By Vera Atkinson, FIG Editor.

FINALS DAY 1 OF 2

Madrid (ESP) - FIG Office, December 13, 2008

Men's Floor - Diego proves his point!
With three 2008 Olympic Floor finalists (Ushimura 5th, Hypolito 6th and Shatilov 8th) competing in Madrid, this opening World Cup event set a very high standard of competition for the weekend. This time the twice World Champion Diego Hypolito did not leave any doubt who is the THE Floor Master.  His nightmare from Beijing (when he sat in the end of perfectly executed routine and dropped into 6th place), has slightly faded away. Diedo is now a three times World Cup Final winner (2004/2006/2008).

Kohei Ushimura, the 2008 Olympic Silver medallist in the All-around from JPN, confirmed the excellent impressions he has left in Beijing explosive, very precise and clean, all tumbling stuck. Alexander Shatilov (ISR), Olympic and twice world floor finalist showed a routine as difficult as Ushimura's but was not as precise as him.

The new European Champion Eleftherios Kosmidis (GRE) had a chance to medal with very impressive difficulty of 6.7, but he fell on his finishing double double and dropped into fourth place.

Kristian Thomas (GBR), who arrived in Madrid, last, presented an elegant exercise but lacked difficulty. Wagdi Bouallegue (TUN) supported on his hands in the end of second twisting series. Jeffrey Wammes (NED) flying high but landing too clumsily; he lost too many points in hops steps and adjustments in the end of his mighty tumbling series. Mathias Fahrig (GER) made two major mistakes.

Women's Vault - Cheng Fei's game
For Cheng Fei (CHN), this is a consolation for her Bronze in Beijing! (15.050 - GOLD). Yurchenko 1 ½ off- 5.800- 15.200 / Yurchenko ½ on - half off layout (but what a crisp performance!) (D: 5.6 - 14.900).

2. Ariella Kaeslin (SUI) marks another record for Switzerland, her country's first World Cup Final medal (14.912- SILVER). Handspring 1 ½ straight - 6.3- 15.275 / Yurchenko 1 ½ - 5.500- 14.5503. Aangje Wanwallenghem (BEL). Belgium also celebrates their first World Cup Final medal. (14.425 - BRONZE).  Yurchenko 1 ½ - 5.500- 14.650 / Yurchenko ½ on 1 ½ off piked (D: 5.2 - 14.200).

Elsa Garcia (MEX - 14.400) ranked four. Clean and beautiful! Cleanest Yurchenko 1 ½ until this moment of competition (D: 5.50 - 14.600) / Cuervo piked (D: 5.2 - 14.200).

Fifth place for Dorina Bozogo (HUN) with two high vaults with clean shape! (13.787). Handspring front ½ piked D: 5.50 - 13.775) / Yurchenko 1 ½ straight but sat on reception (D: 5.50- 13.800).

Elena Zamolodchikova (RUS) (6th  - 13.475). A double twist landed on knees (D: 5.8- 13.900) / a half on 1 ½ off knee problem again (D: 5.2 - 13.050). They gave it a pike value.

Jana Komrskova (CZE) (7th - 13.500). 7th Vault Stuttgart. Yurchenko  ½ on , one and ½ of (D: 5.00- 13.500) / Yurchenko full twist touching the mat on reception. (D: 5.00 - 13.025).

For Wong Hiu Ying Angel (HKG) it is the first participation in a competition of this scale (8th - 12.712). (D: 5.20 - 13.450 and D: 4.40 - 11.975).

Men's Pommel Horse - Half on, half kicked down!
Zhang Hongtao (CHN), the Gold medallist from the World Cups in Ostrava and Stuttgart putting on display an impeccable body position from the beginning to the end of his routine; another great stylist on Pommels has arrived. (D: 6.8 - 16.375 - GOLD).

Three times European champion and 2007 World Silver medallist, Krisztian Berki (HUN) in his usual extension and very impressive scissors - (D: 6.70 16.100). Prashant Sellathurai (AUS), the World Silver medallist in Aarhus 2006 returned to the world podium with difficulty, impeccable style, clean Russian circles and quick and smooth travelling. (D: 6.7 - 16.025).

4. Olympic Bronze medallist Louis Smith (GBR), opening the Pommel Horse Final; overcame a hesitation in the first part and finished convincingly. (D: 6.7 - 15.600).

5. 2008 European Junior Champion Daniel Keatings (GBR) with good although slightly nervous starts, and unfortunately fell from the apparatus. (D: 6.5 - 15.075).

6. Robert Seligman (CRO) - another disaster - falls from handstand at the very beginning of the routine. (D: 6.2 - 14.425).

7. Saso Bertoncelj (SLO) - very spectacular direct Stoecklis and applause from the audience, until his unfortunate fall from the pommels. (D: 5.8 - 14.025).

8. The same scenario was repeated by Donna Donny Tryuens (BEL), who suffered even further with a second fall (D: 5.60 - 12.775).

Women's Uneven Bars - A Chinese - Japanese matter.
Performing first, the 2008 Olympic Champion He Kexin (CHN) did her famous Jaeger to mixed grip to straddled front flip and a layout Jaeger but didn't manage to hit a handstands to the low bar. However, her Start value did not suffer because of this- GOLD.  (D: 7.70 - 16.250).

JIANG Yuan (CHN) is simply beautiful with elegant slender line, original and difficult change of grips and double layout to finish (SILVER - D: 7.10- 15.700). Koko Tsurumi (JPN) performed two small hiccups during otherwise clean and beautiful routine also finishing with double layout. The year 2008 is, indeed memorable for the Japanese women. After wining 5th Team place in Beijing they have now entered also the World Cup Finals medallists' lists. (BRONZE - D: 6.8 - 15.250).

4. The 2008 European Champion and winner in the 2007 Good Luck Beijing Pre-Olympics Dariya Zgoba (UKR) - twice legs slightly apart, but otherwise solid performance. (D: 6.2 - 14.500).

5. Jana Sikulova (CZE) - very athletic, finishing with double front dismount. (D: 6.00 - 14.300).

 6. Anastasia Koval (UKR) who recently won the World Cup event in Stuttgart fell from Tkachev piked, but  pulled herself together quickly. (D: 6.00 - 13.625).

7. Daniele Hypolito (BRA) - fell down mid way and not fully recovered from the shock fell again. Mighty double layout to finish. (D: 5.5 - 11.875).

Men's Rings - Battle of Giants!
The Gold is for the 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist and Silver medallist in Sao Paulo's World Cup Final in 2006. Olexander Vorobyov (UKR) - clean, crisp and strong; performing under pressure after Jovtchev and Yan and still, building up the highest difficulty in this contest. - GOLD. (D: 7.2 - 16.275).

Four times Olympic medallist and former twice World Champion, Jordan Jovtchev (BUL) had the same mal chance to open the Final, as it was in Beijing 2008. All strength parts held, connections done, just a hop after the dismount  A score of 6.8 for Difficulty appeared for a while on the scoreboard, until the mistake was corrected 7.10, Jovtchev's usual highest. (SILVER (D: 7.10- 16.150).

Yuri Van Gelder (NED) without a loss in the World Cup Final series in the season, scored equal highest for Execution, as Vorobyov, but lost the Silver to Jovtchev by 0.075. (BRONZE - D: 7.00 - 16. 075).

4. Yan Mingyong (CHN) who earlier in the year has performs a 7.4 Difficulty routine and has an envious record of achievements at World Cup events let the rings moving visibly in the second part of his exercise, but his landing was solid. (D: 7.00 - 15.950).

5. Regulo Carmona from Caracas (VEN) - the 2006 World Cup final winner on rings and 2007 World finalist (5th). Strong and clean, but not sufficient difficulty for medal today. (D: 6.7 - 15.650).

6. Irodotos Georgalas CYP- 2002 Commonwealth Games Champion (in a tie with Steve Frew); and winner in Maribor 2008 in a tie with Regulo Carmona VEN - just opposite to Carmona- high difficulty, but problems with the execution and especially the landing (big steps). (D: 7.20 - 15. 375).

7. Strong and solid in the first part of his exercise;  slightly unsure in the second,  Konstantin Pluzhnikov (RUS), an impressively talented ring- worker, lost any chance for place on the podium when he fell flat on his back on his dismount (Execution 8.225). (D: 7.10 - 15.325).

8. The 2004 Olympic Champion Dimostenis Tampakos (GRE) seemed unsure in his handstands and performed a relatively easy routine, compared to the standard Jovtchev and Yan had already set before him. (D: 6.30 - 14.700).