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From
Madrid:
Sonja Schmeisser |
Russian
dominance, Bulgarians are coming closer
Prior to the WCh among experts and fans
there were two results
considered as being definite like the amen in the church:
The individual victory of Alina Kabaeva and the team
title for Russia. The
latter has been realised already today, and
with what kind of class! The word of the performing in
another league
applies to the Russians; at the moment as team they
are invincible.
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In the afternoon a highly concentrated
and almost cautiously
performing Alina Kabaeva could be seen -
and she was not alone, but her concurrent Irina
Tchachina did
the best routine with clubs. A fantastic beautiful dance to
Spanish guitar music, the Spanish audience was completely enthusiastic.
With rope, too, Tchachina
represented herself in
top form in the evening - different as Kabaeva, who was greeted
with choruses and showed nerves once again.
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Dream Team Russia
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Despite
a big
mistake with the rope followed by several small insecurities,
she got still the higher score... She remains the
top favourite for the all-around final. And
like Tchachina, Yerofeeva, Bessonova, Tkatchenko and
Peycheva she stands
four times in all four apparatus finals on
Sunday - the creme de la creme among itself...
On the
medal ranks there was a changing game until the very
end between Belarus,
Ukraine and Bulgaria. Finally, Tamara Yerofeeva
and Anna Bessonova demonstrated their real abilities
and brought the Ukraine on the 2nd rank. A highlight
of the evening was undoubtedly the fantastically celebrated
ball routine of Yerofeeva. Even though Belarus became
"still" third, the Bulgarians on rank 4 are already
very close... |
The Bulgarians
have started a quick sprint in direction of the
top this season - as if they want to revive the merits of past
times and to make forgotten the relative calmness of the last
years... The once dominating RG nation starts with Naidenova,
Paissieva (the youngest WCh participant!) and above
all Peycheva with the youngest team in Madrid that will draw
most of the attention after the Russians.
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the Berlin World
Cup this September when she had been elected as
"Miss Tournament"
by the audience, and like this it is again in the hall
9 in Madrid: Simona Peycheva appears, and even before
she starts her
routine, the applause does not seem to have an end.
At the moment only Alina Kabaeva or the native gymnasts
are able to top this
sympathy bonus. The
Spanish hosts, surrounded by almost deafening demonstrations
of approval of hundreds of enthusiastic teenagers
in the hall, had to do the additional discipline of
collecting soft toys.
They confirmed their performance of the WCh
in 1999 and became fifth again. |
Spanish fans
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Olga kept brave, but...
Olga Lukjanov from Germany had to
open the second competition day of the WCh
with her routine with rope, and she remained calm and executed
her third routine well: "The all-around final of the best
30 is my aim," the 14-year-old said before the competition.
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German
Coach Vera Silajeva, who had guided the Russian
Yulia Barsukova to
the Olympic victory past year, was not displeased
with Olga's performances: "Yesterday, she presented
herself well, in the decision with clubs she showed
the fourth best
routine; if she performs well today, there is a
chance of a better placement as the present 21st place."
She performed well,
and placed on the 24th place which enables
her to take part in tomorrow's all-around final. Even
though the decision of not to send a team may be understandable:
Of course, it is an poor sign for a federation
which still had been present on top so well at the
Olympic Games.
Obviously,
Germany is not the only country with such problems:
29 teams started in Madrid, 38 in Osaka in 1999! Even
well-established RG federations like Poland (9th in
Osaka), Hungary
(13th) or Finland (15th) are represented by only
individual gymnasts in Madrid.
<< Olga Lukjanov (24.) (Germany)
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However, the
real interesting thing of a WCh qualification is
this special variety of
countries and the development of the athletes
who can be seen only every second year - like gymnasts
from Malaysia, Korea or the Kapverden. There may be different
reasons that the variety at these WCh is not that wide,
like cancellations because of security or the general not-coming
of several countries. Just to list some examples: Japan,
the USA, Mexico, Cuba, Egypt, Venezuela, Turkey, and other
countries are missing. Except
in attempts of the representatives from Asia, perhaps (China
moves up from place 12 in 1999 to rank 9, Ling
Zhong is
16th of the qualification - regards of the Olympic Games 2008)
is and even the sportive level in the "basis countries"
below the leading RG
countries has not really improved. This has
its main reason in the present code which hopefully will be
valid at this event for the last time.
For
now, together with the audience in Madrid we can look forward
to tomorrow's all-around final and watch out if the first
amen in the church happens...
(Sonja
Schmeisser (text) and Dirk Zimmermann (photos) from Madrid
Translation: Florian Schmid Sorg)
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