22-Aug-2004    Olympic city Athens  
 MENs FINALS: ... Gold medals on 2nd day for Spain, Ukraine and Italy


Dimosthenis Tampakos (GRE)
 On the 2nd final's day in the men's field Gervasio Deferr from Spain managed to defend his gold medal from Sydney 2000 on vault. The first gold medal for Ukraine in the artistic gymnastics events of these Olympic Games went to Valeri Goncharov on parallel bars. In a memorable high bar final Igor Cassina from Italy secured himself the gold medal...

Yesterday The 18,000 spectators in the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens celebrated their hero Dimosthenis Tampakos as Olympic Champions on rings. Kyle Shewfelt won on floor the first Olympic gymnastics gold medal for Canada. TENG, Haibing reached the 1st place in the pommel horse final.
 
Greece celebrated their new 'lord of the rings', Dimosthenis TAMPAKOS!
 
OLYMPIC APPARATUS FINALS, men, 1st day:
- Athens, Olympic Indoor Hall, Sunday, August 22nd 2004 -

FLOOR
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YONEDA, Isao, JPN
.. started with a faultless performance, = 9.662;

YOVTCHEV, Jordan BUL
…in the second acrobatic series whip and Thomas somersault , a very concentrated performance, double layout with a stuck landing = 9.775, and he took the lead;

HAMM, Morgan USA
.. the younger twin brother of all-around winner Paul; layout double-double, also he presented in the end a double layout with a stuck landing…= 9.650, currently the 3rd place;

DRAGULESCU, Marian ROM
- spectacular layout double-double + 1 1/2 somersault fw. to roll fw. (Super-E!), in the end double-double tucked… = 9.787, the lead!

SHEWFELT, Kyle CAN
... the 3rd- ranked in the qualification with a spectacular second acrobatic series: 2 1/2 twists – layout fw., in the end also with double-double tucked, like Dragulescu a very safe performance. In addition to his difficulty he also is a very elegant gymnast… = 9.787, the same score like Dragulescu but considering the individual scores he got better ones and therefore he took the lead!

DEFERR, Gervasio ESP
... the Olympic Champion on vaul from Sydney, participating in competitions again after a doping suspension: layout full-in – 1 1/2 somersault to roll fw., his acrobatic elements are not that high and safe compared to the gymnasts before him…= 9.713 – 4th rank!

NAKANO, Daisuke JPN
...small problems with the landing at his first acrobatic series, 2 1/2 twists, layout 1 1/2 twists, again a few problems with the landing... = 9.712, the same score like Deferr;

HAMM, Paul USA
... very well presented acrobatic elements, he presented his routine very concentrated, only a small step to secure the landing of his last double layout… = 9.712, which means rank 5.

Kyle Shewfelt won the first Olympic gold medal in gymnastics for Canada in front of Marian Dragulescu (ROM) and Jordan Jovtchev from Bulgaria. 		 
Kyle Shewfelt, 1st Olympic Champion for Canada in center of the media’s interest
 

TENG. Haibing – celebrating already at last year’s WCh’s		   POMMEL HORSE
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CANO, Victor ESP
- the winner of this year’s World Cup in Cottbus, starts with Thomas flares, Magyar travels, fluent and faultless routine including a dynamic handstand- dismount ... = 9.762;

HAMM, Paul USA
- Wendeswings over the whole horse, closed legs throughout the 1st half of his routine, then Thomas flares, a great routine until the end ...= 9.737 and he remains behind Cano;

URZICA, Marius ROM
... will Urzica reach another Olympic victory? Very nice Stöckli- combinations on one pommel, cheers from the audience during his routine, and he brings the routine perfectly to the end … = 9.825, the deserved lead!

KASHIMA, Takehiro JPN
- starts with Thomas flares, good routine but a bit more controlled and not that dynamic like the ones before him, but he continues with the series of faultless routines ...= 9.787;

HUANG, Xu CHN
- high speed, nice movement into the scissors, and once again a routine without major mistakes… = 8.775

TOMITA, Hiroyuki JPN
- he concentrates for a long time before he starts, many wendeswings at the end of the horse, ...and gone is his dream for a medal when he falls... = 9.062;

ALEXANDERSON, Runar ISL
- The gymnast who is born in Estonia is the first gymnast from Iceland in an Olympic gymnastic final. Being a tall gymnast he presents his routine very elegant, nice travelling throughout the horse with closed legs, good routine… = 9.725;

TENG, Haibin CHN
- the current World Champion is the last gymnast in this final, high speed, also on 1 pommel, his scissors are not that high, but he brings the routine to a good ending and could be a thread for Urzica, however, his handstand- dismount is without a turn (only a C-element)… 9.837.

....This is the long awaited gold medal for the gymnastics nation China. With a lead of 12 thousandth TENG, Haibing wins and prevents another Olympic victory for Marius Urzica. The bronze medal goes to Takehiro Kashima. Nonetheless the Romanian Marius Urzica is one of the greatest gymnasts in history who dominated this complex apparatus for more than a decade!
…a great and high-quality final!
 
R I N G S
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... and suddenly the venue is crowded, is Tampakos on his way to become a hero in Greece...?

TAMPAKOS, Dimosthenis GRE
- slight problems with the sovereignity of his strength elements at the beginning but a better performance than in the qualification, stuck double layout dismount, standing ovations from the audience who want him to be the winner, but will it be enough? …= 9.862!! …Who should top that??

JOVTCHEV, Jordan BUL
- felge, cross, inverted cross, swallow – cross –another swallow, a great routine with only the slightest insecurities in the last handstand, dismount layout full-in, the most difficult dismount of all participants, - a difficult decision for the judges… = 9.850, and he slightly remains behind Tampakos!

SCHWEIZER, Andreas SUI
- swallow – kip to cross, good holding during the strength elements, also good swing elements and a stuck double layout dismount and he is happy with his performance = 9.737, the same score like in the qualification;

TOMITA, Hiroyuki JPN
- kip to swallow – felge swallow – cross, felge, cross, L-sit, then great giants, a brilliant performance = 9.800, the current 3rd rank behind Tampakos and Jovtchev;

SAFOSHKIN, Alexander RUS
- Russia again has a strong gymnasts on rings, the World Cup winner from Stuttgart and Lyon: He presents his strenght elements with the same sovereignity like Jovtchev, could the small step on his double layout dismount cost him the decisive tenths…? = 9.750, the current 4th rank;

MORANDI, Matteo ITA
- the 3rd- ranked of the WCh’s from 2002 and 2003, he holds his strenght elements very long, then he has to correct one handstand after a felge, problems with the leg position on his double layout dismount = 9.800;

BENY, Pierre Ives FRA
- also he with good strength elements, slight problems with his swing elements and the leg position on his dismount = 9.800 like Morandi before him;

CHECHI, Yuri ITA
- now the former “lord of the rings” at his 3rd Olympic Games with 35 years: kip – swallow – L-sit – swallow – kip – cross – handstand, slight corrections during his giants but a proud performance of this unique gymnast = 9.812 and the bronze medal!

However, the hero in this show on rings is Dimosthenis Tampakos: After silver in Sydney the 18,000 Greeks in the Olympic Hall now celebrate their new hero.
Jovtchev reaches the 2nd place, he fighted and had the most difficult dismount of all finalists.
The bronze medal for Chechi is a great farewell for this World-star of gymnastics!

  
Tampakos, the new Greek hero!


  OLYMPIC APPARATUS FINALS, men, 2nd day:
- Athens, Olympic Indoor Hall, Monday, August 23rd 2004 -

VAULT
****************************

BONDARENKO, Alexei RUS
- fell on both vaults...
…injured himself and was carried out of the venue!

GAL, Robert HUN
1. Kasamatsu, 1/1 twist = 9.525
2. Handspring fw. – double somersault tucked fw.. ("Roche"), landed very deep but he stuck it = 9.55

YANEV, Filip BUL
1. Yurchenko 2 1/2 twists, large step to secure the landing = 9.625
2. Kasamatsu, 1 1/2 twists = 9.537

LI, Xiaopeng CHN
... the several times World Champion doesn’t have his best day today…:
1. Handspring fw. – layout 2 1/2 twists …and he fell!! = 9.075

SAPRONENKO, Jewgeni LAT
1. Roche with 1/2-turn. ("Dragulescu"), 1 step on the landing .= 9.712
2. Tsukahara – double somersault piked (SV 10.0) = 9.7, he took the lead!

SHEWFELT, Kyle CAN
1. Yurchenko, 2 1/2 twists...slight step...= 9.687
2. Kasamatsu, 1 1/2 twists., he landed a bit far at the side of the mat = 9.512

DEFERR, Gervasio ESP
... the Olympic Champion again in competitions after a doping suspension:
1. Yurchenko, 2 1/2 twists, step to the side = 9.687
2. Kasamatsu, 1 1/2 twists (SV 9,9)... and he stuck the landing!! = 9.787, he took the lead!

DRAGULESCU, Marian ROM
1. Roche, ½ turn, his "Dragulescu", which he masters like nobody else…! = 9.900, the highest score of these Olympic Games up to now!!
2. ...and being so close to a possible victory he overrotated his Kasamatsu 2 1/2 twists and makes a few steps over the mat… = 9.325 and the 3rd place for him.

The Olympic Champion from 2000 Gervasio Deferr joyfully mounts on the “Pegases” vaulting table and cheers to the audience!
Like already 2 times before at World Championships Sapronenko wins silver.
Bronze goes to Dragulescu from Romania.

>>official results, vault 		 
Gervasio DEFERR - Olympic Champion again!


 

PARALLEL BARS
****************************

TOMITA Hiroyuki JPN
- perfect Asian gymnastic arts on bars, a faultless routine with a perfect double somersault bw. piked dismount = 9.775

YERIMBETOV Yernar KAZ
- an elegant gymnast with excellent swinging techniques, but a large step to secure his double somersault bw. piked dismount = 9.720

GONCHAROV Valeri UKR
- giant, somersault bw. tucked, techically very-well presented, elegant, the same dismount like the 2 finalists before him = 9.787, and he overtook Tomita!

NAKANO Daisuke JPN
- started in sideward position, double somersault piked…, double somersault fw., again perfect Asian gymnastics arts on bars, and finally another dismount: tucked full in but landed quite deeply = 9.762

CUCHERAT Yann FRA
- also he started in a sideward position, kip, then Li Ning, double somersault tucked, in the end a stuck double somersault piked = 9.762, the current 4th rank;

IVANKOV Ivan BLR
...nice to see this so experienced and succesful gymnast in an Olympic final:
- giant, double somersault, again a double somersault from support, then in a sideward position and a stuck dismount = 9.762, the current 3rd rank but two very strong competitors will still follow…

LI Xiaopeng CHN
- the Olympic Champion from Sydney with problems in one handstand, but then sensational element: from an uprise double somersault piked (up to now Dimitrenko in a tucked position), a great straddled somersault, and a safe and stuck double somersault piked dismount = only 9.762 and the current 3rd rank for him!

HAMM Paul USA
- felge at the beginning, double somersault bw., very good technique throughout the routine and an almost stuck dismount = 9.737, only the 7th rank;

This was the first Ukrainian victory at these Olymic Games through Valeri Goncharov in front of Tomita (JAP) and China’s Li, Xiaopeng

The gymnasts on rank 3 – 6 reached the same score of 9.762 but are divided through the “tie-break” rule of the FIG which considers the average of the B-Jury deductions.

>> official results, parallel bars 		 


  HIGH BAR
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... extraordinary: Due to equal scores in the qualification and also indentical averages of B-Jury deductions there are now 10 gymnasts in this high-bar final:

YONEDA Isao JPN
- giants with turns, layout Kovacs and a stuck layout double-double dismount = 9.787

HAMM Morgan USA
- the twin brother of all-around winner Paul started simmilar to Yoneda, then piked Tkatchev, jumped giant 1/1 turn, layout double-double dismount = 9.787, like Yoneda but due to the tie-break rule behind him;

NEMOV Alexei RUS
- the Olympic Champion from Sydney: layout Kovacs, then 4 flight elements in a row including piked Tkatchev, straddled Tkatchev and Gienger, another Kovacs, …and due to a step on his dismount at first only the score of 9.725; the audience protested loudly for a long time so that the head of the men’s technical committee Adrian Stoica is even forced to gather the jury with their head judge Sawao Kato! Then the scores of two judges were corrected for 1 tenth each - ridiculous as this didn’t change the ranking and also against valid regulations - and then the score is corrected to 9.762! – still not the right score for Nemov who would have deserved at least the bronze medal!

HAMM Paul USA
- it was extremely difficult for the all-around winner to start after this situation around Nemov: the same Tkatchev- series like Nemov but without a Gienger, and a large step to the side on his dismount = 9.818; it is not visible for the audience why this routine should deserve more points than the one from Nemov!!

CASSINA Igor ITA
- three times Kovacs (layout, layout 1/1 twist, tucked), the last one with very slight problems, dismount with a very small step, a great routine and the Vice- World Champion received the score of = 9.812, due to the lower B-Jury deductions he overtook Hamm who had received the same score;

  
Cassina - the best is also the champion on high bar!


The German's are happy about their youngster Hambuechen 		  NAKANO Daisuke JPN
- he lost his rhythm completely after a layout Kovacs 1/1 twist and then fell on his dismount...= 8.750

XIAO Qin CHN
- piked Tkatchev, then many giants with complex grip variations, dismount layout double-double = 9.737, the current 6th rank;

HAMBUECHEN Fabian GER
- the youngest competitor in this field: series of piked Tkatchev, straddled Tkatchev + Gienger, unfortunately a step to the side on his double-double dismount = 9.700, the current 6th rank but for him already the participation in this final was a great success!

GONCHAROV Valeri UKR
- Kovacs, Kovacs 1/1 twist and then he fell, …no chance to win an additional medal after his gold on parallel bars…. = 8.887
YANG Tae Young KOR
- a break right after his first flight element piked Tkatchev...and after the lost all-around gold also no medal in this high bar final for the Corean gymnasts...

Igor Cassina from Italy is the deserved winner in this final. With the same score Paul Hamm (USA) wins silver and bronze goes to Isao Yoneda (JPN).

>> start lists resp. detailled results, men 		 
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