All-Around event at Santiago 2023, took the second spot with 14.033 points. The bronze went to Canada’s Ava Stewart, a bronze medalist in the team event at Santiago 2023, who scored 13.900.
“I am very happy and proud to return home with another gold medal, another medal for my country, and it’s something sensational. This is not my favorite event, so this gold medal represents patience for me,” said Andrade.
“It was an essential result for me. I opened the competition, and I wanted to start on the right foot with a very good routine. It was a simpler routine than the ones performed by the girls who were in the final with me, but I decided I would do my best. I am going to do a good job and enjoy it because on the last day of the competition, I had to enjoy this moment,” Saraiva commented.
“It was great to win another medal. Obviously, there were some mistakes here and there that can be fixed, but I am still very happy with my routine. I am very happy with my victory, very proud of everyone who competed. Honestly, I am very happy with the good results,” said Canada’s Ava Stewart.
MEN’S PARALLEL BARS
The first place went to the American gymnast Curran Phillips. His compatriot Colt Walker, a bronze medalist in the team event at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, secured the second place with a score of 14.366. The third place went to Mexico’s Isaac Nuñez, a gold medalist on the parallel bars at Lima 2019, with 13.833 points.
“It was great. I just wanted to perform my routine as best as I could, stay on the apparatus, and have a good dismount, and I did my best. I am very happy. Being here today is a great experience, and I am excited for future competitions,” said Phillips from team USA.
“It was a very enjoyable routine. Not everything went according to plan, but I feel that I have worked on it, and I am very satisfied with my performance,” commented Walker from the United States.
“This medal is a reward for the effort, sacrifice, and injuries. I had a wrist injury a few months ago, and some back complications. I am eager to keep growing; we still have a lot to achieve. I am very excited about what’s coming, and the goal is to reach the Paris 2024 Olympics; we are going to seek qualification,” said Mexico’s Isaac Nuñez.
WOMEN’S FLOOR EXERCISE
Kaliya Lincoln from team USA, a gold medalist in the team event at the Pan American Games in Santiago, claimed the first place with 14.233 points. The second place saw a tie, with Brazil’s Flavia Saraiva, a silver medalist in the All-Around event at Santiago 2023, and Kayla DiCello from team USA, a gold medalist in the All-Around event at Santiago 2023, both receiving silver medals with 13.733 points.
“I feel incredible, and I am very proud to be here and of what I have achieved. I had a great time here. I am very happy to represent the United States,” stated Lincoln from the USA.
“I came to have fun and enjoy the moment because this is my last competition of the year, so I wanted to make the most of it and have a good time. I think there is no better reward than five medals. It was a special moment for me, and this medal is not just mine; it belongs to the entire Brazilian people, who fought alongside me and sent lots of positive energy,” commented Brazil’s Saraiva.
“I am very happy with how I did today, both in the beam and floor exercise. I am very satisfied with my performance today. Each day I came out a little bit better with the team. The beam was quite consistent the whole time,” said Kayla DiCello from team USA.
MEN’S HORIZONTAL BAR
The first place went to Brazil’s Arthur Nory, a silver medalist on the floor exercise at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, who achieved a score of 14.333. His compatriot Bernardo Miranda, a bronze medalist at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, secured the second place with 14.133 points. The bronze went to the Canadian Rene Cournoyer, a bronze medalist in the team event at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, with 14.066 points.
“I knew that I executed a good routine, and I knew I could win the gold medal. I am very happy,” said Brazil’s Nory.
“It was a very good routine. I was able to do it very cleanly, with excellent execution. That’s what I had been working on, and thank God, I was able to perform a very good routine,” remarked Brazil’s Miranda.
“We won medals in almost all the events, and I am very happy about that. It was very exciting. We competed with the best teams in all of America. So honestly, I couldn’t be happier. I had a great routine and won a medal, so I’m happy,” said Canada’s Cournoyer.
