Best stick: Simone Biles - Vault
Undoubtedly one of the most impressive vaults in all of gymnastics, Simone Biles dropped in her Amanar like an absolute pro. You wouldn’t expect this little pint-sized powerhouse to be able to fly higher than some of the men, but with her quick twitch and perfect block off the table, she sails into the air and gives you enough time to get Dippin’ Dots before sticking the (BLIND) landing.

Best hit routine celebration: Yin Alvarez - Every event
Widely known for his amazingly energetic reactions and fiery spirit, Yin Alvarez is often the first person people look to after a hit routine from Danell Leyva. He jumps around like a little kid in a bounce house with exuberant joy—the joy that comes from seeing his son be a gymnastics rockstar. Leyva said after the meet that Yin many have actually injured his calf during the competition from celebrating, but that he has “toned it down” significantly since Danell was younger. Well, the 'toned down' Yin still provided incredible post-routine entertainment. Check out those moves after Leyva's 16.00 high bar routine:



Most resilient performance: Kyla Ross - Beam
After falling on a routine, especially in a very important meet like Championships, it can be difficult to leave it behind and move to the next event. Even Aly Raisman said that after her day one beam set, she just wanted to “crawl in a hole”—a feeling most gymnasts can relate to after taking a fall. Kyla Ross had two very disappointing bar routines, falling on her dismount both days. But even then, she didn’t throw in the towel, and instead came back on the very next event with an absolutely stunning beam routine to earn a 15.250 and the bronze medal. Mental toughness at its finest, and the definition of resiliency.

Best comeback: Brenna Dowell
One year in the NCAA and she’s back to continue her elite journey. Brenna Dowell has more to prove and has emerged as the latest “comeback kid.” She had a very upsetting Classics performance, where her hand slipped on bars and her foot slipped on beam, leaving her with two falls and a fire in her soul. She was working way too hard to not let it show, so she came out at Championships and proved that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Where Brenna shines is on bars, and while she had an uncharacteristic fall on her day two dismount, she scored a 15.150 on day one. She finished the meet 11th in the all-around and has been named to the World Championships training squad.

Most jaw dropping skill: Donnell Whittenburg - Vault
Everyone loves a ginormous men’s vault, and Donnell Whittenburg’s Dragulescu fits that bill. He flips his body through the air almost three full times and sneaks in the half twist for an added touch of difficulty. Whittenburg executes his vault immensely well, and leaves us all reaching for the replay button… Yes, just as jaw-dropping the second, third, and fourth time.



Most consistent performer: Maggie Nichols
Maggie Nichols didn’t have one routine where she did something out of the ordinary—but was consistently magnificent throughout the entire two days of competition. She didn’t vary in her scores by more than four tenths on any event over the course of the two days, and came out with two impressive mid 59 all-around scores. She attributes lots of hard work in the gym to her success, and now Maggie has become a top contender for both the Worlds team and for Rio.

Breakout performer: Christina Desiderio
Desiderio has added big difficulty to her routines and has been working hard on execution and consistency. After a 10th place finish at Classics with a 54.950 all-around, she knew she had some work to do before Championships and was laser-focused on her goal of making the National Team. She came out strong at Championships and over the two days, totaled a 112.70, including a 56.80 on day two—almost a two point improvement from Classics. Her solid performance landed her in 5th place and secured her a spot on her first National Team. Desiderio said after the meet that she has never smiled so much in her life.

Best interview quote: Laurie Hernandez - “I blow on my thumbs.”
Laurie Hernandez learned that your thumb has its own pulse, and when she blows on it before competing, it calms her heart down. It may sound weird at first thought, but coming from the Junior National Champion, she has some serious competition credibility and may be on to something. Hernandez said after day one that she is a “little firecracker” with a lot of “interesting energy,” so she really has to relax and dial in her focus before a routine. She also talks about the judges’ shoes with coach Maggie to take her mind off her nerves.


Related:
P&G Champs Redemption Routines
Interviews Not To Miss From P&G Champs