Gymnastics takes center stage at The World Games

Wroclaw, July 19, 2017: With 20 gold medals up for grabs, Gymnastics figures is one of the preeminent sports on the programme at The World Games 2017 Wroclaw, an Olympics-style event for non-Olympic disciplines July 20-30 in Wroclaw (POL).

Three hundred and thirty eight spaces have been allocated for gymnasts from Rhythmic, Trampoline, Acrobatic and Aerobic, with all events taking place under the magnificent dome of Wroclaw’s Centennial Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here’s what you need to know about Gymnastics at the event:

Rhythmic Gymnastics – July 21-22
Twenty four gymnasts, including several Rio Olympians, will take to the floor to compete for individual honors. The top eight with each apparatus (Hoop, Ball, Clubs, Ribbon) in the qualification round will advance to the medal round.

With The World Games 2013 champions either retired or absent, this competition presents a golden opportunity for a new generation of hopefuls to refine their routines on a big stage a month before the World Championships in Italy, something European champions Dina and Arina Averina (RUS) will try to take full advantage of.

Trampoline Gymnastics – July 24-26
Gymnastics’s highest fliers will compete in three disciplines: Synchronised Trampoline, Doubl Mini-trampoline and Tumbling, where the top eight in each category move on to the finals.

The kings and queens of Synchronised Trampoline remain Chinese superstars Dong Dong and Tu Xiao (men’s) and Li Dan and Zhong Xingping (women’s) who bounced away with the titles at both The World Games in 2013 and the

World Championships in 2015.
In Tumbling, World champions Yang Song (men’s) and Jia Fangfang (women’s) of China will attempt to write another golden chapter in their already illustrious career histories.

Only in Double Mini-trampoline are both reigning The World Games champions absent, paving the way for new gymnasts to soar into the spotlight.

Acrobatic Gymnastics – July 24-26
With no World Championships in 2017, The World Games is the event of the year for Acrobatic gymnasts, who compete in five different categories (Men’s Pairs, Women’s Pairs, Mixed Pairs, Women’s Groups and Men’s Groups).

Russia, winners of five of the six gold medals at the 2016 World Championships, is bringing its biggest stars to Wroclaw, including Mixed Pair Marina Chernova and Georgiy Pataraya, Women’s Pair Daria Guryeva and Daria Kalinina, Men’s Pair Igor Mishev and Nikolay Suprunov and Women’s Group Valeriia Belkina, Yulia Nikitina and Zhanna Parkhomets. China, whose spectacular Men’s Groups have taken home the past two World titles, will try to extend its winning streak as well.

Aerobic Gymnastics – July 21-22
Group categories of Aerobic Gymnastics (Mixed Pairs, Trios, Groups, Aerobic Dance and Aerobic Step) are the main focus of this fast-paced discipline in Wroclaw, where six teams per category will battle for four places in the final.

Reigning World champions in Trio, Group, and Aerobic Dance have registered to compete, as have Mixed Pairs champions Michela Castoldi and Davide Donati (ITA), the “Romeo and Juliet” of their sport. —- FIG