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MERDINYAN WINS AFTER BERKI FALTERS; IORDACHE TAKES VAULT
Gulf Times, Qatar
March 27 2014
By Sahan Bidappa/Doha
Harutyun Merdinyan created the biggest upset of the 7th FIG Artistic
Gymnastics World Challenge Cup 2014, when the Armenian won the Pommel
Horse event here at the Aspire Dome yesterday.
Going into the final, Merdinyan was one of the contenders for the
gold medal having topped the qualification rounds as well. But with
Olympic champion Krisztian Berki, rated as the best Pommel Horse
competitor of all time by the International Gymnastics Federation,
in contention, victory wasn't a sure shot for Merdinyan.
However, it was Merdinyan who displayed an immaculate performance with
15.475 points. On the other hand, Berki was cheered vociferously by
the small Hungarian contingent, but the 2011 World Champion failed to
hit the right notes. He began his performance impressively, but slipped
off the beam and could garner only 14.775 points to finish sixth.
The second place went to Croatia's Robert Seligman (15.275), while
Slovenia's Saso Bertoncelj (15.150) came third. Qatar's Ahmed Aldayani
came eighth with 12.625 points, but it was good show from the local
gymnast and the experience will serve him world of good.
The 2013 World champion Kenzo Shirai of Japan won the Floor event
comfortably. Shirai used his Worlds routine, including eye-popping
quadruple twist dismount -- to post the highest score of the entire
meet so far (16.000). That mark, stemming from a 7.4 Difficulty-score,
easily topped second-placed Paul Ruggeri (15.150) of USA and China's
Wang Peng (15.100), who finished.
Shirai was delighted with his performance and gunned another gold
medal in today's Vault final, where he is also one of the favourites.
"I am very happy with my performance. It was quite clinical and I put
up a very good score, especially in the difficulty level. Now I want
to win the Vault gold as well," said the Japanese.
In the women's Vault, the 2012 Olympic medallist Larisa Iordache
of Romania won the event with a total score of 14.337, ahead of
Slovenia's Teja Belak (14.100). Hong Kong's Wong Angel Ying Hiu,
who had finished first in the qualification round, had to settle for
third place with a total score of 13.812 points.
"I expected to do well in all the events but to win the Vault event is
special. I had a good support from the crowd as well, which encouraged
me to do better," said Iordache.
Olympic veterans Kristyna Palesova of Czech Republic did no harm to
her favourite tag as she won the Uneven Bars event, piping compatriot
Jana Sikulova.
Palesova tallied 13.425 points to Sikulova's 13.175. Laura Schulte
(12.775) was third. Another Olympian Hiu Ying Angel Wong (10.800)
disappointed finishing in seventh spot.
In the Rings, the last event of the night, Armenians scooped one-two
spots with Artur Tovmasyan and Vahagn Davtyan taking the gold and
silver respectively. Tovmasyan tallied 15.575 points to Davtyan's
15.425. Henrique Flore of Brazil also had same score as Davtyan,
but was third due to lesser Difficulty score to the Armenian.
It was a major upset in the Rings final, which also featured 2005 World
Rings champion Yuri van Gelder and Double Olympic silver medallist
Marcel Nguyen.
Van Gelder could only his fifth (15.375), while Nguyen, who was making
a comeback after taking break due to burn out, finished sixth (15.250).
Today will be the final day of the event but it promises to be as
exciting as yesterday. There will be five finals, with Olympic and
world horizontal bar champion Epke Jan Zonderland of the Netherlands
in action in the Horizontal Bars and Parallel Bars.
http://www.gulf-times.com/sport/192/details/386193/merdinyan-wins-after-berki-falters%3B-iordache-takes-vault
Gulf Times, Qatar
March 27 2014
By Sahan Bidappa/Doha
Harutyun Merdinyan created the biggest upset of the 7th FIG Artistic
Gymnastics World Challenge Cup 2014, when the Armenian won the Pommel
Horse event here at the Aspire Dome yesterday.
Going into the final, Merdinyan was one of the contenders for the
gold medal having topped the qualification rounds as well. But with
Olympic champion Krisztian Berki, rated as the best Pommel Horse
competitor of all time by the International Gymnastics Federation,
in contention, victory wasn't a sure shot for Merdinyan.
However, it was Merdinyan who displayed an immaculate performance with
15.475 points. On the other hand, Berki was cheered vociferously by
the small Hungarian contingent, but the 2011 World Champion failed to
hit the right notes. He began his performance impressively, but slipped
off the beam and could garner only 14.775 points to finish sixth.
The second place went to Croatia's Robert Seligman (15.275), while
Slovenia's Saso Bertoncelj (15.150) came third. Qatar's Ahmed Aldayani
came eighth with 12.625 points, but it was good show from the local
gymnast and the experience will serve him world of good.
The 2013 World champion Kenzo Shirai of Japan won the Floor event
comfortably. Shirai used his Worlds routine, including eye-popping
quadruple twist dismount -- to post the highest score of the entire
meet so far (16.000). That mark, stemming from a 7.4 Difficulty-score,
easily topped second-placed Paul Ruggeri (15.150) of USA and China's
Wang Peng (15.100), who finished.
Shirai was delighted with his performance and gunned another gold
medal in today's Vault final, where he is also one of the favourites.
"I am very happy with my performance. It was quite clinical and I put
up a very good score, especially in the difficulty level. Now I want
to win the Vault gold as well," said the Japanese.
In the women's Vault, the 2012 Olympic medallist Larisa Iordache
of Romania won the event with a total score of 14.337, ahead of
Slovenia's Teja Belak (14.100). Hong Kong's Wong Angel Ying Hiu,
who had finished first in the qualification round, had to settle for
third place with a total score of 13.812 points.
"I expected to do well in all the events but to win the Vault event is
special. I had a good support from the crowd as well, which encouraged
me to do better," said Iordache.
Olympic veterans Kristyna Palesova of Czech Republic did no harm to
her favourite tag as she won the Uneven Bars event, piping compatriot
Jana Sikulova.
Palesova tallied 13.425 points to Sikulova's 13.175. Laura Schulte
(12.775) was third. Another Olympian Hiu Ying Angel Wong (10.800)
disappointed finishing in seventh spot.
In the Rings, the last event of the night, Armenians scooped one-two
spots with Artur Tovmasyan and Vahagn Davtyan taking the gold and
silver respectively. Tovmasyan tallied 15.575 points to Davtyan's
15.425. Henrique Flore of Brazil also had same score as Davtyan,
but was third due to lesser Difficulty score to the Armenian.
It was a major upset in the Rings final, which also featured 2005 World
Rings champion Yuri van Gelder and Double Olympic silver medallist
Marcel Nguyen.
Van Gelder could only his fifth (15.375), while Nguyen, who was making
a comeback after taking break due to burn out, finished sixth (15.250).
Today will be the final day of the event but it promises to be as
exciting as yesterday. There will be five finals, with Olympic and
world horizontal bar champion Epke Jan Zonderland of the Netherlands
in action in the Horizontal Bars and Parallel Bars.
http://www.gulf-times.com/sport/192/details/386193/merdinyan-wins-after-berki-falters%3B-iordache-takes-vault