The 2018 Junior Pan American Games concluded last week in Buenos Aires, with Team USA taking home the team gold medal, in addition to multiple individual medals for Jordan Bowers, Leanne Wong, and Tori Tatum. Team Canada also took home multiple medals, including the team silver and individual medals for Zoe Allaire-Bourgie and Imogen Paterson. 

In addition to the medal winners, we thought it would be interesting to break down the top three ranked gymnasts on difficulty and execution on each event, taking into account scores from both the team and all-around finals and the event finals. Although the teams from USA and Canada took the top places, gymnasts from countries like Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil also showed off some impressive execution. Check out the full breakdown below.

USA Sweeps The Vault With Yurchenko Doubles

On vault, USA emerges as the clear winner when it comes to both difficulty and execution. The United States was the only country to have gymnasts vaulting the Yurchenko double, with Bowers, Wong, and Tatum all performing this 5.4 difficulty vault. In addition to difficulty, they also came on top for execution. Wong and Bowers tied for the highest execution on vault with a 9.45 during the all-around/team final, although it’s worth noting that this was for their second vaults — a simple Yurchenko layout. That being said, Wong comes out on top even with her Yurchenko double, on which she scored a 9.425 in execution during the event final. 

When it comes to total difficulty, Tatum comes out on top. She competed a Yurchenko double and a Yurchenko 1.5, and her execution score was high on both during the event final, leading to her gold medal.

Ranking (D)

1T. Tori Tatum (USA) - 5.4

1T. Leanne Wong (USA) - 5.4

1T. Jordan Bowers (USA) - 5.4

Ranking (E)

1T. Leanne Wong (USA) - Vault #2 - 9.45

1T. Jordan Bowers (USA) - Vault #2 - 9.45

3. Leanne Wong (USA) - Vault #1 - 9.425

Canada’s Allaire-Bourgie Takes Execution Crown On Bars

On bars, USA once again sweeps the field when it comes to difficulty. Bowers easily takes the top spot with her high 5.6 D-score, which she hit in both the team/all-around and the event final. She gets a lot of connection bonus in her routine from her toe-on 1/1 to Maloney to Pak to Van Leeuwen. In second place for difficulty is a tie between teammates Wong and JaFree Scott, who both competed a 5.3 difficulty routine. 

The rankings are slightly different for execution, and Canada’s Allaire-Bourgie actually takes the top spot with the 8.5 execution she scored during the event final. In addition to hitting all her handstands, her leg form is incredible, with legs glued together and toes pointed on every skill in her routine. The Americans follow her in the execution ranking, with Bowers taking the second spot with an 8.25 and Wong with an 8.15, both scored during the event final.

Ranking (D)

1. Jordan Bowers (USA) - 5.6

2T. Leanne Wong (USA) - 5.3

2T. JaFree Scott (USA) - 5.3

Ranking (E)

1. Zoe Allaire-Bourgie (CAN) - 8.5

2. Jordan Bowers (USA) - 8.25

3. Leanne Wong (USA) - 8.15

USA’s Wong Shows High Difficulty & Hit Execution On Beam

Allaire-Bourgie takes the No. 1 spot again here, although this time it’s for difficulty as opposed to execution. She had the most difficult beam routine of the competition with a 5.8 D-score. Her routine includes some great combos, including a front aerial to split jump to tuck jump half, and side somi to split jump half. Following Allaire-Bourgie is Americans Bowers with a 5.7 and Wong with a 5.5. 

Wong not only has high difficulty, but her execution is amazing. She had the highest execution on beam with an 8.2, which she scored during the all-around/team final. Following Wong, we have a four-way tie between gymnasts from four different countries: Canada’s Emma Spence, Mexico’s Louise Lopez Sanchez, Brazil’s Ana Luisa Araujo Dos Santos, and USA’s Scott. All four gymnasts scored an 8.05 in execution on beam during the all-around/team final. The routines varied in difficulty — Spence had the highest with a 4.9, followed by Dos Santos with a 4.7, Sanchez with a 4.6, and Scott with a 4.5. 

Ranking (D)

1. Zoe Allaire-Bourgie (CAN) - 5.8

2. Jordan Bowers (USA) - 5.7

3. Leanne Wong (USA) - 5.5

Ranking (E)

1. Leanne Wong (USA) - 8.2

2T. Emma Spence (CAN) - 8.05

2T. Louise Lopez Sanchez (MEX) - 8.05

2T. Ana Luisa Araujo Dos Santos (BRA) - 8.05

2T. JaFree Scott (USA) - 8.05 

USA’s Bowers Is Sky-High On Floor Difficulty

As she did on bars, Bowers blows away the field on difficulty on floor as well. She hit a 5.4 D-score during the all-around/team final, which beats the next highest D-score by five tenths. Her powerful tumbling adds partly to her difficulty, with her opening two passes being a double front tuck to stag jump and a full twisting double back, but she also adds a lot in dance, including a triple twist. Following Bowers in difficulty is a tie between Tatum and Allaire-Bourgie, who both scored a 4.9 D-score on their routines.

In execution, many of the top scores were very close together, but Allaire-Bourgie takes the top spot with the 8.2 she scored in the all-around/team final. She is followed by Luna Maria Fernandez from Argentina, who scored an 8.15 in execution during the all-around/team final. Tatum comes in third place with an 8.125, scored during the event final.

Ranking (D)

1. Jordan Bowers (USA) - 5.4

2T. Tori Tatum (USA) - 4.9

2T. Zoe Allaire-Bourgie (CAN) - 4.9

Ranking (E)

1. Zoe Allaire-Bourgie (CAN) - 8.2

2. Luna Maria Fernandez (ARG) - 8.15

3. Tori Tatum (USA) - 8.125