2010 Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Junior Championships
Tashkent (UZB), February 16 – 19, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, March 11, 2010: On February 16 – 19, Tashkent (UZB) hosted the 2010 Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Junior Championships, an Asian qualifying event for the 1st Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore this summer.

A total of nine countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand) participated in a competition that was witnessed by 2,500 fans on-site and scads of TV spectators.

Six nations divvied up the medals, with Uzbekistan dominating the Individual events led by Aziza Mamadjanova, who won Gold on Hoop, Ball and Clubs and Silver on Rope. Her compatriot Husniyabonu Gulomova took off with the Gold on Rope and Sarvina Khalikova slid into second on Hoop. Silver on Ball and Clubs went to Malaysian Lee Wan Nin, while Kazakhstan settled for Bronze on Hoop (Yuliya Semenova), Ball and Clubs (Yuliya Kizima). China got their share on Rope (Bronze, Li Yun).

(photo: AGU)

“All of us – your loved ones, coaches and the whole country, are proud of you and your victory, which has once again confirmed the high authority of the Uzbek school of gymnastics! I believe that we will celebrate your glittering and outstanding performances on many more occasions in the future,' said Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, President of the Gymnastics Federation of Uzbekistan, congratulating Uzbek gymnasts.

In Groups, Japan impressed with two Gold winning exercises on 4 Hoops and 4 Ribbons. The Group from China finished second in both categories and Uzbekistan (4 Hoops) and Singapore (4 Ribbons) climbed the podium in third.

(photo: AGU)

FIG Technical Committee Member and head judge for these championships Noha Abou Shabana (EGY) gave a high appraisal of gymnasts and organisers alike. On the first day of the tournament, at a press conference involving AGU President A-Rahman Al-Shathri, Yousef Al-Tabbaa and Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva, Abou Shabana tagged gymnasts of Uzbekistan, Japan, Kazakhstan and China as potential winners.

(photo: AGU)

Results (as published by the Asian Gymnastics Union)*

Individual All-around Final
Individual Apparatus Final
Group Finals

*Results for the Youth Olympic Games Qualification will be communicated at a later date.

For YOG qualification, Asian Juniors will also compete at the Asian Junior Artistic and Trampoline Gymnastics Championships to be held in Chiba (JPN) on March 13 – 16, 2010.

(photo: JGA)