Doha – Qatar, April 03, 2013: The Romanian women’s squad was the gymnasts to follow at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup with one gold and two silver medals for Larisa Andreea Iordache (resp. Beam, Floor, Vault) and Diana Laura Bulimar, gold on Floor. On Vault, the Vietnamese Phan Thi Ha (22 years), won in Doha the first gold medal of her career, after her best result achieved in 2011 at the Tokyo qualifications, where she ranked 3rd.
On Pommel Horse, the Olympic champion Krisztian Berki (HUN) confirmed his leading position on that apparatus (gold). “I’m ready for Rio 2016!” he declared! Same for Brazilian Arthur Nabarrete, Olympic champion on Rings who won the gold in Qatar on his favourite apparatus. “I’m a gymnast because I was a bad football player!” he said.
The World Challenge Cup in Doha gave the opportunity to make a first appearance for new gymnasts: Vid Hidvegi (HUN – bronze on Pommel), Liao Qiuhua (CHN- silver on Rings), Arthur Oyakawa (BRA- silver on Floor) for the men and the British Gabrielle Jupp (bronze on Beam and Uneven Bars) and the Chinese Zeng Siqi (bronze on Floor).
A World championships in Qatar ?
Qatar should host more competitions since it has the resources to organise world-class events.” said Romanian women’s team head coach Octavian Bellu. “Many delegations told us we could host the Worlds since we’ve the facilities,” said Qatar Gymnastics Federation President Ali Ahmed Al Hitmi, “Aspire, the venue of the Challenge Cup, is favored by the gymnasts due to the proximity of the training halls and the podium,” he declared to the press.
About 2013 FIG Individual Apparatus Artistic Gymnastics World Cup and World Challenge Cup Series
The 2013 World Cup and World Challenge Cup season for individual-apparatus tournaments features a total of six events. The series starts with the only Individual Apparatus Finals World Cup of the year in La Roche sur Yon (FRA) on March 16-17, and continues with five World Challenge Cups scheduled as follows: Cottbus (GER) on March 21-24, Doha (QAT) on March 27-29, Ljubljana (SLO) on April 26-28, Anadia (POR) on June 21-23, and Osijek (CRO) on September 12-16.
With separate World Ranking lists being established for this series (six for men and four for women), and the Individual Apparatus rankings including combined lists for the World Cup and World Challenge Cups, the overall winners will be crowned in Osijek.
World Cups with Individual Apparatus qualification rounds and finals are open to the apparatus finalists of the 2012 Olympic Games and the best four gymnasts per apparatus from the 2012 World Cup Ranking list for Individual Apparatus. In addition, the organising member federation can grant wild cards to a maximum of one man and one woman.
The World Challenge Cup series is an open category, with participation limited to two gymnasts per country and apparatus, and invitations addressed at least to the apparatus finalists of the 2012 Olympic Games and the best eight gymnasts per apparatus from the 2012 World Cup Ranking list for Individual Apparatus.
The winners of the 2013 Individual Apparatus World Cup & World Challenge Cup Series will be the gymnasts with the highest number of points for each apparatus and the best four results counting after the last event in Osijek.
Consult the 2013 Rules for the FIG Individual Apparatus World Cup and World Challenge Cup Series in Artistic Gymnastics for more details. —- FIG
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