FIG Artistic Gymnastics Challenge Cup
Ghent (BEL), June 9 – 10, 2012

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, June 11, 2012: 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.

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

About 2012 FIG Individual Apparatus Artistic Gymnastics World Cup and Challenge Cup Series

The 2012 FIG Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics series for Individual Apparatus includes one World Cup (category A) and six Challenge Cup (category B) competitions.

Zibo City (CHN) on April 7 - 8 will host the 2012 Individual Apparatus World Cups, while 2012 Challenge Cups will take place on March 22 – 25 in Cottbus (GER), March 28 – 30 in Doha (QAT), April 27 – 29 in Osijek (CRO), June 1 - 3 in Maribor (SLO), June 9 – 10 in Ghent and November 23 – 24 in Ostrava (CZE).

Separate World Ranking lists will be established for CIII, six for men and four for women, with the Individual Apparatus rankings including combined lists for World Cups and Challenge Cups.

Invitation to the Individual Apparatus World Cup is based on the CIII rankings from the 2011 World Championships, the 2011 World Cup Ranking List for Individual Apparatus and the 2011 Challenge Cup Ranking List, and is limited to twelve gymnasts with a maximum of two entries per country on each apparatus. Moreover, the organising member federation can grant wild cards to a maximum of one man and one woman on one apparatus. The competitions include Qualifications and Finals with the best four gymnasts per apparatus proceeding to the final round. An additional one wild card per Men’s and Women’s competition is allowed in the event that the host federation fails to qualify for the Finals.

The Challenge Cup series is an open category featuring qualifying and final rounds, with participation limited to two gymnasts per country and apparatus. The best eight gymnasts per apparatus advance to the Final. An extra one wild card per Men’s and Women’s competition is allowed in the event that the host federation fails to qualify for the Finals.

The winners of the 2012 Individual Apparatus World Cup and Challenge Cup Series are those gymnasts with the highest number of points for each apparatus and the best four results counting after the last event in Ostrava, where special award ceremonies will be held and the winners will receive a cup.