Olympics: Mikulak, U.S. men fall short

Corona del Mar High product Sam Mikulak and the other four members of the United States Olympic team finished a disappointing fifth in the men's gymnastics team final contested Monday in London.

The Americans were plagued by mistakes on the pommel horse and the floor exercise to finish with 269.952 points. China (275.997), Japan (271.952) and Great Britain (271.711) earned the top three spots to claim gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Team USA had topped the point list in the team qualifications on Saturday, posting 274.342 points, which was followed by Russia (272.595) and Great Britain (272.420).

Mikulak, a 19-year-old Newport Coast resident who competes at the University of Michigan, led three American gymnasts in the pommel horse Monday with a score of 14.500. His score featured no deductions, but his two teammates fell from the apparatus, leaving the Americans with the seventh-best team score in the event.

Mikulak, the NCAA overall champion in 2011 who was third overall at the 2012 NCAA championships, touched one hand on the floor after a triple-twisting back somersault in his floor exercise routine. The resulting deduction produced a score of 14.600, worst among three Americans in the event. Team USA posted the third-best combined score in the floor exercise.

Mikulak posted scores of 15.966 in the vault and 15.266 on the parallel bars to round out events in which he took part on Monday. Both scores were second-best among three America competitors. Team USA ranked No. 3 on the parallel bars and No. 6 in the vault.

The Americans ranked third and fourth as a team on high bar and rings, respectively, Monday.

Mikulak will compete in the individual vault final on Monday at 7:41 a.m. PT.

WOMEN'S BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Newport Harbor High product Misty May-Treanorand partner Kerri Walsh Jennings, in search of their third straight Olympic gold medal in women's beach volleyball, remained unbeaten in Olympic competition on Monday.

The two-time defending gold medalists topped Kristyana Kolocova and Marketa Slukova of the Czech Republic, 21-14, 21-19.

The Group C match began on May-Treanor's 35th birthday, but ended after midnight. May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings, who have never lost a set in three Olympics, had to rally from an 18-15 deficit in the second game to complete their second sweep in these Games.

May-Treanor had 14 kills, 12 digs and one ace serve, while Walsh Jennings had seven kills, seven digs, three blocks and three aces.