The individual finals of the FIG World Challenge Cup at the Artistic Gymnastics, being held in the capital of Azerbaijan for the first time, just finished. Ten sets of medals were contested, six in men's disciplines and four in women’s.
As noted in a conversation with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza by the vice-president of the Gymnastics Federation of Azerbaijan, Altay Hasanov, the World Cup was held at a high level. "For us, this is the first such experience in gymnastics. We have accumulated experience in conducting the tournaments at a high level in rhythmic gymnastics, and in the artistic gymnastics it is the first time. I have to say that we are satisfied with the feedback from the officials of the International Gymnastics Federation and the Athletics Committee, they are also very pleased that we have been at a high level of competition," he said.
According to him, the Federation was also pleased with the results of the Azerbaijani national team. "This is the beginning of the season, and we have received from Oleg Stepko what we expected from him, Marina Nekrasova also performed well. In a word, the holiday was a success. Thanks to you for your participation in our gymnastics festival,’’ Altay Hasanov concluded.
The Azerbaijani team took parr in nine of the ten finals, while its members got to the podium four times: three medals from Oleg Stepko and one from Marina Nekrasova.
Oleg Stepko showed his best result in the parallel bars, where with a result of 15.55 points he won a gold medal. In the vault, with a score of 14.65 points, he won a silver medal. In rings the Azerbaijani gymnast became third with 14.7 points.
Marina Nekrasova, who took part in the finals of the floor exercises and exercises on the balance beam, won bronze in the first of these disciplines, gaining 13.2 points. The judges awarded her 13.05 points in the exercises on the balance beam, which ensured fourth place for the Azerbaijani gymnast.
Petro Pahnyuk who qualifiied in the men's floor exercise final, was sixth with 13.55 points, Maria Smirnova earned sixth place in vault (12.425 points). Julia Inshina was eighth with 10.45 points in the final exercises on uneven bars.
Among men, four gold medals out of six went to the Japanese team. Kenzo Shirai became the World Cup champion at the Artistic Gymnastics in Baku in the floor exercise (16.15 points) and vault (14.975 points) and Tomomasa Hasegawa was the champion in the exercises on the pommel horse (15.4 points) and on the bar.
Kazuma Kaya also brought medals for the Japanese team, winning silver in the exercises on the rings (14.8 points) and bronze in uneven bars (15.25 points).
Four medals went to the gymnasts from Turkey. Ibrahim Colak became the champion in rings with 15.45 points. Ferhat Aridzhan received silver in uneven bars (15.35 points) and Ahmet Onder won silver for the exercises on the crossbar and bronze in vault (14.4 points).
One medal in men's artistic gymnastics went to Slovenia (Rock Klavor, floor exercise, silver, 14.8 points), Belgium (Maxim Gentges, exercises on pommel horse, silver, 14.7 points), Israel (Alexander Shatila , floor exercises, bronze, 14.55 points), Iran (Saeed Reza Keyha exercises on pommel horse, bronze, 14.45 points) and Croatia (Tin Srbich, exercises on the crossbar, bronze).
Among women the best result was shown by a young Brazilian Flavia Lopes Saraiva. She became a champion of the World Cup at the Artistic Gymnastics in Baku twice, winning gold in the floor exercise (13, 85 points) and in exercises on the balance beam (14.8 points). The gymnast was third in the exercises on the uneven bars with 13.25 points. Another representative of Brazilia, Daniela Matias Hipólito, won silver in uneven bars (13.8 points).
Two other champions of the World Cup were Oksana Chusovitina from Uzbekistan, winning gold in vault (14.825 points) and Lina Philipp from Germany, who showed the best results in uneven bars (14.4 points).
Two medals went to Austria (bronze for Lisa Ecker in the vault with a score of 13.775, bronze for Eliza Hemmerle for exercises on a log with 13.35 points) and Sweden (two silvers from Emma Larsson, winning in the floor exercise with 13.4 points and exercises on the beam with 13.65 points). Another silver went to Slovenia, whose gymnast Tyasha Kiseleff was second in the vault with 14.075 points.
