Kayla DiCello wins all-around, Suni Lee misses signature uneven bars skill at Winter Cup
The Tokyo 2020 all-around gold medallist couldn't keep her grip on the bar as she competed a layout Jaeger with a full twist for the first time Saturday (24 February) in Louisville.
2023 Pan American Games all-around gold medallist Kayla DiCello added Winter Cup champion to her gymnastics resume on Saturday afternoon (24 February) in Louisville, Kentucky.
The 20-year-old, who is taking a year off from competing for the University of Florida, cruised to victory, earning a 56.850 in the all-around. Skye Blakely was second (54.650), while Hezly Rivera's 54.000 was good for third.
"I think this meet was really good for me and my confidence," DiCello said. "Going into this meet, I was really just focused on hitting my routines, trying out my new skills I've been working on, and gaining some confidence with that. I feel like I did a pretty good job with that."
DiCello took the title with four clean and consistent performances, never dipping below 14.000 on any routine. She recorded scores of 14.200, vault; 14.300, uneven bars; 14.300, balance beam; and 14.050, floor exercise.
Reigning Olympic all-around gold medallist Suni Lee made her return to competition after skipping last September's U.S. World Championships and Pan Am Games selection competition. She was forced to end her season earlier as she dealt with a kidney-related health concern that began nearly a year ago.
Lee, who has only been back in full-time training for six weeks, told Olympics.com earlier this month that she was coming to Louisville with a singular goal: earn a place at the Baku World Cup (7-10 March). There, she hopes to have an original element - a full-twisting layout Jaeger on the uneven bars - named in her honour.
That quest, however, seems in jeopardy after Lee missed the element and a subsequent release move. She scored just 11.800 on the bars.
A rotation later on the balance beam, Lee slipped off the apparatus attempting an aerial to two layout stepouts. Lee dismounted with just a layout and scored 12.900.
"It obviously wasn't what I wanted, but in all honesty, I think that it's good that it happened here rather than somewhere else," Lee told reporters afterward.
Friday (23 February) after training, Chellsie Memmel, USA Gymnastics' women's program technical lead, said that while there was no specific criteria for selection to the event, an athlete hoping for that assignment would need to be near the top of the individual apparatus standings.
Lee finished tied for 26th on bars and 13th on balance beam.
USA Gymnastics plans to announce the international assignments by Monday (26 February).
Suni Lee: "You can't get anywhere without failing"
On Saturday, Lee couldn't hide her disappointment after coming off the uneven bars, where she is an Olympic bronze medal winner.
The signature element that she’s worked on for two years didn’t go as expected despite hitting it it twice in Friday’s official practice and once in the warmup for competition.
But that’s part of the process, says Lee, as she acknowledges the skill and her return to competition after unthinkable adversity are still very much a work in progress.
"You can't get anywhere without failing,” the 20-year-old said. “I think I just take that with a grain of salt. Obviously, I'm sad and I'm going to be mad about it for a really long time, but it's okay.”
Longtime coach Jess Graba echoed his pupil, offering a longer-term view.
“It's just a day. This is a day,” he said. “I told her after she came off, ‘You're not going to make this without making mistakes.’ She's doing stuff that nobody else has ever done, and so how do you expect to go out here and not make a mistake?”
For now, Lee and Graba will have to wait to see what the selection committee decides.
Regardless of where Lee competes next, the work continues with Lee having taken a major step forward just by getting back into competition after a 2023 that left her future in the sport very much in flux.
“It just takes more practice, more competing,” said Lee.
Added Graba later, “This isn't an easy thing to do perfectly. I don't have any expectations other than get better tomorrow.”