BRNO, Czech Republic – A group of past and present Stanford gymnasts went overseas this past weekend, bringing home two podium finishes in the 2023 Sokol Grand Prix.
The event was a mixed pairing event consisting of 12 teams. Eight pairs advanced to the second round after two events, before four teams competed for podium spots in the final round.
Cardinal alum Ian Gunther was the highest-placing Stanford representative on the weekend, finishing second alongside Canada's Shallon Olsen. Gunther posted a 14.200 on still rings in the final group, while Olsen tallied a 14.033 on vault for a combined team score of 28.333 for the silver medal.
Finishing just behind for bronze, junior Taylor Burkhart and teammate Alice Vlková of Czech Republic tallied a team score of 27.450 in the final round. Both elected to compete in vault for the final, with Burkhart posting a 14.250 along with Vlková's score of 13.200.
Alum Riley Loos and Blake Sun also competed in the event, reaching the round of 8 before ultimately being eliminated. Loos finished the event fifth alongside Netherlands' Sam Van der Hilst with a score of 23.500, as Loos tallied a still rings event score of 13.600. Sun finished eighth with Czech gymnast Lucie Trnková, as he marked a 12.433 in pommel horse.
Full scorecards of all three rounds of the 2023 Sokol Grand Prix can be found here.
Stanford begins the season on Jan. 13 in Berkeley, Calif., for the Cal Benefit Cup.
