USA Wins Team Bronze At Lisbon International Tournament

Camilla Feeley and Laura Zeng
© Steve Lange

LISBON, Portugal – U.S. junior rhythmic gymnastics all-around champion Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Camilla Feeley of Lincolnshire, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, won the team bronze medal at the Lisbon (Portugal) International Tournament. The Lisbon International Tournament wraps up on Sunday with event finals, and the USA will be represented in all four events. Also, World all-around finalist Jazzy Kerber of Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Serena Lu of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, are competing today in the first round of qualifications for the Lisbon World Cup, which is part of the International Gymnastics Federation's World Cup series.

In the team competition, Russia won the title, followed by Belarus. The USA was fourth going into the last two events and pulled ahead of Azerbaijan to clinch the bronze medal. The team totals were determined by using the best six of eight event scores.

Today, Feeley qualified for the clubs event finals with her fourth-place ranking and 15.100. Zeng tied with Feeley but finished fifth due to the tie-breaker, and only one athlete per country is allowed to compete in each event final. Zeng advanced to the ribbon final when she posted a 14.750 to land in sixth place. Feeley was 10th at 13.950. Yesterday, Zeng qualified for the event finals for both ball and hoop.

At the World Cup, Kerber and Lu are competing in hoop and ball today, with the last two events scheduled for Saturday, when the all-around champion will be determined. The individual event finals are also set for Sunday.

The competition schedules are below and all times are local. For more information, visit the official event website.

Lisbon World Cup

• Friday, April 4, 2014
  • 5:30 – 7:45 p.m. – Group A: All-around finals and event qualification (hoop, ball)
  • 8:30 – 10:45 p.m. – Group B: All-around finals and event qualification (hoop, ball)
• Saturday, April 5, 2014
  • 2:30 – 5 p.m. – Group B: All-around finals and event qualification (clubs, ribbon)
  • 6:30 – 9 p.m. – Group A: All-around finals and event qualification (clubs, ribbon)
• Sunday, April 6, 2014
  • 4:45 – 6:30 p.m. – Individual event finals

Lisbon International Tournament

• Sunday, April 6, 2014
  • 11:15 a.m. – 1 p.m. - Junior event finals

Gracie Gold & Ashley Wagner ISU World Team Trophy 2013 Short Program

Tokyo, Japan - Seventeen year old Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner twenty one looked beautiful and in great form as she performed at ISU World Team Trophy 2013 short program at Yoyogi National Gymnasium on April 11, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan.

Gracie Gold is an American figure skater. She is the 2012 Rostelecom Cup silver medalist, the 2013 U.S. National silver medalist, the 2012 World Junior silver medalist, and the 2012 U.S. Junior national champion.

Israel's President Peres holds working meeting with US Under Secretary of State Sherman

Peres: "I remain convinced that President Obama will do all he can to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and that under his leadership the American administration will not cease in their attempts to find a solution to the Iranian threat."

President Shimon Peres, last week (Thursday, 28 February 2013), held a working meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, who manages the negotiations with Iran. Sherman, who arrived from the negotiations in Kazakhstan to Israel, briefed President Peres on the developments in the negotiations and reaffirmed the commitment of the United States of America to preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear armed state.

In statements delivered President Peres said, "After your in-depth briefing I remain convinced that President Obama will do all he can to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and that under his leadership the American administration will not cease in their attempts to find a solution to the Iranian threat." Under Secretary Sherman thanked President Peres and said, "America has no better friend than you. I know that President Obama and Secretary Kerry so look forward to coming here and to the region and to talking about all the things we work on together for peace and security."

During the meeting between the two, President Peres raised before Under Secretary Sherman the severity with which Israel views Iran's attempts to acquire nuclear weapons and stressed that a nuclear Iran is an existential threat for peace in the world and not just Israel, "In Iran people are hanged without trial. Iran funds and arms the world's deadliest terror organizations. Instead of caring for the welfare of their people they invest huge resources into enriching uranium and do incredible harm to human rights." President Peres continued and said, "I have total faith in the Obama administration in its commitment and its actions in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and I believe that President Obama stands behind his promise on the Iranian threat."