China and the U.S. each claimed two golds, and an AIN gymnast took the fifth title, on the first of two days of apparatus finals at the Junior World Championships in Manila on Sunday.
After placing fourth in Saturday’s all-around final, Lavi Crain of the U.S. finished first on women’s vault, ahead of all-around bronze medalist Nishiyama Misa of Japan.
Crain, who will turn 15 on December 9, trains under coaches Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong at Great American Gymnastics Express in Blue Springs, Missouri. Earlier this year she won all-around silver and vault gold in the junior division at the International Gymnix competition in Montreal, and all-around gold and vault gold at the City of Jesolo Trophy in Italy.
AIN gymnast Milana Kaiumova earned the title on uneven bars. Kaiumova, who turned 15 on September 26, was sixth all-around in Manila. She won all-around gold in the 2024 Russian Junior Championships.
In the men’s competition, Yang Lanbin of China collected his third medal of the competition by placing first on floor exercise. Yang earned all-around bronze and team gold earlier in Manila. Simone Speranza of Italy took his first of two silvers of the day, ahead of bronze medalist Karl Yulo of the Philippines. Yulo is the younger brother of 2024 Olympic floor exercise and vault champion Carlos Yulo.
Yang’s teammate, Zheng Ao, took gold on pommel horse. Born July 17, 2007, in Anhui, Zheng was 16th all-around in qualifications and a member of the gold medal-winning Chinese team in Manila.
Dante Reive of the U.S. captured gold on still rings. Reive, a team bronze medalist in Manila, turned 18 on October 24. Earlier this year he placed first on still rings in the junior division at the DTB Pokal in Stuttgart. Reive is the son of 1995 world team bronze medalist Doni Thompson Reive and former U.S. team member and current U.S. Army West Point men’s head coach J.D. Reive.
2025 Junior World Championships
Manila
First day of apparatus finals (November 23):
Women:
Vault:
- Lavi Crain USA 13.683
- Nishiyama Misa JPN 13.633
- Alexia Blanaru ROU 13.566
Uneven Bars:
- Milana Kaiumova AIN 13.933
- Lucia Piliarova SVK 13.800
- Caroline Moreau USA 13.333
Men:
Floor Exercise:
- Yang Lanbin CHN 13.833
- Simone Speranza ITA 13.766
- Karl Yulo PHI 13.733
Pommel Horse:
- Zheng Ao CHN 13.533
- Leeroy Traore-Malatre FRA 13.200
- Ojima Nao JPN 12.700
Still Rings:
- Dante Reive USA 13.866
- Simone Speranza ITA 13.666
- Wang Chengcheng CHN 13.466
Competition concludes Monday with the second half of apparatus finals.
International Gymnast Online related features:


















