By Vera Atkinson, FIG Editor.
FINALS DAY 2 OF 2
Madrid (ESP) - FIG Office, December 14, 2008:
VIVE LA FRANCE & ALL
Apart from China, the undisputable leader in these World Cup Finals, with 5 Gold medals; only France managed to win more that one gold medal (2). The second day of the Finals in the Telefonica Arena in Madrid saw Australia and Netherlands also joining the Gold medal's table, which Brazil and Ukraine made yesterday.
Men's Vault : Bouhail wins, Botella steals the cheers
Only Thomas Bouhail opted for two vaults of maximum Difficulty, 7.00 in this Final and won; a powerful running torpedo! Expect more from him in the near future; he is already working on a new, unique vault!
1. Thomas Bouhail FRA (22), Olympic Silver medallist on Vault in Beijing and winner in this year's World Cup events in Glasgow and Stuttgart.
- Double Tsuk- big step on reception- 7.00- 15.875
- Dragulesku (handspring double front ½ turn)- 7.00- 16.575
16.225- GOLD.
2. Jeffrey Wammes NED, winner in this year's World Cup in Ostrava (CZE) and Silver medallist in Stuttgart DTB Cup-
- Yurchenko 2 ½ -6.6-16.125
- Handspring 2 ½- 6.6- 16.175
16.150- SILVER.
3. Anton Golotsutskov RUS, Olympic Bronze medallist on Floor and Vault in Beijing and 2007 European Champion on Vault. One of the few performers in the world who performs Dragulescu 'Roche' (handspring double front somersault with ½ turn) and double Tsukahara, but this time he did only
- Double Tsukahara- 7.00- 16.200
- Handspring double front piked- 6.60- 16.075
16.075- BRONZE.
3. Isaak Botella Perez ESP (22), Olympic finalist in Beijing, 8th; Bronze medallist in Ostrava'08 (CZE), also 8th in the 2007 World Championships and winner in Barcelona World Cup this year.
- Double twisting Tsuk- 6.6- 16.100.
- Handspring 2 ½ twists- 6.6- 16.075.
16.075 - BRONZE
5. Mathias Fahrig GER (23), from Halle, Silver medallist on Vault in Glasgow and Bronze in Stuttgart 2008;
Athens Olympic Games (8th). He was also Vault finalist (4th) at the 2006 World Cup Final in Sao Paulo BRA.
- Handspring double front piked- step on reception- 7.00- 16.075
- Double-twisting Tsukahara- 6.8- 15.950.
16.012.
6. Diego Hypolito BRA, fresh from his third World Cup Final victory on Floor on Saturday night,
- Tsukahara double twist- 6.6- 16.100.
- Handspring 1 ½ twists- 6.6- 15.812.
15.812.
7. Enrique Thomas Gonzalez CHI (24). The winner on Floor in Glasgow 2007 took part in two world championships (2005 Melbourne and 2007 Stuttgart (AA; Vault 22nd). Multiple World Cup medallists.
- Yurchenko 2 ½ twists, very bad landing- 6.6- 14.950.
- Tsukahara 1 ½ twists- 6.2- 15.675.
15.312.
8. Evgeny Sapronenko LAT (30) The 2004 Olympic Silver medallist who is in Madrid with Igor Vihrov, the 2000 Olympic Champion on Floor, as his coach. Sapronenko was also 2005 European Champion and 1999 and 2001 World Silver medallist.
- Handspring double front piked, sat on landing- 6.6- 15.100.
- Tsukahara double salto, form a bit untidy, landed on knees- 6.6- 15.075.
15.087.
Three of the finalists on Vault in Madrid, took part in the Floor Final on Saturday: Hypolito- 1st, Wammes-7th and Fahrig- 8th.
Women's Beam: Mitchell wins for Australia
Lauren Mitchell, AUS (17) from Perth, is a member of the Western Australian Institute of sport who finished 5th on Beam at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Double pirouette in Kosak position (Applause!), front somersault, back somersault on the back of acrobatic series, switch leap, finish double piked somersault
D: 6- 15.250.
2. Elfin Yulia Lozhechko RUS, 19-year old from Briansk, 2007 European Champion on Beam and three times gold medallist in World Cup events in the last series; Without doubt the most graceful gymnast in this competition. Arabian at the beginning, switch leap, free walkover, grand-jeté, side somersault, double pike dismount
D- 6.40- 15.200.
3. LI Shanshan CHN- 2008 OG Team Champion; Silver World Championships Stuttgart (In a tie with S. Nistor ROM), 7.3 in Stuttgart. There is something unique in the way she moves on the beam, as if the apparatus is specially carpeted for her; Combination of difficulties neatly performed and stable, double piked finish
D: 6.30- 15.150.
4. Sandra Isbasa ROM- 8th in Stuttgart World Championships, 2008 Olympic Champion on Floor + 8th AA; 2007 European Silver medallist on Beam. Mature, focused, Good clean, saved some of her difficulty, compared to Beijing.
D: 5.9- 14.925.
5. Dariya Zgoba UKR- A recognized A. Bars specialist, Zgoba leaves very good impressions on Beam too.
Rondat flick flak, pirouette leg high up (Ole from the audience!), front piked somie. Unfortunately finishing with an simple layout salto which inevitably reduces her final score
D: 6.10- 13.425.
6. Cheng Fei CHN - Bronze medallist on Beam in Beijing 2008. Master of twisting somersaults on the beam, this time it seems Cheng was not quite sure of herself, Full twisting back somersault; unexpected fall from easy element, wobble after front somersault. Double twisting dismount.
D: 6.40 (-0.1) - 13.825.
7. Danielle Hypolito - Immediate fall after rondat flic mount on the beam; switch leap; a bit heavy, full turn leg horizontal; Double pike dismount
D: 6.10- 13.425.
Men's P. Bars: A medal splitting exercise
In this final as in the last, in high bar, it was all about Start Value!
1. Yann Cucherat FRA, World Bronze medallist on this Apparatus in Melbourne 2005, Silver PB Stuttgart DTB; well known stylist Very small hop after double pike landing. Clean!
D: 6.7- 15.775.
1. Feng Zhe CHN, very well remembered from the 2007 Good Luck Beijing Pre-Olympic event where he won the Silver medal on P. Bars. Gold medallist with his team.
Slight loss of balance after swing to turn at the beginning, good salto between bars, double pike off the apparatus
D: 7.00- 15.775.
3. Valery Goncharov UKR (31) is the Olympic Champion on P. Bars from Athens'04 and winner in the DTB Cup in 2007. He is remembered for his spectacular three Kovacs in a row on HB.
D: 6.8- 15.675.
4. Samuel Piasecky SVK made remarkable progress in the last two years! 2008 Silver in Glasgow, winner in Ostrava (CZE). Blume Memorial 2008. Also very good on High Bar. A high quality exercise, elegant line,
D: 6.4-15.450.
5. Manuel Carballo ESP (26) is the youngest of the popular and very respected Carballo Gymnastics family, is one of the most elegant performers on P. Bars in the world with a long record of achievements. He is the 2005 European Champion on PB in Debrecen HUN; 2005 World Finalist in Melbourne, 5th; 2006 World Cup Finalist in Sao Paulo (7th) and has won numerous medals at World Cup events not only on PB, but also on Pommels and High Bar.
Ole, Espana! Encouraging-guiding remarks from the balconies and a storm of cheerful applause in the end.
D: 6.00- 15.300.
6. Hiroyuki Tomita JPN (28). In his first Olympics in Athens 2004, Tomita led the men's team in an upset when the Japanese team captured the Olympic title for the first time since 1976. One year later, in 2005, he became World All-around Champion. Variety of somersaults between bars, but one visible hesitation, double pike big step forward on landing.
D: 6.5- 14.875.
6. Yosuke Hoshi JPN is one of the young competitors in the Japanese National Team and an excellent performed on P. Bars. Member of the Silver Japanese Team at the World Championships in Stuttgart, he took the 7th place in the P. Bars Final. Two months later at the Beijing Pre-Olympic event he was finalist on P. Bars again improving his final position with two places- 5th.
Diamidov in the end of the bars. Touched the floor with his feet while performing a swing forward and fell from the apparatus.
D: 6.5- 14. 875.
8. Vasilleios Tsolakidis GRE (29), Multiple World and European Finalist on P. Bars, he is very often audience's favourite because of his mastery and the spectacular feature in his routines. Stuttgart' 08 DTB performed 4th. A crowd pleaser! Well done Diamidov, but loosing balance in the end of connection, then lost balance twice, step aside after dismount
D: 6.0- 14.425.
Women's Floor: Golden Cheng
1. Cheng Fei CHN is the 2006 World Champion floor in Aarhus with another memory - bringing routine. Her solemn-finishing Floor music to the routine stamped the Chinese victory in Beijing.
D: 6.30- 15.375.
2. JIANG Yuyan CHN - 2008 OG Team Champion, 4th on Floor and 6th AA in Beijing put the end of the women's competition in Madrid with her playful, bubbly Sirtaki routine.
D: 6.3- 15.225.
3. Sandra Izbasa ROU (18) from Bucharest, is the current 2008 Olympic Champion; twice European Champion 2006 and 2008. Performing the routine which brought her the Gold in Beijing slightly trimmed in respect of Diff. Very warm welcome from the audience; full in to open, 2 ½ punch front, full to double twist, triple twist.
D: 6.20- 15.00.
4. Elena Zamolodchikova RUS is the 2000 Olympic Champion on Floor. An evergreen, unanimously respected veteran in the rhythm of Disco music. Full in, triple twist, 1 ½ to full straight, double pike finish.
D: 5.70- 14.075.
5. Naomi Ruiz Walker ESP - (A wild card participant) Floor Finalist at this year's World Cup in Glasgow opens the Women's finishing event with a routine choreographed to passionate 'Carmen'.
D: 5.80- 13.900.
6. Daniele Hypolito BRA (24) was the first Latin American to win a world medal, Silver on Floor, in Ghent 2001. Her success served as a catalyst to all the gymnastics community in the country. She is three times Olympian (Sydney 2000 (20th overall), Athens 2004 (16th) and Beijing 2008 (Team 8th). A Samba routine. Triple twist, double pike finish
D: 5.3- 13.700.
7. Koko Tsurumi JPN- Bronze medal for Japan on U. Bars last night. Routine choreographed to Japanese music. Full in, 2-½-punch front; finishing with double pike.
D: 5.7- 13.575.
8. Charismatic Elsa Garcia MEX (18), in a different but no less engaging Latino- rhythm. Arabian double front, full in (sadly ending with fall), 1 ½ into full, double piked.
D: 6.10- 13.175.
9. Suzanne Harmes NED (22)- 2004 Olympian and World Bronze medallist on Floor in Melbourne 2005 and the only mother competing in Madrid (she has one years old little son). 2005 European Silver medallist on Floor. Good beginning with full in, triple twist, triple pirouette, ring and split leaps, 1 ½ into full twists, when, most unexpectedly her hands slide on a simple rondat.
D: 5.3-12.650.
Men's High Bar: Welcome, Epke! Good luck Hiroyuki and Christoph
1. Epke Zonderland NED (22), He impressed everybody at the Worlds in Stuttgart; he ended in 7th position in the Beijing Olympics, but he is finally there, on the well-deserved top of the Rostrum. Competition form reached on time. (Kovach followed by full twisting Kovach; Full twisting double straight dismount).
D: 6.90 - 16.175.
2. Philippe Rizzo AUS (27), the World Champion in Aarhus 2006 and Silver medallist from Ghent 2001. Fully recovered from his 2007 injury; Spectacular one-arm circles and full twisting Gienger / Deff;
D: 6.8 - 15.825.
3. Hiroyuki Tomita (JPN) - 2004 Olympic Team Champion; 2005 World All-around Champion; 2008 Olympic Team Silver medallist. Superb routine ending with double twisting double back and literally in the last second of landing he touched the mat with his fingers.
D: 6.80 - 15.325.
4. Yann Cucherat FRA is twice Olympic Finalist on High Bar (Sydney, 6th and Beijing 8th); 2005 World Silver medals. A stylist, indeed! Ending with full twisting double straight.
D: 6.60- 14.850.
5. Mosiah Rodrigues BRA, (27), From Porto Alegre. Experienced gymnast who has taken part in 4 World Championships (2003/5/6/7) and won 4 medals in the World Cup circuit. Gold medallist at the Pan Am Games 2007. (Double double dismount)
D: 6.00 - 14.475.
6. For Christoph Schaerer SUI (28) it was the last competition of another wonderful gymnast who will be remembered as one of the best performers on High Bar in world. He was twice Olympian and twice European Bronze medallist. (Unfortunate fall from full twisting Jager).
D: 6.00 - 14.200.
7. Igor Cassina ITA - Olympic champion of Athens 2004, fourth in Beijing; Famous for his series of Kovach, he unfortunately fell on his second full twisting Kovach. Rhythm lost, another fall fallowed. A 'blue block' of enthusiastic supporters with a flag: Cassina Boys; 'Igor 1 of Us!'
D: 5.20- 12.725.
Sadly, the Slovenian Master on High Bar Ajaz Pegan (34) had to pull out of the competition, struggling with back pain.
