 Preparing for the upcoming Olympic qualification events, Tomas Gonzalez hopes to make the jump from Chilean standout to Chilean Olympian.After his golden performance at the South American championships, Tomas Gonzalez told IG he will focus on improving his execution in the final stretch to October's worlds in Tokyo and Pan American Games in Guadalajara.
"I'm perfecting my routines to minimize my errors, because for this Code you must know how to balance Execution and Difficulty scores," he said. "Not only is the difficulty important but also clean execution across the movements, and I think that's the key to the best perfection now in gymnastics."
On Saturday, Gonzalez won the gold medal in the all-around at the 10th South American Championships, held in Santiago. On Sunday, he defeated two-time world champion Diego Hypolito of Brazil on both floor exercise (15.600; click for video) and vault (16.175; video).
Gonzalez, already the first Chilean gymnast to win World Cup and Pan American Games medals, could make double history this fall if he medals at the world championships in Tokyo. Per new FIG qualification criteria, any gymnast competing without a full team who wins a medal in Tokyo will receive an invitation to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
A secondary qualification event will be held in January in London, where the all-around rankings will determine which gymnasts receive berths.
"For now I'm following the same work plan," Gonzalez said. "Improving my all-around in order to qualify for London and as always focusing on floor and vault, my best events, and I hope to highlight these in Tokyo and Guadalajara."
In Santiago, Brazil was the most successful nation with 16 medals (6 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze), including both team titles. Adrian Nunes dominated the women's competition, winning the all-around, vault and balance beam titles.
Argentinan junior Valeria Pererya won uneven bars (toe-one blind to Jaeger; piked Jaeger; clean full-in). 2009 world floor finalist Jessica Gil (Colombia) won the women's floor exercise title.
Host Chile won 10 medals (3, 3, 4) to Colombia's nine (3, 4, 2), while Argentina won five medals (2, 1, 2). Venezuela won one silver and one bronze.
Continental competition takes place again Sept. 15-19 in Cúcuta, Colombia, with the Junior South American Championships.
10th South American Championships
Aug. 6-7, 2011, Santiago, Chile
| Women's Team | Score |
| 1. |
Brazil |
 |
210.550 |
| 2. |
Argentina |
 |
207.250 |
| 3. |
Chile |
 |
201.900 |
| Men's Team | Score |
| 1. |
Brazil |
|
347.150 |
| 2. |
Colombia |
 |
337.600 |
| 3. |
Chile |
|
336.950 |
| Women's All-Around |
| 1. |
Adrian Nunes |
|
| 2. |
Bruna Leal |
|
| 3. |
Valeria Pereyra |
|
| Men's All-Around |
| 1. |
Tomas Gonzalez |
|
| 2. |
Jorge Giraldo |
|
| 3. |
Pericles Silva |
|
| Women's Vault Final |
| 1. |
Adrian Nunes |
|
| 2. |
Makarena Pinto |
|
| 3. |
Yesica Gil |
|
| Uneven Bars Final |
| 1. |
Valeria Pereyra |
|
| 2. |
Yurani Avendaño |
|
| 3. |
Viviana Vélez |
|
| Balance Beam Final |
| 1. |
Adrian Nunes |
|
| 2. |
Fanny Briceño |
 |
| 3. |
Simona Castro |
|
| Women's Floor Exercise Final |
| 1. |
Jessica Gil |
|
| 2. |
Bruna Leal |
|
| 3. |
Gabriela Henriques |
|
| Men's Floor Exercise Final |
| 1. |
Tomas Gonzales |
|
| 2. |
Diego Hypolito |
|
| 3. |
Juan Pablo Gonzalez |
|
| Pommel Horse Final |
| 1. |
Mosiah Rodriguez |
|
| 2. |
Yesid Peña |
|
| 3. |
Pericles Silva |
|
| Still Rings Final |
| 1. |
Federico Molinari |
|
| 2. |
Tomas Gonzalez |
|
| 3. |
Danilo Nogueira |
|
| Men's Vault Final |
| 1. |
Tomas Gonzalez |
|
| 2. |
Diego Hypolito |
|
| 3. |
Mosiah Rodrigues |
|
| Parallel Bars Final |
| 1. |
Jorge Giraldo |
|
| 2. |
Tomas Gonzalez |
|
| 3. |
Federico Molinari |
|
| High Bar Final |
| 1. |
Jorge Giraldo |
|
| 2. |
Mosiah Rodrigues |
|
| 3. |
Adickxon Trejo |
|
 |
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