Team USA’s Junior Gymnasts Dominate 2026 Pan American Championships

The future looks bright for USA Gymnastics. Team USA’s junior gymnasts took the 2026 Pan American Championships by storm, soaring to 17 medals in Rio de Janeiro – the most of any delegation at the continental championship.

On Thursday, both the junior men’s and women’s contingents claimed team titles. The women’s squad dominated the field with a 153.264 total, topping second-place Canada (147.030) and host-country Brazil in third (141.931).

With a 224.394 team total, the men’s squad also comfortably secured gold in Rio this week, edging out Canada (220.761) and Brazil (213.828). Team USA’s top individual athletes also claimed hefty hardware.

The junior women swept the team, all-around, and individual titles, where 14-year-old Amia Pugh-Banks led the way. Pugh-Banks secured three individual gold medals, claiming gold in the all-around final and on the vault and floor exercise, the latter ending in a tie.

Vivi Crain finished just behind Pugh-Banks for silver in the all-around and added gold on the balance beam to her three-medal haul. Sydney Williams claimed uneven bars gold, while Addalye VanGrinsven medaled on all four events, collecting two silvers and two bronze medals.

On the men’s side, 18-year-old Maksim Kan claimed a pair of silver medals on pommel horse and still rings, while Ori Reilly secured silver on horizontal bar and bronze on parallel bars. Hunter Simpson finished just ahead of Reilly on the parallel bars, earning his first individual silver medal.

With junior competition concluded, all eyes turn to the senior event finals on Sunday, June 21. Competition begins at 8:35 a.m. ET, and fans can stream the action live on the Pan American Gymnastics YouTube page.