America tops medal tally for 2023 World Trampoline Gymnastics Championships

The American contingent put up an impressive display at the 2023 Trampoline and Tumbling World Championships that were held in Birmingham, England between November 9 and 12.

The country finished the competition with a haul of 10 medals, four of which were gold. This put the USA on top of the medal tally, ahead of hosts Great Britain and third-place finishers China.

America's first gold of the competition was credited to the quartet of Ruben Padilla, Dylan Kline, Simon Smith, and Tomas Minc who won the men's team double mini event. Padilla later went on to defend his crown from last year, storming to the top of the podium in the men's individual double mini-event.

Meanwhile, athletes Nicole Ahsinger and Sarah Webster won the women's synchro event, and the US team won the men's and women's team all-around competition to seal their fourth gold of the competition.

Coming to the American silver medalists at the Arena Birmingham, Aliah Raha had to settle for second place after losing to Spaniard Melania Rodriguez. Athlete Kaden Brown finished second in the men's individual tumbling event, ahead of Great Britain's Jaydon Paddock and behind Azerbaijan's Mikhail Malkin.

The bronze medalists from the USA include Jessica Stevens in the women's individual trampoline and Gracie Harder in the women's individual double mini. The men's synchro duo of Ruben Padilla and Aliaksei Shostak and the American women's tumbling team also snagged third-place finishes.

Jessica Stevens' history-making bronze at the World Trampoline Gymnastics Championships

Jessica Stevens' bronze wasn't simply a medal, it marked the first time that a US woman medaled at the Trampoline and Tumbling World Championships in the trampoline event since 1974.

This was also a major improvement for Stevens, who finished sixth at 2022's world championships.

Jessica initially got into the sport as a toddler and participated in gymnastics as part of "Mommy and Me" classes. She quickly realized that her passion lay on the trampoline, and qualified for the national team at 13, before participating in her first World Championship at 17.

Just last week Stevens walked away with two golds at the Pan American Games that were held in Santiago, Chile, in the women's synchro and individual events.

Before the world championship in Birmingham, Jessica Stevens' primary aim was to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Given her bronze medal in the women's trampoline event, the athlete is now assured a berth in Paris and will hope to bring home another medal with her in 2024.