Briefs| Gymnastics: American Kayla Williams wins vault title at world meet
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American Kayla Williams, a 16-year-old who was competing at the level below elite five months ago, looked like an old pro Saturday in winning the vault title at the world championships in London.
Gymnastics
U.S. teen makes successful transition to top level: American Kayla Williams, a 16-year-old who was competing at the level below elite five months ago, looked like an old pro Saturday in winning the vault title at the world championships in London. Only when she stood atop the podium did she seem overwhelmed, taking several deep breaths as she waited for the gold medal to be put around her neck and fighting back tears as the national anthem played.
“This past five months, or however long it’s been, has been the most hectic and crazy,” said Williams, who is from Huntington, W.Va. “But I’ve learned a lot, and I finished it off as best I could.”
Williams was at the Level 10 championships in May, so far off the radar her only trip to the Karolyi ranch before the world team was selected was for a developmental camp.
“My teammates and the rest of the USA delegation have been very good about telling me to treat it like just another meet,” said Williams, the first American woman to win a world vault title. “If I was by myself, I’d definitely be a nervous wreck.”
He Kexin of China added a world title to her Olympic gold on uneven bars. Rebecca Bross of Plano, Texas, was third.
In men’s finals, Zhang Hongtao of China won pommel horse, countryman Yan Mingyong triumphed on still rings and Marian Dragulescu of Romania won his fourth world floor title — not bad for a guy who retired after the Beijing Olympics and came back.
“I was feeling like I can still win medals,” said Dragulescu, who retired because of chronic back and neck pain. “I’m glad, because today I won.”