44th WORLDS 2013, Antwerp (BEL)
September 30 - October 2013 -
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* Last news from Antwerp (29-Sep)
Unfortunately, there are already first violation failures from the host city to report:
Germany's Thomas Taranu who already drew upon a tendon injury in his right foot at Friday's podium training, but holding a ring use still possible, had now completely withdraw his world applications. " ... to high health risk, "said the German head coach Andreas Hirsch. Now at the floor Andreas Toba from Hanover will start for him at this apparatus.
Germany's star Fabian Hambüchen is one of the favorites for an all-around medal but also at the high bar, of course ...

 >> Die STARTLISTS of the 1st men's qualification day 

FIG-Video-IMPRESSIONS - ... before the start:
 * Ready to go ...!



Previously, a look back in history ...:
Record holder in the Worlds hosts are the French, the five-time world title fights already lined up (Bordeaux, 1905, Paris 1913, Lyon, 1926, Strasbourg in 1978 and again in Paris in 1992).

Closest to them, the Germans came in a 4-time role as host:
1966 and 1994 in Dortmund, 1989 in Stuttgart and most recently in 2007 again.
Threefold Worlds hosts were the United States (1979 Fort Worth, 1991 Indianapolis, 2003 Anaheim), the Czechs (1907, 1938 and 1962 in Prague, the only three-times host city) and the Hungarians with twice Budapest (1934 and 1983) and most recently Debrecen 2002.

In Focus: The All-around fights to turn the crown in 2013
Only 14 months old is the new Olympic cycle. Some in the scene feel the international gymnastics competition world calendar as too tight:
In every year between the Olympic Games are World Championships, in Europe every year continental championships, even with changing modes (!?). In addition there are also the serius of world cups and Challenge cups ...!
Too much, some say, and stay away even from some of the main competitions,
- like on men's side Germany's Olympic silver medalist Marcel Nguyen (GER) and bronze medalist Danell Leyva (USA)...
- others start at this single Worlds (- no team competition) only at individual apparatus, just to make more time for the reconstruction of their apparatus contents to the new regulations.
Others, such as Germany's Fabian Hambüchen maintain even in this early stage of their all-around qualities and consider this as an intermediate stage on his individual way to the ultimate goal of Rio de Janeiro (2016).
Still at least 16 of the 24 Olympic (men's) all-around  finalists London in 2012 are on the Antwerp entry list including the Japanese Olympic gold medalist and Worlds series winner (3-times in a row) Kohei Uchimura.
From the top ten of the last Worlds AA- final in Tokyo in 2013 occurred after all, still 7 gymnasts came to Antwerp now - here are missing including the resting Marcel Nguyen and the retired Philipp Boy of Germany, as well as the Spanish veteran Martinez.

F.I.G. - Preview before the 2013 Worlds Decisions
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* Generally ...:
In this post-Olympic year the world championships feature individual competitions only, staged over a period of seven days.

They include men’s and women’s Qualifications, All-around Finals and Apparatus Finals, adding up to 12 medal events.
A total of 76 different nations will be represented by 410 gymnasts (269 men and 141 women) in Antwerp, among them 38-year-old Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan and 36-year-old Mitja Petkovsek of Slovenia, the two oldest gymnasts taking part.
The youngest entries are Kenzo Shirai of Japan (17) and Alina Stanila of Romania (15), who represent the new generation.

Kohei Uchimura of Japan, the reigning Olympic Champion who has won an unprecedented three consecutive world titles, will be the man to beat in the men’s All-around competition in Antwerp but it will be difficult for anyone trying to dethrone him.
Germany’s Philipp Boy and Marcel Nguyen came closest to Uchimura at the 2011 Worlds and the 2012 Olympics, but with those two as well as Olympic Bronze medallist Danell Leyva (USA) not competing it seems highly unlikely that “King Kohei” will be displaced this year. Perhaps Uchimura’s strongest challenge will come from his own team-mate, Kato Ryohei. The talented 17-year-old was part of Japan’s Silver medal winning Olympic Team in London and impressed at the Universiade in Kazan this summer, where he won on Floor and took Bronze on Horizontal Bar.
Other All-around contenders include three-time Olympian and London Horizontal Bar silver medallist Fabian Hambuechen (GER), who suffered with injuries in 2009 and 2011 but is now back in shape.
Russia are looking strong with European Champion David Belyavskiy and former Ukrainian gymnast Nikolai Kuksenkov, who won the All-around and Pommel Horse titles in Kazan.
With the withdrawal of Oleg Stepko, Ukrainian hopes for the All-around rest with Oleg Verniaiev, the 2013 European and Universiade Bronze medallist.

Powerhouses China and USA have entered 18-year-old Lin Chaopan and 2013 P&G Championships winner Samuel Mikulak respectively for the All-around.

In the women’s event, 2010 World Champion and Olympic Bronze medallist Aliya Mustafina of Russia seems to be in pole position for the All-around title. But although her compatriot Viktoria Komova, the London and Tokyo Silver medallist, is not competing in Antwerp and neither are the reigning World and Olympic Champions Jordyn Wieber and Gabrielle Douglas of the USA, Mustafina will not be without competition.
China’s Yao Jinnan, the 2011 World Bronze medallist, proved herself at this year’s National Games by winning the title, even though she shared it with 17-year-old Shang Chunsong, who made her World Cup debut this year in Tokyo, finishing fourth. Both are registered for the All-around in Antwerp, where they will be strong contenders.
Romania will be counting on 2012 European All-around Champion Larisa Iordache, who finished second behind Mustafina this year in Moscow, while the Olympic Champion on Floor (2008) and Vault (2012) Sandra Izbasa is only registered on her specialty apparatuses this time. Their team-mate Diana Bulimar withdrew from the competition.
In Kyla Ross and McKayla Maroney, the USA will have two members of the “Fierce Five”, their Olympic Gold medal winning team, in Antwerp. While Ross is joined by first year senior and 2013 national champion Simone Biles in the All-around, Maroney will perform on Vault and Floor only. Both Ross and Biles are serious medal contenders in the Antwerp All-around competition.

* Establishing of a global "GYM-Community"
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Shortly after of the Antwerp World Championship GYMmedia will start beside its News channels an attractive "G Y M family" Service platform, for which there is already an enormous, worldwide interest from fans, clubs and Top GYM centers, event organizers and GYM Federations and more ...!
* Join in!
Be a "Member of "G Y M family" ...!