FIG Artistic Gymnastics Challenge Cup 2012

Lausanne (SUI), FIG Office, June 11, 2012: impress, China, the Netherlands and Romania came out on top of the medal table at the FIG Challenge Cup in Ghent (BEL) last weekend. With two Gold medals each, the three nations made a strong appearance at the ultimate FIG event prior to the Olympic Games in London.

The Chinese men impressed with former World Champion Zhang Hongtao, who prevailed over Daniel Keatings (GBR) and Prashanth Sellathurai (AUS) on Pommel Horse and compatriot Cheng Ran, who out vaulted Thomas Gonzalez (CHI) and Nguyen Ha Than (VIE). Team-mate Liu Rongbing added a Silver on Horizontal Bar and a Bronze on Parallel Bars.

Contender for the single men’s Dutch Olympic berth Jeffrey Wammes withdrew from the tournament in Ghent following an injury, paving the way for Epke Zonderland to shine. Zonderland prevailed on his favourite apparatus, the Horizontal Bar, and also came second on Parallel Bars. Local Céline van Gerner continued her winning streak by taking the Uneven Bars title one step ahead of Marta Pihan-Kulesza (POL) and Ida Gustafsson (SWE). Lisa Top tied in second place with Sasa Golob (SLO) on Floor, adding a fourth medal for the Netherlands.

Romania’s veteran Catalina Ponor outscored the field on Balance Beam, leaving her team-mate Diana Bulimar and Vasiliki Millousi (GRE) in her wake. Bulimar, however, gave a full show of strength on Floor where she clinched the Gold comfortably.

The remaining titles were secured by Alexa Moreno Medina (MEX) on Women’s Vault, Eleftherios Kosmidis (GRE) on Men’s Floor as well as Arthur Zanetti (BRA) on Still Rings and Pham Phuoc Hung (VIE) on Parallel Bars.

Click here for the complete results. http://www.challengercup2012.be/?page_id=32

The 2012 FIG Challenge Cup series concludes in Ostrava (CZE) in November.

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