Artistic Gymnastics

2. FIG CHALLENGE CUP 2012 in Doha

30. März 2012  
Doha, Qatar  
Artistic Gymnastics

2. FIG CHALLENGE CUP 2012 in Doha


Finals All

Just three days after the end of the first Challenge Cup in Cottbus the "gym-circus" already moved on, and the second CHALLENGE CUP 2012 takes place from 28 - 30 March at the Aspire Dome in Doha (Qatar). The organizing national gymnastics federation of Qatar received a total of 117 active participants from 31 nations (76 men / 41 women). In the women taking the world stars including Elizabeth Tweddle (GBR; 1st on uneven bars) and Cataline Ponor (ROU).
Germany is representing by Lisa-Katherina HILL ​​(Chemnitz) - third on uneven bars - and Nadine Jarosch, who won silver at the first final (vault) behind the Swiss winner Giulia Steingruber.
China's Olympic champion ZOU Kai was the first day on the floor is already victorious and once again promising to peak in the final on high bar on Friday ...

* Present in Doha - the apparatus of Janssen-Fritsen,
Partner of GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL


CHALLENGE CUP 2012, Doha (QAT)
_______________________________

  > Start list, Men
 
> Start list, Women

Giulia Steingruber: winner on vault

** Qualification (Wednesday, March 28)

* Women's Results:
   > Sprung / VT    > Stufenbarren / UB
  
   > Schwebebalken / BB > Boden / FX

* FINAL Results (Thursday)
> Sprung / VT     > Stufenbarren / UB

* Friday:
> Schwebebalken / BB    > Boden / FX

ZOU, Kai, winner on floor, favourite on high bar!

* Qualification - Men (Wednesday)
_______________________

* R e s u l t s:
> Boden / FX > Pferd / PH > Ringe / SR

> Sprung / VT > Barren / PB > Reck / HB


* F I N A L S (Thursday)
> Boden / FX   > Pferd / PH   > Ringe / SR

* Friday:
> Sprung / VT  > Barren / PB  > Reck / HB

Cottbus Challenge Cup: 2nd Final Day

25. März 2012  
Cottbus, Germany  
Artistic Gymnastics

Cottbus Challenge Cup: 2nd Final Day

Philipp Boy (GER)
, started at floor only and - won!

TODAY:  Apparatus Finals - Part II
There are world and continental champions, national champions and certainly next Olympic champion at this year's 2012 FIG Challenge Cup, wich will held from 22 to 25 March in the Lausitz-Arena of Cottbus, Germany.
For men, several duels will be the focus of interest. However, omitting local hero Philipp Boy still existing shoulder problems (clavicle) due to the high bar, and will present themselves well in the Lausitz-Arena at the weekend only at the floor of his audience and not just because the competition is at its best.
This requires the participant of this tournament record, the Olympic silver medalist Oksana Chusovitina from Cologne (GER), otherwise their 15th Cottbus start (since 1990!) unfortunately canceled and Elisabeth Seitz started at uneven bars only (slight foot injury) but won this apparate because the Chinese favourite HE Kexin failed  ...
** TODAY: Final Day II
*... more on >> Challenge Cup Cottbus 2012
end

33rd TOURNAMENT of MASTERS - last Test before the Europeans in Milan

02. März 2009  
Cottbus, Germany  
Artistic Gymnastics

33rd TOURNAMENT of MASTERS - last Test before the Europeans in Milan

The German organizers of the World Cup  33rd Tournament of Masters 2009 (category B) offer the update of nominative entries:
From March 20 to March 22 athletes from 33 countries announced their coming.
On men's side 87 gymnasts, representing 23 different nations and on women's side 35 gymnasts from 16 nations will particapate in the second world cup of the 2009 circuit, after the prologue at the Gymnix in Montreal, two weeks before...
* ... read more at our >> GYMmedia Event Service
end

Home Advantage may lift Rizzo

17. November 2005  
Melbourne / Australia  
Artistic Gymnastics

Home Advantage may lift Rizzo

Phillippe RIZZO (AUS)

AUSTRALIA has never won a gold medal at a world artistic gymnastics championships, but the Australian media and also the whole nation has high hopes that Philippe RIZZO can break the drought in front of a home crowd in Melbourne next week.
The high bar specialist is the host nation's best hope for a medal at the 38th world championships at the Rod Laver Arena, where some 308 athletes representing 61 counties will compete for the all-around and individual apparatus titles.
Canberra-based Rizzo, 24, has been in stellar form leading up to the championships, with a win on the high bar at a world cup event in Glasgow last month. The home advantage could help Rizzo edge out Italian veteran Igor Cassina, who won gold in the event at the Olympic Games in Athens last year.
>> ... Australian Team 2005

The Aussie Team at the Worlds 2005

13. November 2005  
Melbourne / Australia  
Artistic Gymnastics

The Aussie Team at the Worlds 2005

Phillippe Rizzo, Monette Russo
- most experienced

The Australian host of the upcoming 'Artistic Gymnastics World Championships', held in the Rod Lavel Arena of Melbourne from November 22 to 27 named its national squad:
On top of the Australian team are the high bar silver medallist of the 2001 worlds (Ghent) Phillippe RIZZO, who won at last the world cup in Glasgow last month...
On women's side will start Monette RUSSO, who scored second and third on floor at the last European world cups in Europe...
>> ... Australian Team 2005

British Team ready to demonstrate high standards in Melbourne

09. November 2005  
Great Britain  
Artistic Gymnastics

British Team ready to demonstrate high standards in Melbourne

The British Team who will represent the country at the 38th World Championships in the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne from 21st until 28th November, are flying out to Australia on Sunday, 13 Nov. 2005....


The 38th men's world are at the same time the 29th worlds for women, started at 1934 world championships in Budapest.

This year's event - these first post-Olympic Championships with 301 athletes representing 54 counties and seven of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games gold medallists competing - are expected to turn in to a significant event and reveal the names of the new talents who will play a key role in the world of Gymnastics up to Beijing 2008.

Beth Tweddle (GBR)

The British Team is led by Beth Tweddle from Liverpool, the 2003 World Bronze medallist on Uneven Bars in Anaheim (USA), who had added a number of victories and medals in the most prestigious international competitions ever since. In Melbourne she will be a strong challenger not only on the Bars, but also in the All-around and Floor.
With good chances to make the Finals on Floor and Vault is the quickly maturing first year Senior Imogen Cairns from The Academy Gym Club (near Bristol), who won Bronze medals on these two apparatus at the Glasgow Grand Prix and World Cup at the end of October.
The newcomer in the National Team, the British-American Shavahn Church, from Tarzana, California, is a very athletic and competitive gymnast and could surprise the world elite, particularly on Vault and U. Bars.
The 2004 Junior European Champion on A. Bars, Rhian Pugh from Bristol Hawks Gym Club (5th in Glasgow), will make her Senior début in Melbourne and on a good day could reach the Final.

Ross Brewer (GBR)

The triple British Champion Ross Brewer (26), from Sutton School of Gymnastics, is the only Brit to compete in the All-around of the Men’s event, while ten years younger Louis Smith, from Huntingdon Gym Club, will defend his reputation as an up-and-coming threat to the world’s aces on Pommels. He is the 2004 Junior European Champion and was Bronze medallist in Glasgow.

The Head of the British Delegation in Melbourne, Brian Stocks, President of British Gymnastics said: “British Gymnastics have marked an incredible progress over the last few years and we hope that our competitors will prove this in Melbourne. Winning the bids to host the 2009 World Championships and the 2012 Games in London has given a huge boost to our morales and ambitions, and Melbourne will be the stage for the new Olympic cycle to make them known to the rest of the world”.
Source: Baga website / Vera Atkinson

Chinese Worlds Team announced...

08. November 2005  
Beijing / China  
Artistic Gymnastics

Chinese Worlds Team announced...

Chinese veteran and double Olympic champion
<< Li, Xiaopeng leads Chinese new blood for Gymnastics worlds.
Li Xiaopeng will spearhead a 10-strong Chinese team for the Melbourne world gymnastics championships held on August 22-27.
The final lineup was revealed on Monday and Chinese men's squad dispatches mainly youngsters for the tournament, first major battle after their Athens Olympic waterloo last year.

Except for Li and world champion Xiao Qin, the other four members- Liang Fuliang, Chen Yibing, Yan Mingyong, and Zhang Hongtao are relatively new faces on international arena. ...

... most experienced, Zhang, Nan

However, women's lineup includes four experienced aces Zhang Nan, Fan Ye, Cheng Fei and Zhang Yufei.

Gao Jian, head of the Chinese Gymnastics Association, said they aimed to test young gymnasts and to learn from the other teams instead of snatching gold medals. 'Each team has gone through adaptation and reorganization after the Athens Games and is more or less out of form. So the real competition will kick off next year, when the new rule is formally implemented,' he said.
Source: Xinhua

PODIUM TRAINING of Women

20. November 2005  
Melbourne / Australia  
Artistic Gymnastics

PODIUM TRAINING of Women

Monett Russo <(AUS)
Hopes for the Hosts...

On Saturday, November 19 (men) and on Sunday, November 20 (women) will held the important sessions of PODIUM TRAINING.
All participants can use the original apparatuses under the same conditions like at the following competition days;
it's also a very important logistically check for all processes for the organizers.

May be to study the first interest thinks into the exercises of the athletes....

Rhian Pugh (GBR)

Our British colleague Vera Atkinson observed the women's and men's podium rotations:

British Women in excellent form during Podium Training
Divided into four Subdivisions, 106 gymnasts from 39 countries tested the competition floor at the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, before the Qualification round of the World Championships on Wed. 23 Nov.
According to the draw, Imogen Cairns and Rhian Pugh performed in the first Subdivision, Shavahn Church, in the second, and
Beth Tweddle, in the last, fourth Subdivision.
Church and Tweddle will compete in the All-around, Imogen on Floor and Vault and Rhian, the 2004 European Junior Champion on A.Bars.

Daiane dos Santos (BRA)
- high dynamic!

However, it remains to be decided whether Rhian Pugh will compete in the Qualifications on Wednesday. During the Podium Training, by the end of her routine, she caught her feet on the bar and fell on the safety mat; kneeling for a while, before being helped out of the podium by her coach Helen May and the doctor of the team John Aldridge.
The training session was a great success for the other three British gymnasts and it is to be hoped that they will be as impressive in the actual competition, as they were during the Podium Training.

Subdivision 1
An interesting first Subdivision dominated by Chellsie Memmel (USA), 2003 World Champion on uneven bars in a tie with Hollie Vise, who received enthusiastic applause from the knowledgeable audience of coaches, officials and fans. The other all-around performer, Florica Leonida (ROM), 2000 Olympic Team Champion, did not seem to be as ready as Chellsie and her level of performance was not so clean. Another gymnast who impressed, with very good technique on bars was Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs (CAN).
Verona Van de Leur (NED), 2002 World Silver medallist on Floor, showed flashes of her former brilliance on beam and floor.
Rotation 3 brought Chellsie Memmel and Daiane dos Santos (BRA), the reigning World Champion and World Cup Final winner, together on floor exercise.
They produced outstanding tumbling runs, both performing four double somersaults in their exercise.
The sequences of Memmel are as follows:
1. Two whip backs flick flack Arabian double front tucked
2. Double straight
3. Full in back out picked 4. Double back somersault piked

... dos Santos:
1. Arabian double front somersault piked
2. Arabian double front somersault tucked
3. Double straight
4. Double back somersault piked
Tina Erceg (CRO) produced a very well-choreographed floor exercise. Tania Gratt (AUT) demonstrated a good routine on uneven bars.

Subdivision 2
One of the most impressive gymnasts in this Subdivision was the 2004 World Cup Final Vault winner Alicia Sacramone (USA). Her powerful, dynamic and extremely difficult gymnastics on Vault, Beam and Floor is definitely making her a hot medal contender for these apparatus. In addition to her technical brilliance, Sacramone is also an excellent dancer on Floor (Arabian double front; 1/2 in 1/2 out; 2 and a half twists to straight front somersault; triple twist).
The only gymnast representing Spain, Lenka de Simone attracted a great deal of attention with her exquisite style of performance and technical excellence on all four apparatus.
Also to mention in this Subdivision is the British-American newcomer Shevahn Church, 16, coached by “coaching legend” Don Peters (SCATS USA) and Feng Yu (1986 Chinese Champion, at present coaching in the USA). Strong and athletic on all pieces, Church could be one of the surprises of the Championships.
Another debutant in the World Championships, Yulia Lozhecko (RUS), who marked her arrival at the Senior level with a Bronze medal in the European Championships All-around last June, impressed with one of the most artistic and well-choreographed routines on Floor and Beam.
Other gymnasts who deserve mention are the 2005 European overall Champion Marine Debauve (FRA), on uneven ars and Beam, Daniele Hypolito (BRA) on Vault and Beam, Jana Bieger (USA) on Bars and Zhang Yufei (CHN) on Beam and Floor.
The 2004 Olympic Champion on Beam, Floor and Team Catalina Ponor (ROM) did not look in her best ever form on Floor, but was rock-steady on her best apparatus, the Beam.

Subdivision 3
Undoubtedly, Nastia Liukin’s (USA) subdivision, and she demonstrated clearly what all the pundits have been saying - she is a star quality! She produced four world-class routines and has the potential to be the World All-around champion, but on Beam she is unique! Liukin, the new Champion of the USA, seems to possess all the best physical and mental qualities of her former World Champion parents and she received a great deal of applause throughout the Subdivision.
She has strong company in her group- the 2000 Olympic Champion on Floor and Vault Elena Zamolodchikova (RUS) and the 2005 European Champion on Floor Isabelle Severino (FRA). Elena, looking much revived from Athens and Isabelle, enjoying new lease of life, building on the successes of her European Championships.

The Chinese, with Cheng Fei and Fan Ye, the defending World Champion on Beam and 2005 World Student overall Champion, must be feeling extremely confident. Cheng Fei gave a Master- class vaulting - Yurchenko with 2 and 1/2 twists and round-off half turn into handspring front straight with 1 and 1/2 twist.
The evergreen Oxana Chussovitina (30), 1992 Olympic Team Champion and current World Champion on Vault, gained applause and congratulations, maintaining her high level of technical performance on A. Bars, Beam and Vault, whilst at the same time demonstrating clearly how much she loves the sport.
The Ukrainians, in Daria Zgoba have discovered a huge potential on bars. An exiting and much appreciated Subdivision!

Beth Tweddle (GBR)

Subdivision 4
 A Subdivision including four gymnasts who could play significant part in the All-around and Apparatus Finals:
- Zhang Nan (CHN), 2004 Olympic and 2003 World Bronze medallist in the All-around;
- Anna Pavlova (RUS), who lost the Olympic All-around Bronze medal to Zhang for mere 0.025 pts;
- Emilie Lepennec (FRA), the 2004 Olympic and 2005 European Champion on A. Bars and
- Elizabeth Tweddle (GBR), 2003 World Bronze medallist on A. Bars and current Commonwealth and Student Champion on this apparatus.
In rotation 3 Tweddle and Lepennec performed, one after another, two superb routines on A. Bars out of 10 points - a promise for a great Final, should the two of them go smoothly through the Qualifications.
Tweddle was strong and steady also on Floor and Beam and seems a potential threat not only for the A. Bars, but also for the All-around.
Monette Ruso (AUS), on A. Bars and Beam, Lais Souza (BRA) on Vault and Olga Sherbatykh (UKR), on Foor, are the other names to remember before the Qualifications on Wednesday, 23 Nov.
- from Melbourne for Baga: Vera Atkinson


After the two days of podium training on Monday, November 21 will be the last preparations for the OPENING CEREMONY of the 38th Men's and 29th Women's World Championships of Artistic Gymnastics....

following two days of qualification rounds
- on Tuesday (21.11., men) and
- Wednesday (23.11., women)...

Men s PODIUM TRAINING

19. November 2005  
Melbourne / Australia  
Artistic Gymnastics

Men s PODIUM TRAINING

Phillippe Rizzo (AUS)
- local hero

On Saturday, November 19 (men) and on Sunday, November 20 (women) will held the important sessions of PODIUM TRAINING.
All participants can use the original apparatuses under the same conditions like at the following competition days;
it's also a very important logistically check for all processes for the organizers.
May be to study the first interest thinks into the exercises of the athletes....

... also the international judges are making their 'Warming Up'!

Ross Brewer (GBR)

Our British colleague Vera Atkinson observed the women's and men's podium rotations:

Ross Brewer and Louis Smith test the floor in Melbourne

The Men’s Podium training at the Rod Laver Arena on Sat, 19 Nov, mirrored the Qualification day of the World Championships on Tue, 22 Nov.
Divided by the draw into three Subdivisions, the gymnasts and their coaches had to test the apparatus and its reaction to the podium, the lighting and their reaction to the space and the atmosphere of this enormous arena.
Three times British Champion Ross Brewer who will be competing on all six apparatus, performed in Subdivision 1.

He started on one of his best apparatus, the Pommel Horse, (performing immediately after Kim, Dae Eun (KOR, the 2004 Olympic Silver medallist in the All-around), and finished with his Floor routine.

Louis Smith (GBR)

The second British competitor, Louis Smith, 2004 European Junior Champion on Pommels, was seeded by the draw in the last, third Subdivision. The 16-year debutant in World Championships will obviously need strong nerves and good self-confidence in the Qualifications, since he is competing in the company of the two “Greatest of the Greats” on this apparatus- 2000 Olympic Champion and multiple World and European Champion Marius Urzica (ROM) and the 2004 World Cup Final Champion Xiao Qin (CHN).

Subdivision 1
In general, it does not contain the strongest specialists, but there was clear evidence of good all-around competitors in this Group, in particular Liang Fuliang (CHN), Todd Thornton (USA) and Sergei Khorokhordin (RUS).
Specialists who may not make it to the Rings Final, but whose work deserves special attention are Said Eldariny Walid (EGY) and Todd Thornton, a newcomer in this company showed exceptional work on P. Bars, High Bar and Rings, and will definitely feature the all-around final. Irodotos Georgallas (CYP), 2002 CWG gold medallist in a tie with the Scot Steve Frew.

The French gymnast Raphael Wignanitz impressed with mastery on Floor.
A concern was the injury to Alexander Markov (BUL) on High Bar; hopefully he recovers by the Qualifications on Thursday, 22 Nov.
It was quite surprising to see that the Korean Yang Tae Young who lost the Gold Olympic medal to Paul Hamm in Athens and was expected to seek a compensation in Melbourne, will not compete in the all-around!
Other gymnasts from Subdivision 1, to keep an eye on during the Qualifications are Kim Dae Eun (KOR), 2004 Olympic Silver medallist, Rafael Martinez (ESP), 2005 European Champion, Hisashi Mizutori (JPN) and Dimitri Savitski (BLR).

Subdivision 2
The outstanding performances in this Subdivision were from Yuri Van Gelder (NED) on Rings, Louis Rivera (PUR) on Floor and Pommels, Brandon O’Neil (CAN) on Floor and Vault, Leszek Blanik (POL), also on Vault, and Filip Yanev (BUL), on Floor and Vault.
Consistency personified was Evgeni Sapronenko (LAT) who landed perfectly four Handspring double fronts. Denis Savenkov (BLR) looks a strong contender for the All-around.
The 19-year old gymnast from Botswana Mothibi Kutlwano, who is making his first appearance at this level gave a very fair impression. He is training in Cape Town, South Africa, under a Russian coach, because his native Gaborone does not have a specialised gymnastics facility as yet.

Subdivision 3
On every apparatus, on every rotation a leading contender appears.
In rotation 1- Mitja Petkovsek (SLO) and Ivan Ivankov (BLR) fight on P. Bars.
In rotation 2 - Igor Cassina (ITA) and Ajaz Pegan (SLO)- on High Bar.
In rotation 3 - Marius Urzica (ROM) and Xiao Qin (CHN)- on Pommel Horse.
In rotation 4 - Jeffrey Wammes (NED) and Hiroyuki Tomita (JPN) on Floor.
In rotation 5 - Jordan Jovchev (BUL) and Mateo Morandi (ITA) on Rings and Li Xiaopeng (CHN) and Marian Dragulescu (ROM) on Vault.
Rotation 6- Marius Urzika and Li Xiopeng (CHN) on P.Bars.

Throughout this Subdivision there will be many other great gymnasts potential medallists and finalists Gervasio Deferr (ESP) and Yernar Yerimbetov (KAZ), but it is the head to head competitions listed above which will give an added attraction to the event.

Hardy Fink (CAN)

Hardy Fink (CAN), FIG Director of Education and Academy Programmes summarised his impressions from the day as follows:
“I have seen some pretty extraordinary performances today. I think the level of preparation is higher than expected. It is good news that we have witnessed some excellent performances from many countries without a long history and tradition in gymnastics (Cyprus, Egypt, Puerto Rico and others). For me it was wonderful to see Botswana participating at its first World Championships and Espen Jansen (37) from Norway at his record-breaking 11th!”
From Melbourne: Vera Atkinson / Baga

PREVIEW: Artistic Worlds 2005 - second time Down Under

20. November 2005  
Melbourne / Australia  
Artistic Gymnastics

PREVIEW: Artistic Worlds 2005 - second time Down Under

Eleven years after the world championships of artistic gymnastics were held in Australia (Brisbane, 1994), now the top highlight 2005 came back to the 'green continent' again.
It will be the '39th Men's...' and the '29th Women's Artistic Gymnastics Worlds', organized by the 124 years old International Gymnastics Federation F.I.G., started in 1903 in Antwerp (men's first) and completed by women's first event at the 10th tournament in Budapest 1934.

<< ... for more INFORMATION, please use our navigation list, left

The 38th annual Championships will be held at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. The expected field features 308 athletes from 54 countries with 190 competing in the men's and 108 in the women's divisions.
The format contains individual event championships (all-around and apparatus). Qualification rounds help determine advancement to the all-around and apparatus finals.
The top-24 compete in the all-around on Nov. 24-25.
For individual events, the top eight on each apparatus from the qualification rounds advance to the finals (Nov. 26-27).
- The men's floor exercise, pommel hores and rings, the women's vault and uneven bars apparatus final are on Nov. 26 and
- the men's vault, parallel bars and high bar finals are on Nov. 27, both at 2 p.m. (times local to Melbourne).
(Melbourne is 17 hours ahead of USA central standard time and 9 hours ahead CMT (Europe) ).

Rod Laver Arena
- Melbourne -

WCh Venue...

... is the 'Rod Laver Arena' at Melbourne Park. This multi-use venue is able to host a wide range of sporting and entertainment events, from Grand Slam tennis matches and motorbike super-cross action to rock concerts, conferences and classical ballets.

<< Rod Laver Arena has a capacity of 10,000 in Gymnastics mode for the 2005 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.
... about some favorites
Seven Athens Olympics gold medal winners will compete in the championships, including triple gold medal winner Catalina Ponor of Romania. Ponor took the gongs for the floor and beam in Athens, her compatriot Monica Rosu finished on top in the vault, and Emile Lepennec of France won the uneven bars.

Meanwhile, four of the six individual champions from Athens will compete in the men's draw. The Grecian Dimosthenis Tampakos of Greece, who won the rings in Athens, is expected to draw Melbourne's large Greek community to the arena.
South Korean KIM, Dae Eun are among the favorites for the men's all-around title but his compatriot YANG, Tae Young didn't use not all apparatuses at the Saturday's podium training.
They were at the centre of a judging controversy at the Olympic Games 2004 in Athens, where Paul HAMM took gold. Yang appealed against the incorrect assessment of the difficulty of his routine to the Court of Arbitration after taking the bronze and Kim the silver.
The titleholder from the Worlds 2003 in Anaheim HAMM is taking a year off from competition to focus on his university studies.
These championships will also mark the last international competition in which spectators may see a 10-out-of-10 routine!
A new open-ended scoring system will be implemented from January 1, 2006 and will be used for the first time at the American Cup and some times later at the coming events of the running World cup circuit.
The International Gymnastics Federation had introduced the system with the aim of making scoring more transparent and having greater difference between the best and the worst routines, Chetkovich said.

The fascinating skyline of Melbourne, today in the morning...
photos by Volker MINKUS


... more and special details will follow soon!

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