Aaron Mah lost his grip on the high bar in the middle of the most difficult routine attempted by a Canadian junior gymnast, but the fall won’t stop him from trying again at nationals next month.
Mah, 16, finished 13th in the high bar and 18th overall at the Pacific Rim Championships, held at the Richmond Olympic Oval April 9 to 12.
“I didn’t do as well as I wanted to,” said the Magee student. “I had a break on high bar. I fell off. On one release move, I didn’t catch. That was the big routine I wanted to hit.”
Mah, who trains with Vancouver Phoenix Gymnastics, was attempting a routine with a 5.7 difficulty. The score sheet shows the routine he eventually completed had a value of 5.0, still more difficult than all but three junior competitors at the international meet.
His best individual performance was in the pommel horse — he finished eighth — and didn’t compete in the floor or vault because of a previous knee injury.
Despite the slip on high bar, Mah said he had a lot to gain from the competition.
“It was a big boost of confidence to see all those great gymnasts and be able to compete with them,” he said.
The Canadian junior boys finished in third place behind the U.S. and Japan.
