McKayla Maroney 2013 World Vault Champion

Sep 24, 2013 by Anne Phillips

Welcome to your home for the 2013 World Championships Women's Vault Final. This page will be updated throughout the Championships with breaking news and pertinent information specific to women's vault. The Final will be held Saturday, October 5th.

Maroney Does it Again!

McKayla Maroney became the only U.S. women to win back-to-back World Championship titles on the Vault. Maroney won her first vault title at the 2011 World Championships in Toykyo. Maroney performed a gorgeous Amanar for her first vault and stuck it cold for a score of 15.966 Maroney's second vault, a Mustafina, is the one she infamously sat down at the 2012 Olympic final. Today, Maroney over-rotated the vault and scored 15. 483. to earn an average of 15.724 and the gold medal.

Maroney had some competition for this title from teammate Simone Biles. Biles scored a 15.933 on her Amanar and a 15.258 on her handspring layout half for an average of 15.595 and the silver medal. This is the second medal in Antwerp for Biles after winning gold in the all-around final. Biles qualified to every event final.

Hong Un Jong of Korea won the bronze medal with an average of 15.483. Jong submitted a triple twisting yurchenko to the FIG but only performed an Amanar.

Women's Vault Results
				AVG	D	E
1	MARONEY McKayla	USA	15.966	15.724	6.3	9.766
			15.483		6.0	9.483
2	BILES Simone	USA	15.933	15.595	6.3	9.633
			15.258		5.6	9.658
3	HONG Un Jong	PRK	15.566	15.483	6.3	9.266
			15.400		6.4	9.000
4	STEINGRUBER Giulia	SUI	15.500	15.233	6.2	9.300
			14.966		5.8	9.166
5	CHUSOVITINA Oksana	UZB	14.633	14.583	6.2	8.533
			14.533		5.5	9.033
6	PHAN Thi Ha Thanh	VIE	14.966	14.299	6,2	8.866
			13.633		5.8	7.933
7	PENA ABREU Yamilet	DOM	14.466	13.966	7.0	7.766
			13.466		5.8	7.666
8	NETTEB Chantysha*	NED	13.90	6.950	5.8	8.100
	*only performed 1 Vault due to injury		0.00	0.00	0.0	0.000

UPDATE 10/2: Announcing the Finalists! Qualification competition has concluded in Antwerp. The following eight women will compete in the 2013 Women's World Vault Final:

Women's Vault Finalists

				D1	D2
1	MARONEY Mc Kayla	USA	15.641	6.3	6.0
2	BILES Simone	USA	15.550	6.3	5.6
3	HONG Un Jong	PRK	15.249	6.3	6.4
4	PHAN Thi Ha Thanh	VIE	14.966	5.8	6.2
5	STEINGRUBER Giulia	SUI	14.799	6.2	5.0
6	CHUSOVITINA Oksana	UZB	14.750	6.2	5.5
7	PENA ABREU Yamilet	DOM	14.683	7.0	5.8
8	NETTEB Chantysha	NED	14.516	5.8	5.2

UPDATE 9/29: 2012 Olympic Vault Champion Sandra Izbasa of Romania did not train vault during World Championships podium training. Izbasa was uncertain whether or not so was prepared to compete two vaults in Antwerp. Based on her absence on the event in training, it seems Izbasa will only be competing floor at these Worlds.

UPDATE 9/29: Simone Biles of the USA confirmed that she will not be throwing an upgraded vault here at Worlds. She had been training the Cheng vault, was has chosen to stick with her laid out Podkopayeva vault along with her Amanar.

UPDATE 9/27: 2012 Olympic Bronze Vault Medalist Maria Paseka of Russia has pulled out of the World Championships with a back injury. Read the full story here.

How to advance to Vault finals

The top eight gymnasts based on scores from prelims will advance to event finals. However, only two gymnasts per country may advance. For vault, a gymnasts must compete two vaults from different vault families in order to be eligible for vault finals. Their two scores are averaged.

EVENT HISTORY

Past Women's World Vault Champions

2011 McKayla Maroney (USA)

2010 Alicia Sacramone (USA)

2009 Kayla Williams (USA)

Past Women's Olympic Vault Champions:

2012 - Sandra Izbasa (ROU)

2008 - Hong Un Jong (PRK)

2004 - Monica Rosu (Romania)

2000 - Elena Zamolodchikova (Russia)

1996 - Simona Amanar (Romania)

2013 EVENT PREVIEW

Meet the 2013 Women's World Vault Championship Contenders

McKayla Maroney, USA

Despite a fluke fall on her second vault during the 2012 Olympic Vault Final, Maroney has dominated this event in recent years. Maroney comes to Antwerp as the reigning World Champion on the event and is the favorite once again. She vaults an amazing Amanar (6.30) and a Mustafina (6.0) and has earned execution scores as high as 9.70 during the 2013 season.

Simone Biles, USA

Like Maroney, Biles vaults an impressively clean and powerful Amanar. Her current second vault, a laid out Podkapayeva (yurchenko half on front layout half) is only valued at 5.60, but her exquisite execution boosts her total score. Biles has also been training a Cheng, valued at 6.40. It will be interesting to see if she decides to take the risk. She still has a great chance of a medal without it.

Hong Un Jong, North Korea

2008 Olympic Vault Champion Hong Un Jong of North Korea is back and has competed the highest total start value in the World in 2013 with a Cheng (yurchenko half on lay out rudi off) and an Amanar. This gives her a two tenth advantage over Maroney. Hong has been off the scene in recent years due to North Korea's ban from international competition from 2010 through October 2012 following age discrepancies.

Sandra Izbasa, Romania

Izbasa was the surprise 2012 Olympic Vault Champion after Maroney stumbled in the Final. She has not competed two vaults yet this season but hopes to do so in Antwerp. Like Maroney, Izbasa will also contend for a medal on floor. She is the 2008 Olympic Champion on floor. Many thought 23-year-old Izbasa would retire after London so her presence in Antwerp is a welcome surprise.

Maria Paseka, Russia (along with her teammates)

Paseka won the 2012 Olympic Bronze medal with an Amanar and a laid out Podkapayeva. With the depth of the women's vault field this year, her D score will not be enough for a medal; she will need clean execution to contend. Plus, teammates Tatiana Nabieva and Aliya Mustafina are both known to compete two vaults and could potentially shut Paseka out of the final. Regardless, expect to see at least one Russian gymnast in this final.

Phan Thi Ha Thanh, Vietnam

At the 2011 World Championships, Phan brought joy to her country by claiming the Vault Bronze medal. She competes a handspring rudi and a clean double twisting Yurchenko.

Giulia Steingruber, Switzerland

Steingruber is having the best season of her life. She could factor in the all around final as well as the vault final. Steingruber won the 2013 European Vault title with a handspring rudi and a tsukahara full twist.

Additional Contenders:

Ellie Black, Canada

Black advanced to the 2012 Olympic Vault final but injured her left ankle on her first vault and was unable to complete her second vault. She will be looking for redemption in Antwerp.

Larisa Iordache, Romania

She doesn't quite have the D score to contend for a medal, but Iordache is one of the few athletes with potential to advance to finals on every single event. She was the 2012 European Vault Silver medalist.

Yamilet Pena, Dominican Republic

Pena draws attention by competing the rare and risky handspring double front vault. It's a terrifying skill but has huge reward when she puts it to her feet. The vault is the most difficult in women's gymnastics, valued at a 7.0. Her risk led her to the 2011 and 2012 World & Olympic Vault finals. Egyptian gymnast Fadwa Mahmoud has also competed this vault and may throw it in Antwerp.

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