University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Bruins Shine on World Stage
October 25, 2015 | Gymnastics
UCLA senior Danusia Francis and future Bruin Madison Kocian had strong performances at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, with Francis earning a qualifying spot for Jamaica at the Olympic test event and Kocian qualifying for event finals on uneven bars.
Francis hit all four of her routines and earned Jamaica's highest all-around score of the competition, 51.999, to finish 66th overall in qualifying. Her placement was high enough to earn Jamaica's first-ever qualifying spot in the Olympic test event in Rio in April. Francis scored 13.000 on her James Bond-themed floor exercise that she brought over from NCAA competition, then earned her highest score of the night on vault with a 13.866 on her Yurchenko layout full. On uneven bars, she hit a solid routine for a score of 12.200, and she finished the night with a stuck back-handspring/back-handspring/double full dismount on beam to score 12.933.
"It felt amazing to be on the world stage," Francis said. "I was so relaxed with all the lights and screens; I am used to it from college, so I made sure to just keep the same mindset. The atmosphere was amazing in there!"
Kocian, who will be Westwood-bound in 2016-17, earned the third-highest overall qualifying score on uneven bars with a 15.233. She also had Team USA's fourth-best mark on balance beam, scoring 14.000 in the leadoff position. The U.S. earned the top qualifying team score with a total of 236.611, automatically qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The team finals of the World Championships will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 11:45am PT and will be televised live on Universal Sport. Kocian will also compete in the event finals on uneven bars, which will take place on Oct. 31 at 6:30am PT, also televised live on Universal Sports.
Watch Kocian's uneven bars routine:
