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Open World Championships individual gymnasts and groups
The World Championships 2003 in Budapest have been announced for individual and group gymnasts and are also the qualification for the Olympic Games 2004 in Athens. The FIG organizes Individual World Championships like these every two years, also the Group World Championships take place every two years. Since the World Championships 1999 in Osaka these Championships in Budapest are the first ones again where competitions for individual gymnasts and groups take place together. The last Individual World Championships took place 2001 in Madrid, the last Group World Championships 2002 in New Orleans.
Individual gymnasts:

These WCh’s are open, that means every FIG member federation is allowed to enter up to four individual gymnasts.
Three competitions for individual gymnasts will take place:

  • Competition I is the team competition,
  • Competition II is the individual all-around,
  • Competition III are the apparatus finals hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon.
Competition I will take place in two parts on the first 2 competition days. It is a very important competition as it is not only the decision for the team- World Champion and medalists but also the qualification for the individual all-around and the four apparatus finals. – And it is also decisive for the Olympic qualification!
For the first time apparatus finals at the beginning:

This year for the first time the FIG presents a new competition order: Up to now apparatus finals always took place at the last competition day but now in Budapest the first ones will be held already on the first competition day (24-09). After the first part of the team competition the finals with the best eight gymnasts with hoop and ball will take place. Following after the second part of the team competition (25-09) the apparatus finals with the best eight gymnasts with clubs and ribbon will take place.
So in the evening of Sept. 25th decisions as well on the team World Champion as also on the four apparatus World Champions will have been made. Furthermore, it will have been decided who has qualified for Athens 2004.

 
Mode of the Olympic qualification:
Altogether 24 gymnasts will be allowed to compete for Olympic medals in the individual all-around in Athens, no apparatus finals will take place. Teams who will reach the ranks 1 to 5 in the team competition in Budapest will have two spots (= 10 gymnasts). In addition to them, the 10 highest ranked gymnasts of the team competition from Budapest – one per nation and excluding the 5 highest ranked teams. Three further spots will be decided by the FIG considering the host nation and a continental balance. The last spot will be decided by a superior commission.
Highlight individual all-around:
Due to the new order of competitions, competition II, the individual all-around, will be upgraded. The “actual“ individual World Champion, the best of the best, will be decided in this all-around of the 30 qualified gymnasts (2 per nation) on Saturday, Sept. 27th 2003.
Groups:

The group competition consists of the all-around (2 routines per group) and the two finals. Also for the groups on the first competition day, Sept. 26th 2003, three decisions will be made. The World Championship title will be handed out and the qualification for the finals as well as also the qualification for the Olympic Games will be decided.
The groups will show one composition with five ribbons and one with three hoops / 2 balls.

Olympic qualification:
Altogether 10 groups will be allowed to compete in the all-around in Athens. No apparatus finals will take place. In Budapest the best eight groups qualify directly for the Olympic Games 2004. The other two spots will be decided by the FIG considering the host nation and a continental balance.
Highlight Group Finals:
For the first time at WCh’s the Sunday is reserved only for the group finals. The best eight groups in the routine with five ribbons and also the best eight groups in the routine with three hoops / 2 balls will take part in these finals.