6th FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Age Goup Competitions
Wroclaw (POL), July 10 - 12, 2010
World Age Group Competition Finals
WROCLAW (POL), FIG Office, July 12, 2010: Today’s programme of the 6th Acrobatic Gymnastics World Age Group Competitions featured Finals across all five disciplines of the two categories 11 – 16 and 12 – 19 years. It’s been a long day for judges, fans and gymnasts alike, under a blazing sun and an unexpected heat wave that has permeated the competition hall. In the bleachers, the atmosphere was as lively and sportive as it was yesterday, peppered with the sound of local vuvuzelas. These Finals were as spicy in the grandstand as they were on the floor, where finalists and teams from all five continents fought it out in an entertaining show.
Finals 11-16 years
Girls' Groups
Groups from the USA and Australia competed first with performances that lacked in both execution and artistry. So things really got started with the appearance of Belgium and Poland. While the former presented a clean routine with strong technical execution, the latter delighted the local crowd with a sparkling and dynamic exercise full of changes in rhythm and expression, as required by the Code of Points, placing fourth. The top three were still to come: Great Britain’s girls in red were able to take the advantage over Belarus, finishing second behind the Russian Group, whose routine featured a dynamic performance and all components of a world champion routine: impeccable execution, amplitude and clean artistry.
1 RUS L. NIKITINA, E. PALAMAR, D. KOVRIGINA 28.15
2 GBR R. EVANS, F. GROVES, F. CLEMPSON 27.90
3 BLR M. VOLCHYK, A. VOLCHYK, D. TSIKHANAVA 27.65
Girls’ Pairs
This discipline spotlights sylphlike acrobats in the 11 – 16 category. Despite their young age, certain gymnasts presented a good sense of expressiveness, particularly noticeable in British Pair Ralph/McKenzie, who have demonstrated solid progression since their appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent”. A small technical correction in one of their compulsory elements didn’t get past the judges, who relegated them to second place, just behind Russia, the only presenter of a dynamic exercise in this discipline. Garbed in floral print leotards, these two young girls lined up technical elements with roguish flair, landing a score of 27.95, a mere 0.05 points ahead of their British competitors. Byelorussia botched the competition with a static hold that was cut short involuntarily and somewhat haphazardly (pen. 0.3). They miss out on third with a lead on Portugal and Ireland. Americans Cockshell and Swanson (6th) performed a zesty little tango that didn’t go unnoticed.
1 RUS E. MISHCHENKO, K. SIDELNIKOVA 27.95
2 GBR A. RALPH, A. MACKENZIE 27.90
3 BLR M. SAMKEVICH, M. NESTSIARUK 27.25
Boys’ Pairs
Also in this discipline, the 11 – 16 category spotlights finalists from a wide range of countries, with the notable participation of South African Abreu / Baatjes (4th), who are excited to be here in Wroclaw. Also enthusiastic was Russian Pair Zabolotnyy / Mansurov, who proved that solid technical performance and choreography can also be had in the Boys’ events. They finished second to Child / Underdown, the Pair that brought home Britain’s first Gold medal. Third place for Germany’s Stach / Lang.
1 GBR C. CHILD, J. UNDERDOWN 27.90
2 RUS M. ZABOLOTNYY, E. MANSUROV 27.40
3 GER 1 D. STACH, E. LANG 27.25
Mixed Pairs
This competition was dominated by the grace and elegance of Mixed Pair Bartlett / Spalding. Here is a young man who knows how to win the hearts of his fans, and carry his young partner with ease to a world Gold medal. Their static exercise was hailed by the judges, who made quick work of placing them ahead of Poland’s Walaszewski / Szumacher. In contrast to the extremely charming approach of the British Pair, Walaszewski and Szumacher presented a dynamic exercise to the sound of a Spanish melody, winning not only the Silver medal but garnering full fan support as well. Third place for Russian Pair Biriukova / Bedrick, who took a 0.5 penalty.
1 GBR C. BARTLETT, M. SPALDING 28.20
2 POL B. WALASZEWSKI, M. SZUMACHER 28.00
3 RUS S. BIRIUKOVA, M. BEDRIK 27.75
Boys’ Groups
With only four Groups in the line-up, the real competition played out between Russia and Great Britain. The four boys of London delivered an animated and playful performance that earned them 27.85 points, while Russia performed wearing traditional cosaque jackets. The victory was theirs in the end, with a superior score in execution. Kazakhstan took third, and Canada proudly represented its country in the Final, upholding the maxim put forth by Pierre de Coubertin, “The important thing is not to win, but to take part.”
1 RUS K. ZADORIN, M. BRYZHAKHIN, D. SAVIN, A. KUKSA 28.15
2 GBR D. TOGNELLI, N. COWLER, H. SEWELL, G. WOOD 27.85
3 KAZ A. CHUIKO, A. KIREYEV, A. KORZHOV, R. OLENEV 27.05
A harvest of medals for Russia in this first half day of Finals; the country made it away with three Gold medals, one Silver and one Bronze. Great Britain takes its leave with two titles and three Silver medals.
Finals 12-19 years
Concluding the 6th World Age Group Competitions in Wroclaw’s Orbita Hall, this afternoon featured the Finals for the 12 – 19 year category.
While Age Group 11 – 16 gymnasts must choose between performing a second time either their dynamic or static exercise, depending on their personal preference and qualifying results, category 12 – 19 gymnasts are required to present a third and combined exercise with an equal amount of static and dynamic elements. For that reason, we’ve seen a number of new and beautiful performances today, but this third act is a brand new challenge for competitors.
Mixed Pairs
In a discipline where we are more often than not provided with awe-inspiring choreographies, fans in Wroclaw’s Orbita Sports Hall had a chance to watch world-class gymnasts contend. Kovalenko and his slender partner Shokubayeva (KAZ) gave a volitant performance to the music from Mask, which placed them on the third step of the podium. Russia’s Isakova / Pataraya presented a spectacular combined exercise; a graceful blend of energy, flight elements, balance, mischief and poetry. With a time fault (penalty 0.3), their score brought them to an ultimate fourth place, while Britain’s Cranfield / Hunter were defeated by Ukraine’s Batuyeva / Iasynskyi; quite a surprise for the couple who had nearly secured top standing. A first title for the Ukraine.
1 UKR I. BATUYEVA, D. IASYNSKYI 28.35
2 GBR 1 C. CRANFIELD, K. HUNTER 28.05
3 KAZ V. KOVALENKO, K. SHOKUBAYEVA 27.60
Girls’ Pairs
An arduous competition for the girls, dynamic female pair elements are physically gruelling, and they find it hard to refocus for static holds. Nevertheless, French Pair Roussel / Philouze mastered the exercise impeccably; bedecked with pink leotards, this Pair proudly represented its nation in today's Finals. But it was Byelorussian Pair Yanusik / Mikhnevich who took the title with an artistic score superior to that of Russia’s Karimulina / Ploskova, whose clean technical performance proved insufficient. They finished second, just 0.5 point ahead of Belgium’s Snel / De Smedt in third. A first title for Byelorussia.
1 BLR Y. YANUSIK, S. MIKHNEVICH 28.30
2 RUS A. KARIMULINA, A. PLOSKOVA 27.95
3 BEL N. SNEL , E. DE SMEDT 27.90
Girls’ Groups
With representatives from Asia (CHN), the USA and Europe (KAZ, POR, BEL, GBR, RUS and BLR), this Final was fantastic. Chinese Wu/Xing/Zhang gave a sweet performance with a Spanish flair and highest possible flight phases. Their 8.95 Artistic score was not enough to get them to the podium. In artistry, the British triumphed. Cowler / Kemp / Wood were simply the best; after winning Britain’s Got Talent, their daily shows have most certainly helped them improve in artistic expression. And yet according to the judges, that wasn’t enough. They placed a mere fourth. The size of their top would cost Russia a pretty penny; despite technical perfection, Kazantseva / Mikhaylova / Kholod finished a disappointing third (while there was no penalty, an artistic deduction seems unavoidable). When all was said and done, Byelorussia prevailed with Ardziakova / Ivanova / Kalashnik after a tight competition, followed by Belgium with Van Overberghe / Schollier / Van Schoor. A meagre four tenths of a point separated the top five Groups.
1 BLR 1 Y. ARDZIAKOVA, A. IVANOVA, I. KALASHNIK 28.35
2 BEL S. VAN OVERBERGHE, L. SCHOLLIER, I. VAN SCHOOR 28.10
3 RUS K. KAZANTSEVA, A. MIKHAYLOVA, A. KHOLOD 28.05
Boys’ Pairs
The Final was one-hundred percent European in Boys’. With it no longer necessary to catch the top, as it is in the 11 – 16 category, fans were repeatedly impressed by the dynamic elements presented by these gymnasts. Another tight event wrapped up with Russia at the top, Shakhov / Bryzgalov, followed by British Pritchard / Houston, and Push / Yablonskyy of the Ukraine.
1 RUS E. SHAKHOV, D. BRYZGALOV 28.25
2 GBR T. PRITCHARD, A. HOUSTON 27.75
3 UKR 2 Z. PUSH, O. YABLONSKYY 27.70
Boys’ Groups
Five European Groups contended for the world title in this category. Obviously lacking were the Brits, traditionally strong in this discipline. Naturally, Russia dominated, ahead of Poland and the Ukraine. A second Silver medal for the host country, and a positive ending to an outstanding championships.
1 RUS 1 R. MAKHMUDOV, R. PRILEPIN, A. DEGTEREV, B. NEVZOROV 28.30
2 POL M. SWIECIK, M. SLUPECKI, M. RUCZKOWSKI, M. RUDZIAK 27.50
3 UKR 1 O. CHUCHUKALO, R. DEMCHYSHAK, A. KOROSTELEV, I. SMOLSKYY 27.45
Click here for the complete results of the World Age Group Competitions and check our online photo galleries for regular updates.
Closing Ceremony
At the end of today’s Finals, Piotr Mazur (POL), Director of the Sports and Tourism Department of the Municipality of Wroclaw, thanked all World Age Group gymnasts for having come to Wroclaw for these wonderful competitions, and congratulated all the medallists on their success.
The closing remarks of FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics Technical Committee President Tonya Case (USA) went in line with Mazur’s words. She was thrilled by the fantastic presentations as well as the large representation of countries and a high number of participants at these 6th FIG World Age Group competitions. Record participation! Case thanked the Polish Sports Acrobatics Federation and the numerous volunteers for a job well done in organising this event before she declared the competition closed.
Before returning to their home countries tomorrow, gymnasts and officials will celebrate together at tonight’s Farewell Party and tomorrow Wroclaw will welcome the senior gymnasts to the World Championships set for July 16 – 18.
Stay with us for more spectacular Acro action and tune in to the Wroclaw microsite for all related information!
