Women's gymnastics: U.S. defends its title from 2003 with a big margin: 1st place: U.S. 243.225 2nd place: Brazil 236.725 3rd place: Mexico 223.625 Shawn Johnson got a 16.20 on beam which was the highest women's score of the day. Other members of the U.S. team: Rebecca Bross, Ivana Hong, Nastia Liukin, Samantha Peszek, and Amber Trani. Good job Shawn! Men's gymnastics competition on the other hand was a tighter competition: 1st place: Puerto Rico 353.900 2nd place: Brazil 353.600 3rd place: USA 353.300 4th place: Venezuela 347.550 5th place: Colombia 338.900 6th place: Cuba 340.700 7th place: Canada 333.350 Photos from the Pan Am Games: from ESPN (photos comes with short commentary too!) 5 pages, index page is: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/apphoto/wire?id=1550 from the official Pan Am Games website: sports index: http://www.rio2007.org.br/data/pages/8A488A8F12D895890112D8BFD1E54EC8.htm gymnastics: http://www.rio2007.org.br/data/pages/8CA3C7871388DD59011397DF08C15B3B.htm

The ESPN photo pages are great! Check them out! For the U.S. women's team the head coach is Valeri Liukin of Parker, Texas (WOGA), and the assistant coach is Donna Strauss of Allentown, Pennsylvania (Parkettes gym). USA Gymnastics article on it: "U.S. women win team title at 2007 Pan Am Games" http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/news/2007/july14-07PanAm-WomenWinTeamGold.html Some quotes, what people said: [quote]When asked if she is a phenom, Johnson replied,

Great photo links/news! I started a Pan Am Games gymnastics videos topic here: http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?t=1011

Canada got 2nd in the women's gymnastics competition in the 2003 Pan Am Games, but this year they had a young team: Brittany Rogers (reigning Canadian junior champion) Stephanie Desjardins-Labelle Peng-Peng Lee Ti Liu Charlotte Mackie Emma Willis Brazil women's team: Jade Barbosa Khiuani Dias Daiane dos Santos Daniele Hypolito Ana Claudia Silva Lais Souza Brazil men's team: Luis Augusto Anjos Diego Hypolito Danilo Nogueira Mosiah Rodrigues Victor Rosa Adan Santos Brazilian women's team got 3rd in the 2003 Pan Am Games, and this year at the 2007 Pan Am Games got 2nd. The Brazilian men got 2nd in 2003 and in the 2007 Pan Am Games. Canada's men's team got 7th again, their team: Peter Andersen Jayd Lukenchuk (reigning junior national champion) Pat McElroy A.J. Rayment Hugh Smith Jared Walls. Marta Karolyi talks about the advantage Brazil has for the competition being at home: [quote]"It will be a pretty tough competition, because some of those countries have improved and have a great ambition," Karolyi told IG. "Actually, the host country has a little bit of advantage of being home and having all the Latin countries judging. So it will be a tough competition, but we'll try to put together a good team and hope everything will go fine." [/quote] You can argue that there is some advantage with having the home crowd, and judges, but talent is talent. quote from "Americans Aim High For Pan American Games" - http://intlgymnast.com/news/2007/july/071107_panam.html

Shawn Johnson just started competing Senior this year and is leading the USA team.

U.S. men's team: qualified for AA: Guillermo Alvarez (Denver) David Durante of (Garwood, N.J.) qualified for event finals: floor: Guillermo Alvarez, Justin Spring (Burke, Va.) p-bars: Guillermo Alvarez, Justin Spring rings: David Durante, Sean Golden (Camden, N.J.) high bar: Justin Spring, Todd Thornton (Houston) pommel horse: Joey Hagerty (Rio Rancho, N.M.) is the first alternate

Guillermo Alvarez (USA) moves from 8th to 3rd place in the final rotation - floor - by getting the highest score of the day, 15.300. Results: 2007 Pan American Games July 15, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Men's All-Around Final 1. Jose Fuentes VEN 90.450 2. Jorge Giraldo COL 89.450 3. Guillermo Alvarez USA 87.900 4. Luis Vargas PUR 87.800 5. David Durante USA 87.750 6. Gerardo Medina CUB 87.350 7. Luis Rivera PUR 86.550 7. Luis Anjos BRA 86.350 9. Mosiah Rodrigues BRA 86.050 10. Federico Molinari ARG 85.550 11. Daniel Corral MEX 85.250 12. Luis Sosa MEX 85.200 13. Alexander Rodriguez PUR 85.000 14. Fernando Fuentes VEN 84.550 15. Hugh Smith CAN 83.500 16. Carlos Carbonell VEN 83.150 17. Reynier Villardis CUB 82.400 18. Irving Arroyo CUB 81.700 19. Febian Mesa COL 81.650 20. Didier Lugo COL 81.450 21. Lucas Chiarlo ARG 81.050 22. Osvaldo Martinez ARG 79.900 23. Mynor Juarez GUA 78.300 24. Mynor Oliva GUA 77.700 7/16 is women's all-around final.

Shawn Johnson is among the 'favorites' to win the women's AA competition tonight! ...you could have guessed right, she got the top individual team score! "Iowa Gymnast Favored At Pan-Am Games" http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?t=1014

Yup! The USA women sweep the all-around, with Shawn Johnson in 1st: 2007 Pan American Games July 16, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Women's All-Around Final 1. Shawn Johnson USA 61.725 2. Rebecca Bross USA 61.050 3. Ivana Hong USA 59.375 4. Jade Barbosa BRA 59.325 5. Peng Peng Lee CAN 57.300 5. Daniele Hypolito BRA 57.300 7. Elsa Garcia MEX 56.200 8. Madelen Tamayo CUB 55.825 9. Khiuani Dias BRA 55.625 10. Yeny Ibarra MEX 55.200 11. Natalia Sanchez COL 54.800 11. Maricela Cantu MEX 54.800 13. Jessica Gil COL 54.400 14. Bibiana Velez COL 54.300 15. Virginia Deluzio ARG 54.050 16. Charlotte Mackie CAN 53.700 17. Yahanara Sese CUB 53.200 18. Dunas Lamas CUB 53.125 19. Emely Monzon GUA 53.100 20. Ayelen Tarabini ARG 52.275 20. Jessica Lopez VEN 52.275 22. Sydney Sanabria PUR 51.700 23. Florencia Salomon ARG 51.525 24. Emma Willis CAN 51.475 Shawn got the highest score of the day on beam again, with a 16.175. Rebecca Bross got the 2nd on beam too, with a 15.925. IG article on it: "Johnson Leads U.S. Sweep in Brazil" http://intlgymnast.com/news/2007/july/071607_panam.html

Article on Shawn Johnson's Pan Ames Games AA win: "U.S. gymnast, 15 wins Pan Am gold Shawn Johnson captures all-around" http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?t=1016 [quote]"I never tried to create expectations because we only suffer disappointments,'' Johnson said. ``I prefer to train hard because the work is day by day, step by step.''[/quote]