11. August 2012
Olympic City LONDON
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Rhythmic Gymnastics: Second gold medal for Kanaeva at Individual All-around Final
On Saturday, August 11, the penultimate day of XXX. Olympic Games 2012, the best 10 gymnasts of the qualifying competed in London's Wembley Arena for gold.
The absolute favorite for gold, the queen of gymnastics Evgeniya KANAEVA from Russia, made her dream come true winning her second gold medal at the Olympic Games after Beijing 2008.
The silver medal went to Daria Dmitrieva, also from Russia, and bronze to Liubov CHARKASHYNA from Belarus.
The absolute favorite for gold, the queen of gymnastics Evgeniya KANAEVA from Russia, made her dream come true winning her second gold medal at the Olympic Games after Beijing 2008.
The silver medal went to Daria Dmitrieva, also from Russia, and bronze to Liubov CHARKASHYNA from Belarus.
Reporting from London: GYMmedia correspondent Esther TEIJEIRA (ESP)
*Final editing: Eckhard HERHOLZ (GER)
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* INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND FINAL
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Results individual all-around:
1- Evgeniya Kanaeva 116.900
2- Daria Dmitrieva 114.500
3- Liubov Charkashyna 111.700
4- Aliya Garayeva (AZE) 111.575
5- Yeon Jae Son (KOR) 111.475
6- Alina Maksymenko 109.625
7- Neta Rivkin (ISR) 109.000
8- Silviya Miteva (BUL) 108.950
9- Joanna Mitrosz (POL) 108.900
10-Ganna Rizatdinova (UKR) 107.400
>> Detailed Results Individual All-Around
Evgeniya Kanaeva, the 22-year old Russian gymnastic´s star performed four nearly perfect exercises, full of body and apparatus difficulties combined with wonderful choreography and made her dream of the second gold medal come true – the first individual gymnast with winning two gold medals at Olympic Games. She just underlined once again that she is the true queen of gymnastics and that even Russia, having so many talented gymnasts, will need some time to replace her. Also her personality is just exceptional, polite, nearly timid and not arrogant or conceited at all, she’s always there to help her teammates or to sign autographs for her fans. Asking her at the Grand Prix in Vorarlberg (30th June – 1st of July) about her plans after the Olympic Games she just said: “I want to go to watch a game of my favorite soccer club”.
Daria Dmitrieva won the silver medal performing four faultless exercises, except one little problem at a pivot with ball and without the extremely good apparatus work her teammate Kanaeva shows - that made the difference between the two Russian gymnasts. Dmitrieva, nevertheless is surely more than happy with her second place, only two weeks ago she didn’t even appear on the official starting lists. There Aleksandra Merkulova was listed at the second Russian gymnast, but after an internal decision of the Russian head coach at the end Daria Dmitrieva got the second starting spot.
The bronze medal won Liubov Charkashyna from Belarus. The 24-year old gymnast from Minsk was shaken by tears after her last exercise with ribbon, she knew it was not an absolutely perfect competition, but it might be enough for bronze. And it was enough! She won ahead of Aliya Garayeva from Azerbaidjan with a difference of 0.125 points. The exercise with ribbon might have also been Liubov’s last performance as she still hasn't decided yet if she stays in gymnastics after the Olympic Games. . If these Olympic Games were her last competition, this bronze medal crowns a long career with ups and downs.
She was the second Belorussian gymnast behind Inna Zhukova, silver medalist at the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, and didn’t even enter the Olympic final four years ago. In 2009 her mother died and, of course, especially this year was very difficult for her, but she never gave up and struggled always hard, getting her prize today with bronze.
Daria Dmitrieva won the silver medal performing four faultless exercises, except one little problem at a pivot with ball and without the extremely good apparatus work her teammate Kanaeva shows - that made the difference between the two Russian gymnasts. Dmitrieva, nevertheless is surely more than happy with her second place, only two weeks ago she didn’t even appear on the official starting lists. There Aleksandra Merkulova was listed at the second Russian gymnast, but after an internal decision of the Russian head coach at the end Daria Dmitrieva got the second starting spot.
The bronze medal won Liubov Charkashyna from Belarus. The 24-year old gymnast from Minsk was shaken by tears after her last exercise with ribbon, she knew it was not an absolutely perfect competition, but it might be enough for bronze. And it was enough! She won ahead of Aliya Garayeva from Azerbaidjan with a difference of 0.125 points. The exercise with ribbon might have also been Liubov’s last performance as she still hasn't decided yet if she stays in gymnastics after the Olympic Games. . If these Olympic Games were her last competition, this bronze medal crowns a long career with ups and downs.
She was the second Belorussian gymnast behind Inna Zhukova, silver medalist at the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, and didn’t even enter the Olympic final four years ago. In 2009 her mother died and, of course, especially this year was very difficult for her, but she never gave up and struggled always hard, getting her prize today with bronze.
Aliya Garayeva shed bitter tears after knowing she’s only on fourth place and was comforted by her coach Dinara Gimatova who herself competed in Beijing 2008. Azerbaijan’s Garayeva didn’t do her best competition, she seemed very nervous and made a lot of small mistakes that finally cost her the medal.
On fifth rank came the surprise of this Olympic rhythmic gymnastics competition, Yeon Jae Son. The 18-year old girl from Korea who was hardly seen at international competitions, showed two really good exercises, with nearly perfect pivots, good apparatus handling and nice choreography and lay on third place before clubs. If it were these extremely tricky apparatus or her nerves, or altogether, she had a huge drop after a parallel throw of both clubs, losing costly seconds of her exercise and the bronze rank. After this exercise she sat in the kiss&cry corner and blinked away her tears, but with ribbon again she showed all her beauty and potential that surely make her a candidate for the medals in Rio 2016.
On sixth place came Alina Maksymenko from the Ukraine. It was her second participation at Olympic Games after Beijing 2008 with the Ukrainian group, but today at her individual performance she struggled with ball and clubs. Nevertheless, for her it should be a good end of a season that wasn’t easy for her. From March, after the Deriugina Cup in Kiev, till the end of June at Vorarlberg she wasn’t seen at any big competitions. About the reasons there are several rumors going from injury to weight problems wherefore she might not have been allowed to compete by the Ukrainian Federation.
Neta Rivkin from Israel placed seventh and maybe she might have dreamt of a little bit better classification after her results at the last big competitions. She already seemed very nervous at the two qualification days and was nearly left without final spot. Today she performed very concentrated and did four good exercises, but lacked maybe some expression. Nevertheless, Rivkin is the gymnasts doing the most correct body difficulty elements, her balance elements and jumps are the best examples for correct body work.
On fifth rank came the surprise of this Olympic rhythmic gymnastics competition, Yeon Jae Son. The 18-year old girl from Korea who was hardly seen at international competitions, showed two really good exercises, with nearly perfect pivots, good apparatus handling and nice choreography and lay on third place before clubs. If it were these extremely tricky apparatus or her nerves, or altogether, she had a huge drop after a parallel throw of both clubs, losing costly seconds of her exercise and the bronze rank. After this exercise she sat in the kiss&cry corner and blinked away her tears, but with ribbon again she showed all her beauty and potential that surely make her a candidate for the medals in Rio 2016.
On sixth place came Alina Maksymenko from the Ukraine. It was her second participation at Olympic Games after Beijing 2008 with the Ukrainian group, but today at her individual performance she struggled with ball and clubs. Nevertheless, for her it should be a good end of a season that wasn’t easy for her. From March, after the Deriugina Cup in Kiev, till the end of June at Vorarlberg she wasn’t seen at any big competitions. About the reasons there are several rumors going from injury to weight problems wherefore she might not have been allowed to compete by the Ukrainian Federation.
Neta Rivkin from Israel placed seventh and maybe she might have dreamt of a little bit better classification after her results at the last big competitions. She already seemed very nervous at the two qualification days and was nearly left without final spot. Today she performed very concentrated and did four good exercises, but lacked maybe some expression. Nevertheless, Rivkin is the gymnasts doing the most correct body difficulty elements, her balance elements and jumps are the best examples for correct body work.
Also Silviya Miteva from Bulgaria is a gymnast for whom one had wished a better placement, but ending nearly without ball and doing a time-penalty in the same exercise, plus a drop with clubs left her without chances for higher scores at the Olympic final.
The 26-year old Bulgarian, coached by her mother named also Silviya, was already member of the National team in 2003 and 2004, but then she wasn’t called anymore for representing Bulgaria at international competitions. About the reasons, one can only speculate as there are again rumors of all kind of types, some say that her performances weren’t good enough others think she wasn’t at the right gymnastics club.
Since 2009, Silviya Miteva is the unquestioned number one in Bulgaria and the participation at the Olympic Games is also the prize for years of perseverance, never giving up and struggling with all kind of difficulties.
Asking her about her plans for the future she said "I'm going on holidays for 40 days, I have never had so many free days in a row in my whole life and I'm very excited. Then I think about the future".
Joanna Mitrosz from Poland placed 9th, she showed three solid exercises, but had problems with clubs. Her presence in the final and today’s ranking are one of the most discussed topics by rhythmic gymnastics fans at social networks.
Ganna Rizatdinova, the second Ukrainian gymnast got the last final spot at the qualification and finished also on 10th rank today. She’s a tall and elegant gymnasts that should have a great future ahead, but at this Olympic final she still didn’t show her exercises in all their perfection
The 26-year old Bulgarian, coached by her mother named also Silviya, was already member of the National team in 2003 and 2004, but then she wasn’t called anymore for representing Bulgaria at international competitions. About the reasons, one can only speculate as there are again rumors of all kind of types, some say that her performances weren’t good enough others think she wasn’t at the right gymnastics club.
Since 2009, Silviya Miteva is the unquestioned number one in Bulgaria and the participation at the Olympic Games is also the prize for years of perseverance, never giving up and struggling with all kind of difficulties.
Asking her about her plans for the future she said "I'm going on holidays for 40 days, I have never had so many free days in a row in my whole life and I'm very excited. Then I think about the future".
Joanna Mitrosz from Poland placed 9th, she showed three solid exercises, but had problems with clubs. Her presence in the final and today’s ranking are one of the most discussed topics by rhythmic gymnastics fans at social networks.
Ganna Rizatdinova, the second Ukrainian gymnast got the last final spot at the qualification and finished also on 10th rank today. She’s a tall and elegant gymnasts that should have a great future ahead, but at this Olympic final she still didn’t show her exercises in all their perfection
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** Pease look at the website of the "European Broadcasting Union" (EBU) where you can find the videos of all previous competition days!
>> VIDEO ON DEMAND:
> Qualification Day > Qualification Day 2 > Individual All-Around
(- and for the last time on Sunday 14.30 h
> LIVESTREAMING from the group finals)
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>> VIDEO ON DEMAND:
> Qualification Day > Qualification Day 2 > Individual All-Around
(- and for the last time on Sunday 14.30 h
> LIVESTREAMING from the group finals)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++