Team USA nets 44 medals at Pacific Alliance meet

Advertiser Staff

Team USA captured 44 medals at the 2004 Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Championships at Honolulu that wrapped up a three-day run Saturday night.

Paul Hamm and Carly Patterson led the United States, which saw the senior men win seven medals and the senior women sweep the gold in the four event finals Saturday. In all, Team USA captured 29 gold, 11 silver and four bronze. China finished second in the medal count with 22, and Canada third at 16.

"I was really happy with my performance," Hamm said. "I feel like I'm in good shape right now. I feel like I'm in a good position to make the Olympic Team."

Hamm, of Waukesha, Wis., won gold on the vault and high bar, silver on the floor, and bronze on the pommel horse and parallel bars. Brother Morgan Hamm topped Paul for gold on floor and tied Paul for bronze on pommel horse. Jason Gatson added a silver on rings for the men.

Alicia Sacramone, of Winchester, Mass., backed up her recent bronze at the Rio World Cup with a gold on vault. Katie Heenan, of South Riding, Va., followed with gold on the uneven bars. Patterson, of Allen, Texas, nailed her beam and floor routines for the gold sweep. All-around champion Allyse Ishino, of Santa Ana, Calif., took second on the floor.

Junior all-around gold medalist Nastia Liukin, of Plano, Texas, earned gold medals in bars, beam and floor, with teammate Jana Bieger, of Coconut Creek, Fla., tying for gold on vault. Bieger later added a silver on beam, and Ashley Priess won silver on bars.

Junior men's all-around champion Taqiy Abdullah, of Houston, took gold in the floor exercise. Teammate Derek Helsby added a silver on the still rings.

For complete results of the 2004 Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Championships, visit www.usa-gymnastics.org.

The Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Championships will be broadcast on NBC on May 16.