The
chances…
In all three disciplines, seven of the twelve
participating nations were in the “Top Twelve”
national ranking of the previous year’s European
Championships. Listed that way, top gymnastics nation Russia
as triple European Champion is in the first place and is,
even without the world’s number ones Nemov and Chorkina,
the clear favorite. Ukraine, White Russia and Spain will
fight for the medals as well. If Germany is able to seize
its home advantage without Asmus and Schaufler we shall
see…
Vice European Champion Romania
does not turn up. Their female gymnasts achieved the third
place at the European Championships in Paris 2000 (and
Olympic Gold in Sydney),
|
|
|
Nat |
last
ECh 2000 |
pts. |
|
|
Men |
Women |
RSG |
|
| 1 |
RUS |
1 |
1 |
1 |
(3) |
| 2 |
UKR |
3 |
2 |
5 |
(10) |
| 3 |
BLR |
8 |
8 |
2 |
(18) |
| 4 |
ESP |
7 |
4 |
4 |
(15) |
| 5 |
FRA |
4 |
6 |
7 |
(17) |
|
GER |
5 |
9 |
3 |
(17) |
| 7 |
ITA |
13 |
5 |
6 |
(24) |
| 8 |
HUN |
11 |
12 |
11 |
(34) |
| 9 |
POL |
18 |
10 |
10 |
(38) |
| 10 |
GBR |
12 |
7 |
22 |
(41) |
| 11 |
CZE |
16 |
13 |
15 |
(44) |
| 12 |
FIN |
15 |
21 |
13 |
(49) |
|
but
could only turn up with a single starter at the Rhythmic
Gymnastics European Championships in Saragossa, being
unable to come up with a whole team.
The participants... |
|
Zamolodchikova
|
The
final starting list contains some changes in
comparison with the one in hand. According to the new one,
a super star of gymnastics will turn up in Riesa: Elena
Zamolodchikova, the double Olympic Champion of the year
2000. In Sydney, the 18-year-old Russian achieved Gold at
vault and floor and is now head of the Russian European
Championships team in Riesa. But no one knows if it is her
or Alina Kabaeva (Rhythmic Gymnastics) who will turn out
to be the “better” athlete, since there has never been
such a direct comparison.
She
was “only” third at the Olympic Games, but that was
the one and only competition that she did not win in the
last two years. Including the all around World Champion
Nikolai Krukov this is a clear favorite team, which could
hardly be on a higher level. Just this Russian team is
worth a visit to the SachsenArena…
|
Another
Olympic Champion -
Igors Vichrows (Latvia)- will not be able to turn up due to an
injury. Even his whole team cancelled. The team from Finland
replaces them.
|
Gervasio Deferr,
Olympic Champion at vault and famous performer
on the floor says that he is coming.
The
Ukraine, with all around World Champion Alexander
Beresch, top gymnast Olga
Roshupkina and - last but not least - with the
Rhythmic gymnasts Tamara Erofeeva
and Anna Bessonova - the
world’s best gymnasts together with the two Russian girls
at the moment- will surely run for the final in Riesa.
|
Bessonowa
|
|
The hosts...
|
|
Kwiatkowski
|
The men’s head coach Rainer Hanschke nominated Sergej
Pfeifer (Hanover) and Sven
Kwiatkowski (Chemnitz).
As for the German team, the spectators will see Olga
Lukjanov (Wattenscheid) and Sandy
Liebehenschel (Schmiden) in Rhythmic Gymnastics,
who had some international presentations lately.
Birgit Schweigert and Lisa
Brüggemann (both of them from Cologne) are the
ones representing Germany’s women’s gymnastics
(S.
Schmeißer/E.Herholz
Translation: J.Schmeißer)
update:
18-May-2001
|
|
