23. March 2003  
Cottbus / GER  
Artistic Gymnastics

Final Day World Cup Cottbus: First African World Cup Victor!

A surprise could be seen in the men`s vault final, Karim Ali Raouf Abdel won this final with two very good vaults.
The victory on parallel bars goes to Yann Cucherat from France.
In the women`s field it has been the day of Russia`s Anna Pavlova. With her elegant and beautiful routines she has won on beam as well as on floor.
In the high bar final an exciting competition between Aljaz Pegan (SLO) and Cédric Guille from France could be seen. In the end Pegan won this final.

Céric Guille (FRA) flying above the high bar

Karim Ali Raouf Abdel (EGY) is happy with his medal

Sucio: 1: handspring tucked double salto fw.; he opens the vault too early and falls on the landing; 2: Kasamatsu 1 1/2 turns, small step to secure the landing
Golotsutskov: 1: handspring tucked double salto fw. 1/2 turn (SV 10.00), slight problems to finish the rotation; 2: Tsukahara double twist, he has to correct the landing slightly.
Jackson: 1: handspring tucked double salto fw. 1/2 turn (SV 10.00), he falls on the landing; 2: Tsukahara, salto bw. – another fall on the landing.
Raouf Abdel:1: high and wide handspring- tucked double salto fw.; 2: Kasamatsu layout full turn; (9.70 SV), small step on the landing.
Yerimbetov: 1: Kasamatsu 1 1/2 turns, step on the landing; 2: Handspring –layout fw. 1 1/2 turns;
Blanik: The winner of the qualification shows two vaults with SV 10.00; 1: Handspring- double salto fw. piked – high but he falls on the landing; 2: Tsukahara- salto bw. piked, another fall on the landing.
Mezentsev :1: Yurchenko double twist, he stickes the landing; 2: layout Tsukahara double twist, he slightly has to correct the landing
Gal: 1: layout Kasamatsu 1 1/2 turns; 2: Handspring- tucked salto fw., too much rotation and he falls;

Winners Final
Golotsutskov doesn´t show his two vaults with SV 10.00 again. So the SV`s of the vaults from the two gymnasts in the winners final is the same. The gymnast from Egypt shows two vaults which are slightly better (his handspring- tucked double salto fw. is the best of the whole tournament). Therefore Karim Ali Karim Abdel Raouf wins this final and is celebrated by the audience.

Oana Ban on the balance beam


Ludivine Furnon is the first competitor on the second day in the beam final. After she falls from the apparatus on her combination tucked salto fw. - ff - split layout bw. also her beautiful other elements can´t help her to receive a better score, she receives 8.00 points.
Daniele Hypolito starts well with her RO-split layout mount, after a short break the combination ff-ff-split layout bw. follows. She also presents a safe and high tucked salto fw. Unfortunately she then falls down on a tucked jump full turn.
Elena Gomez has more luck, she stays on the beam. After a good start with RO-split layout a good combination with salto fw. tucked - ff- split layot bw. follows. She then has slight problems on her leap 1/2 turn and tucked jump full turn. Her dismount with 2 1/2 twists is well presented.
Maria Teresa Gargaono presents an interesting routine including the combination one-armed ff- one-armed ff; front aerial; sidewards salto; 2 1/2 twists dismount. A solidly presented routine with only slight insecurities.
Oksana Chussovitina shows a good routine in her 3rd final in Cottbus incl. the combination salto fw. tucked - salto bw. tucked; salto fw. tucked - ff - split layout bw.; front aerial- ff- layout bw.; problems however at one of her pirouettes.
Fan Ye starts perfectly with a very nice combination of front aerial - ff- split layout bw.; but then she has problems with her leap 1/2 turn and falls on her double salto bw. tucked dismount.
Anna Pavlova follows with a very beautiful routine which she presents very well incl. jump 1/4 turn into handstand 1/2 turn; arabian - handspring fw. 1/2 turn; triple twist dismount with only very slight problems to stick the landing.
After she fell at this combination in the qualification, today Oana Ban presents ff- salto bw. tucked 1/1 turn very well and also the rest of the routine goes without problems; combination leap- one-armed ff- front aerial; she then stickes the landing of her ff-ff-double salto bw. tucked dismount.
Germany`s Katja Abel doesn`t have much luck today. After a fall on her RO-split layout mount and another one at the salto fw. tucked also problems at her double salto dismount follow. In the end she reaches rank 9.

In the winners final Anna Pavlova presents another good routine but not as safely as before and with some problems on her triple twist dismount. Also Oana Ban has problems, she almost falls on her ff- salto bw. tucked 1/1 turn. So it stays exciting until the score of the two gymnasts is being presented. In the end Anna Pavlova reaches the top position in this final.

Yerimbetov and Cucherat
at the winning ceremony

Fuliang: starts at the side of the bars; Kato; two times Belle; small step to secure the landing.
Urzica : a good routine including salto between the bars full turn, small step to secure the landing.
Krylov: slight problems during the routine; but he continues well; he presents Belle and Tippelt and Healy-combinations.
Cucherat : only the mount is different, the rest of the routine is the same as could be seen at the Russian gymnast before;
Sinkevich : double salto between the bars; he has to correct one handstand.
Yerimbetov a very good and difficult routine with only slight problems on the dismount.
Zozulia : double salto bw. between the bars; 1 1/2 salto between the bars, Healy.
Petkovsek : very high straddled 1 1/2 salto but a fall from the apparatus.
Berczes : Diomidow on one bar, Tippelt, Healy, piked salto fw.; slight problems during the routine

Winners finale
Despite of a deep landing of his dismount Cucherat (FRA) wins this final against Yerimbetov (KAZ).

Elena Gomez (ESP)

With only a very short break after the winners final on beam Oana Ban starts the floor final with a good double layout; followed in the next series by an arabian. At the end of her routine she steps out of bounds at her full-in.
After it had been unclear until shortly before the beginning of the competition if she starts at all, it takes three times to find the right music for Elena Zamolodchikova. Her foot injury is then also clearly visible during the routine, she has problems with the landing of all her acrobatic series, including tucked full-in and triple twist. At the end she steps out of bounds on the double salto bw. piked.
Many cheers for Daiane dos Santos for her lively routine to Brazilian music. Also the acrobatic elements work well for her today; at the beginning arabian followed in the next series by double layout; triple twist and at the end oft the routine double salto bw. picked.
Alina Kozich presents an elegant routine with beautiful forward acrobatic elements (including a good tucked double salto fw.); but then she clearly lands her triple twist out of bounds; the end of her routine with 2 1/2 twists is well presented again.
Maria Teresa Gargano shows a speedy routine started with a piked full-in; another series: whip- ff- 2 1/2 twists tucked salto fw.; she has problems in the end to stick the landing of the triple twist.
The audience is thrilled by the beautiful pirouettes of floor World champion Elena Gomez. Also her acrobatic elements are well-presented; tucked full-in; 2 1/2 twists- tucked salto fw. full turn and at the end of her routine piked double salto bw.
Anna Pavlova with the nicest choreography of this final. She receives many cheers for her beautiful ballet-like routine. Her acrobatic elements work well for her today; including tucked full in; in the second series she shows whip- triple twist (slight problems with the landing); at the end of the routine a good 2 1/2 twist.
At her 7th time in Cottbus Oksana Chussovitina receives the loudest cheers of the audience. She presents an expressive routine to music from Shakira. The routine is started with double layout followed by tucked full in. She is the only gymnast who has competed in all four finals and manages to get through her routine safely until the end.
Yvonne Musik from Germany has reached this final with a wildcard. She presents her routine solidly with arabian followed in the next series by a triple twist; 2 1/2 twist- salto fw. tucked full turn; in the end problems with the landing of her 2 1/2 twist.

In the winners final Elena Gomez starts with problems, a very deeply landed tucked full in and a fall on her 2 1/2 twist- tucked salto fw. full turn. She then presents the rest of her routine safely. Anna Pavlova presents also her second routine very well and without mistakes. Therefore the victory is clear, Anna Pavlova wins her second final today.

Aljaz Pegan (SLO) - winner on high bar

Grebenkov : Kovacs full turn very well presented but with a fall at his second Kovacs and also with problems on the dismount.
Istria : Stalder and double-double dismount
Pegan : four flight elements (Pegan, Tkachev 2 times, Gienger) and he sticks the landing of his triple salto dismount.
Mönkkönen : he falls of the bar on the Kovacs
Guille : a small step to secure the landing of his double-double dismount.
Zapf : falls down right at the beginning of his routine and again on the layout Kovacs.
Cucherat : Kovacs and a sticked landing of his double-double dismount.
Baldauf : only one C-element (Tkachev) as flight element, and problems with the turns during the giants; layout full-in dismount.

Winners Final
Pegan again presents a brilliant routine with 4 flight elements, he only needs one small step to secure the landing of his dismount. Guille has some problems during his routine so the victory for Pegan is clear.