Maldonado To Compete In Apparatus World Cup

AMES, Iowa – Cyclone newcomer Andrea Maldonado is headed to Cottbus, Germany to compete in the 44^th Turnier Der Meister FIG Individual Apparatus World Cup. The competition spans four days, going from Nov. 21-24.

Maldonado enrolled at Iowa State in the fall 2019, and will begin her collegiate career as a junior. She brought a depth of competitive experience with her, having competed at the 2015 World Championships, multiple Pan-American Games and other international competitions.

Maldonado, a native of Puerto Rico, left the country in 2018, one year after Hurricane Maria hit the island and devastated the lives of many of its residents. Maldonado spoke about this life experience with sadness.

"I left my home country after the hurricane changed our lives," Maldonado said. "The education system started to deteriorate and many things we took for granted disappeared."

Maldonado heads to Cottbus continuing to represent Puerto Rico, but will now also represent Iowa State.

"I am very, very excited," Maldonado said. "I feel like I have gotten to the peak of my career [at Iowa State] and it has been very special for me to get to this point. Everyone is giving me the best support."

The competition will be held at Lausitz Arena Cottbus, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 9:30 a.m. CST with qualifications for vault and bars. Floor and beam qualifications are on Friday, Nov. 22 with the same 9:30 a.m. start time. During one of her passes in floor qualifications, Maldonado is slated to become the first female gymnast to attempt a front handspring layout triple twist in international competition.

"Andrea has been coached by her father for most of her gymnastics career," assistant gymnastics coach Nilson Medeiros said. "Having the opportunity to compete a skill for the first time in history and add her family name to the gymnastics code of points will mean a lot to her, our entire athletic program and Cyclone Nation. It is gratifying when you have a university willing to go above and beyond to provide our student-athletes the support that they need to fulfil their academic and athletic goals."

The Apparatus World Cup is different from most international competitions, as there will be no all-around scores calculated. The top eight gymnasts on each apparatus qualify for the finals.

"We are excited that she has the opportunity to compete at this individual World Cup," head coach Jay Ronayne commented. "It is another way for her to get even more big-time experience and to further her gymnastics career. Being able to capitalize on this opportunity could be something very special for her."

The vault and bars finals are set for 7 a.m. CST on Saturday, Nov. 23, with the floor and beam finals occurring on the following day, Nov. 24, at 7 a.m.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Vault/Bars Qualifications: Thursday, Nov. 21 at 9:30 a.m. CST

Floor/Beam Qualifications: Friday, Nov. 22 at 9:30 a.m. CST

Vault/Bars Finals: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7 a.m. CST

Floor/Beam Finals: Sunday, Nov. 24 at 7 a.m. CST