Latest news with #USClassic
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pease narrowly edges out Rose for US Classic win
Claire Pease, the reigning junior all-around national champion, made short work of taking the next step by becoming the second rookie in 17 years to win U.S. Classic, edging Simone Rose by 0.4 points.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
With its Olympic heroes away, U.S. women's gymnastics' future takes the floor
Claire Pease, with a steely gaze, started her vault run and then launched into the air, smoothly landing a Yurchenko double full and giving her coach a casual high-five as she walked off the floor. She didn't know it at that moment, but the rising U.S. gymnast had just clinched herself a title at an event Simone Biles has won the last five times she's competed in it. Advertisement 'Tell you what, this athlete right here,' NBC's John Roethlisberger said on the Peacock broadcast, 'get ready, U.S. championships. Get ready, world championships.' At Saturday's U.S. Classic, America's top elite women's gymnasts honed their skills ahead of next month's U.S. gymnastics championships, all of it building up to the world championships in October. There was some nostalgia. An Olympic champion was in the field. A Simone finished on the podium. However, most of it felt very new, a glimpse into what the Olympic future might look like for Team USA. At 16, Pease will head to the U.S. championships entrenched as a name to watch after beating Simone Rose, Joscelyn Roberson, 2024 Olympic team gold medalist Hezly Rivera and plenty of others Saturday. Biles was in the building, but not to compete. She was watching from the stands with husband Jonathan Owens, cheering on the next generation. Like her Olympic teammates Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, Biles stepped away from elite competition this year after the grueling run to gold in Paris. 'It means the world,' Roberson, an alternate on last summer's Olympic team, said of Biles' presence. 'I mean, she's the busiest human ever. She was at the ESPYs two days ago. She called me and she was like, 'OK, I have this, this and this, but if you really want me there, I'll be there.' And I was like, 'I kind of really want you there.' And she was like, 'OK, so it's done.'' Taking a break is nothing unusual following an Olympics, but for Biles, Lee and Chiles — three pillars of Team USA's success over the last three Olympic cycles — all have extra considerations weighing on them. Lee, the 22-year-old all-around gold medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, was diagnosed with a kidney disease in 2023 but returned to competition that summer and went on to add an all-around bronze in Paris. She has not said whether she will try for the Los Angeles Olympics, still three years away, but in an October Q&A held on Snapchat, she responded to a question about it by writing, 'my body hurts … this sport kills me.' Advertisement Chiles, the 24-year-old key piece of the Americans' team medals in the past two Olympics, had a hard-luck time of it in individual competition in Paris. She posted the fourth-best qualifying score in the individual all-around competition. Still, she wasn't allowed to compete in the final because she was the third American on the list. Olympic rules only allow two from each country to participate in the final. Then, she appeared to win her first individual Olympic medal after her coach appealed her score in the floor exercise and got it raised enough to move her from fourth to third. However, a counter-appeal claimed the Americans were four seconds late in lodging their protest, and the International Olympic Committee announced it would award the bronze to Romania's Ana Bǎrbosu instead. Chiles has not returned her medal, and the case is ongoing. Chiles — like Carey, who also has not decided on 2028 — chose to compete at the NCAA level this season. She has one more year to go at UCLA and has said she'll reevaluate her feelings on trying for L.A. after that. And, of course, there's Biles. At 28, the most decorated gymnast in history has 11 Olympic and 30 world championship medals. She led the U.S. to team gold in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and again last summer in Paris. In between, there was the bout with the 'twisties' — a mental block affecting awareness and control while doing aerial maneuvers — in Tokyo that led her to withdraw from competition there. Biles, too, is undecided on trying for the 2028 Olympics, but her recent comments do not exactly sound like someone itching to come back. 'I've accomplished so much in my sport. For me to come back, it would really have to excite me,' she told French newspaper L'Equipe in April. 'But 2028 seems so far away, and my body is aging. I felt it in Paris.' Advertisement At the very least, the U.S. women will head to this year's world championships without four of the gymnasts who have been so key to their success across the past three Olympics. And at least one of them may decide that the mental and physical toll of another Olympic run is not worth the commitment in a sport that beats up the body and generally leans younger. The Vault that sealed gold for Claire Pease! 👏⤵️@NBCOlympics | #USClassic — USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 20, 2025 For the next generation of names atop the leaderboard in Hoffman Estates, Ill., that means their time is arriving. Pease, the 16-year-old who won the junior championship at this event last year, made her statement Saturday. In her final rotation, she posted the night's best vault score to surpass Rose for the top spot on the podium. 'More confidence, more consistency, and high execution scores,' Pease said of what she's trying to improve over the summer. Rose, the 17-year-old who said making last year's Olympic trials proved to her that she belonged in the gym with the sport's best, has now finished on the podium at two significant competitions this season after her bronze at February's Winter Cup. 'I heard a little bit, but I just wanted to focus on me and the gymnastics,' she said of knowing where she stood heading into the last rotation. 'I didn't care about the outcome. I just focused on how I did.' Roberson, who was part of Team USA's gold medal squad at the 2023 world championships, finished with a sparkling turn on the bars to finish in third place. At 19, she's still getting used to being the veteran in situations like this. 'A lot of times, before these meets, I would get nervous, and I'd be like, 'Oh, they're not watching me, they're watching (Biles). Just chill out.' But now, knowing that they were watching me, that made me extremely nervous. And I had to remind myself, 'This is what you worked your whole life for.'' Rivera, 17, was the headliner going into Saturday after being part of the Americans' team gold in Paris. She struggled early, with a bad fall on the dismount from the uneven bars and a slip off the beam before turning it around on floor and vault. 'It definitely took a lot of mental strength for me,' said Rivera, who was the youngest member of Team USA's delegation in Paris last year. 'I just wanted to show myself and prove to myself how strong I am. Because I know I can do everything physically, it's just a mental game at this point. So I'm glad I just switched the flip from bars and beam to floor and vault.' Advertisement The U.S. Classic is just one piece of the team selection puzzle in the build-up to worlds. Athletes are still fine-tuning their routines and working up to the biggest stage. However, with Biles, Chiles, Lee and Carey away, the next generation has the stage right now. And in three years, any one of them could be a new face competing in the Olympics. 'It's definitely crazy,' Ashlee Sullivan, 18, said of being in the spotlight after posting the night's top score on the beam. 'I never really think that people care. I don't really feel like people know me or people really watch me, so it's kind of crazy to hear all that.' (Top photo of, from left, Simone Rose, Claire Pease and Joscelyn Roberson: Courtesy of USA Gymnastics)
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Claire Pease Wins, Olympic Veterans Return At 2025 U.S. Classic
Claire Pease (WOGA), silver medal winner Simone Rose (Pacific Reign), and bronze medal winner ... More Joscelyn Roberson (University of Arkansas) pose during the medal ceremony of the 2025 U.S. Classic senior session held in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. First-year senior elite Claire Pease came out on top at the 2025 U.S. Classic in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The 16-year-old athlete confidently hit all four routines, posting a formidable 54.650 to edge out a field of Olympic and World Champions. The event saw a night of highly anticipated returns for Olympic veterans, accentuated by a surprise appearance from Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, a Chicago Bears safety. Olympic Trials finalist Simone Rose clinched all-around silver, followed by Arkansas Gymnastics star and Olympic alternate Joscelyn Roberson in bronze medal position. On the individual events, Claire Pease claimed the win on vault and Myli Lew the win on bars. Winter Cup Champion Ashlee Sullivan clinched the title on balance beam while Reese Esponda tumbled to gold on floor. The event also marked the final qualifying opportunity for athletes hoping to compete at August's U.S. Championships in New Orleans. Learn how the action unfolded in Hoffman Estates, Illinois: Rotation One: The first rotation saw impressive hits multiply across the buzzing arena. Olympic Trials finalist Simone Rose opened the meet with a stuck Yurchenko 1.5 vault, suitable for a second-place ranking after one. Minutes later, 2024 Olympic alternate Joscelyn Roberson was near faultless on her acrobatic skills, sticking her dismount to a massive roar from the NOW Arena crowd. On bars, Olympic Team Champion Hezly Rivera fought through her routine, but ultimately came up short on her dismount, flying forward off the mat. Rivera received a pep talk from coaches Anna and Valeri Liukin on the sidelines, opting to continue with the competition despite the hard fall. Rivera's club teammate Claire Pease also flew forward on her dismount, but was nearly flawless on the bars. With a strong 13.700 score, the 2024 Junior National Champion secured a third-place ranking after one. 2025 Winter Cup Champion Ashlee Sullivan started her night on beam, where she continued her stellar elite season with a hot start. Sullivan nailed her standing arabian for a 13.550 and an event title. In her only routine of the day, Myli Liu nailed her difficult yet clean bar routine to post a 14.050 and claim an early lead. After One: 1. Myli Lew, 2. Simone Rose 3. Claire Pease Rotation Two: World Champion and former Florida Gator Leanne Wong secured a strong start on bars in rotation two. Wong hit her routine without major error, returning to the elite stage with a beaming smile and a near-stuck double layout. Roberson then went to floor, an event where she is widely regarded for her power. The Arkansas gymnast brought massive difficulty, hitting her Moors, one of the most difficult skills on women's floor exercise. However, Roberson posted only a 12.800 due to competing the same tumbling pass twice. Judges only credit a standalone skill once per routine. 2025 Pan American All-Around Champion Jayla Hang opted to compete in just two events in Chicago and started her night on bars. Hang had been struggling with her release moves in training, and fell again tonight under the lights. Rivera's struggles carried from bars to the balance beam. The Olympic gold medalist came off the beam on her acrobatic series to post another sub-13 score. Meanwhile, Pease was elegant and clean for a 13.400, good to maintain a top-three spot. Sullivan seemed keen on continuing her hot start, sticking her opening tumbling run to a large applause. However, the 18-year-old lost her footing on her final pass, resulting in a fall forward to close the routine. Simone Rose maintained her momentum in rotation two, hitting her bars routine and complex dismount to claim the lead moving into rotation three. After two hit routines to start the meet and her best event still to go, UCLA commit Nola Matthews surged into the top three. After Two: 1. Simone Rose 2. Claire Pease 3. Nola Matthews Rotation Three: Roberson opened the second half of the meet with a hit vault, good for a strong 13.700. A former U.S. National Champion on the event, Roberson did not bring her full difficulty to Chicago, opting to only compete one vault instead of her usual two. After a tough start to her competition, Rivera found redemption on floor exercise. Though she incurred two out-of-bounds deductions, the 17-year-old performed beautifully for a 13.850, the day's second-best score. While Rivera competed on the floor, Ashlee Sullivan delivered NOW Arena's second stuck Yurchenko 1.5 of the night, followed by a hit Yurchenko double full from World Champions Center's Dulcy Caylor. Needing a hit beam routine to remain in medal position, Matthews fought for her triple series to open but ultimately came off the apparatus on a jump combination. Just like that, the standings would change again. Next up, Pease delivered on the floor despite struggling during warmups, helping maintain a top-three position. While Pease finished her floor routine, Simone Rose—the current leader—stepped up to the balance beam. The 17-year-old nailed her routine to maintain a lead heading into the final rotation. Leanne Wong closed the rotation on beam, her second and final routine of the night. The veteran and four-time World medalist exuded confidence on the apparatus, flowing through her combinations and sticking her dismount for a 13.300. After Three: 1. Simone Rose 2. Claire Pease 3(tie). Ashlee Sullivan and Joscelyn Roberson Rotation Four: Heading into the final rotation, Rose led Pease by just under half a point. Pease would need her best on vault to challenge, and the budding star delivered. In arguably her best vault of her young career, Pease took a tiny hop on her difficult Yurchenko double full, securing a huge 14.050 – the highest vault score of the night. As the only athlete to compete two vaults, Pease was the de-facto winner on the event. The pressure was on for the next athlete: Simone Rose. As she had already tonight, Rose responded to the occasion, hitting her floor routine for a 13.300. It would not be enough for gold, but handily good enough for the podium. Last up, Joscelyn Roberson on bars. With the entirety of the U.S. National Team cheering her on, Roberson needed a hit routine to fight her way onto the podium. In typical Roberson style, she did just that, hitting her dismount for a strong 13.400. The bronze medal was hers. After Three: 1. Claire Pease 2. Simone Rose 3. Joscelyn Roberson Earlier This Weekend Saturday's action was far from the only notable gymnastics news this weekend. On Friday, star rookie gymnast Lavi Crain won the junior division with a huge 54.450 in the all-around. Crain's total would have won silver in the senior division. In Saturday's first session, four athletes clinched all-around qualifying berths to the U.S. Championships earlier today. Brooke Pierson, Reese Esponda, Ally Damelio, and Harlow Buddendeck posted the necessary 52.000 or higher. Esponda impressed with a 13.950 on the floor in her return from injury—her score ultimately claimed gold after two senior sessions. On bars, Ally Damelio drew gasps from the audience while completing the most difficult bars skill of the competition, the 'Seitz.' Named after German gymnast Elisabeth Seitz, the skill adds an extra twist to the skill typically competed by elite gymnasts. Reese Esponda (World Champions) What's Next In Elite Gymnastics The gymnasts will have a few weeks of training before August's U.S. Championships. Scheduled for August 7-10 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, the event will determine the U.S. National Team. Those named to the U.S. National team will be eligible for the 2025 World Championship team selection. The 2025 World Championships will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from October 19 to 25. Team USA looks to fill a team of four athletes to compete for individual medals.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Claire Pease wins Saatva U.S. Classic gymnastics title
Many U.S. gymnasts have gone from junior all-around national champions to stars on the senior level. Claire Pease may have taken an early step to joining that list on Saturday. Pease, a 16-year-old Texan, won the Saatva U.S. Classic, the primary tune-up meet for the U.S. Championships in three weeks. Pease overtook Simone Rose on the last rotation, totaling 54.6 points to prevail by four tenths over Rose in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Gymnasts use Classic as a building block for nationals (Aug. 7-10 in New Orleans). After nationals, the four-woman team for the World Championships in October in Indonesia will be named after a two-day selection competition in early autumn. This year's worlds include individual events only and no team competition. Pease, the first senior rookie to win Classic since 2017 (Alyona Shchennikova), can join the list of U.S. junior all-around champions to make global championship teams on the senior level. Over the years, that's included Olympic all-around champions Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin (whose parents coach Pease) and world all-around champions Shawn Johnson and Jordyn Wieber. Plus Hezly Rivera, the 2023 U.S. junior all-around champ who made the 2024 Olympic team as the youngest American competing in Paris in any sport. Rivera, the lone Olympian competing at Classic, tied for 11th on Saturday after falling on her first two routines — bars and beam. She trains at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy outside Dallas, just like Pease. Paris Olympic alternate Leanne Wong competed on two events at Classic, tying for fifth on beam and tying for 11th on bars. One gymnast not at Classic who is expected at nationals is Skye Blakely. She was second to Biles at the 2024 U.S. Championships, then ruptured her right Achilles in practice two days before Olympic Trials began. Simone Biles, Suni Lee lead Olympians to win ESPYs Olympians took home the biggest awards at the 2025 ESPYs, including best female and male athletes. Nick Zaccardi,
Forbes
3 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Junior Gymnast Lavi Crain Secures Massive Win At 2025 U.S. Classic
Lavi Crain (Blue Springs, Mo./Great American Gymnastics Express) competes on the balance beam during ... More the junior session at the 2025 U.S. Classic in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. While the nation's top senior athletes wait to take to the stage on July 19 at the 2025 U.S. Classic gymnastics competition, one junior gymnast is already turning heads in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. 14-year-old Lavi Crain claimed the junior all-around title on Friday, dominating the field by over two full points and finishing in the top two on every event but floor. Crain, an athlete training at Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE), posted a massive 54.450 to claim the all-around title, defeating Charleigh Bullock in second (52.650) and Kylie Smith (51.800) in third. In the individual events, Bullock stunned fans and judges on uneven bars, posting a dominant 14.400 to claim the win by nearly a whole point. Caroline Moreau won the floor title, executing difficult tumbling to post a strong 13.500. Crain also won gold on vault and balance beam en route to her first U.S. Classic all-around title. Lavi Crain (Blue Springs, Mo./Great American Gymnastics Express), silver medal winner Charleigh ... More Bullock (Spotsylvania, Va./Capital Gymnastics National Training Center) and bronze medal winner Kylie Smith (Loveland, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics) pose during the medal ceremony of the 2025 U.S. Classic junior sessionv held in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. At just 14 years of age, Crain looked like a seasoned veteran on Friday in NOW Arena. But the Missouri native isn't just poised—her scores are internationally competitive. Her all-around score (54.450) would have challenged for the title at multiple major events. Crain's total would have clinched the silver medal at the following major international senior events: the 2025 Asian Championships, Pan American Championships, and European Championships. Tonight's win also marks her fourth straight all-around title in all four meets, maintaining an undefeated season. She began the year with a win at the U.S. Winter Cup, posting the highest beam score of any age group. Crain then took her success across the pond, delivering gold at the Jesolo Trophy. In June, she again claimed gold at the American Classic. Today, she added another 2025 title to her trophy case. With her win, Crain was the first athlete named to represent the U.S. at the upcoming Junior Pan American Games in late August. The event will mark the first continental championship of Crain's young and promising career. She will be joined at the games by Charleigh Bullock, Kylie Smith, Addalye VanGrinsven, and non-traveling alternate Addy Fulcher. However, before she heads to Paraguay with Team USA, Crain will go for her first national title at the U.S. Championships in New Orleans, scheduled for August 7-10. Unsurprisingly, Crain heads to Louisiana as the undisputed favorite for gold. In 2025, Lavi Crain continues to put the gymnastics world on notice. Perhaps even more impressively, the 14-year-old phenom still has years to grow.
