* New World Champion: Russia´s Evgenia Kanaeva
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Evgenia Kanaeva - relieved after winning the all-around |
Kanaeva won the gold medal with 116.250 points - ahead of her teammate Daria Kondakova and Melitina Staniouta and from Belarus. Without a medal in this all-around stays the fourth ranked Azeri gymnast Aliya Garaeva, only 0,050 points behind the medal places – a difference between these two gymnasts that is imperceptible to non-judges eyes. The best Western-European gymnasts were Delphine Ledoux (FRA) on 13th rank, Caroline Weber (AUT) on 15th, Julietta Cantaluppi (ITA) on 16th and Carolina Rodríguez (ESP) on 17th.
1- Evgenia Kanaeva (RUS) 116.250
2- Daria Kondakova (RUS) 113.825
3- Melitina Staniouta (BLR) 110.350
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Daria Kondakova - winner of the Longines Prize of Elegance |
* Longines Prize of Elegance
Since 1987 the Swiss company Longines gives a special prize to the most elegant gymnast, chosen between all the participants in the all-around final. This year Russian Daria Kondakova was the favourite of the jury and takes home a wrist watch of the Swiss brand and 5000 USD prize money.
Ulyana Trofimova, ranked 12th at the all-around, received a special prize for artistism.
>>>Full Results Individual All-Around
* No Ukrainians on the podium for the first time in the decade
This year´s all-around result is not surprising considering that the Russian gymnasts dominate the scene for years, but it´s the first time in this decade that no Ukrainian gymnast can stand on the podium at an all-around competition - their best gymnast, Alina Maksimenko, placed 5th.
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Alina Maksimenko - no medal for the Ukraine |
* Western European gymnasts with good results
Now, after all individual competitions have come to an end in Moscow it´s time to take a closer look on the results of the Western European gymnasts. With Delphine Ledoux, Caroline Weber, Julietta Cantaluppi and Carolina Rodríguez four out of five of the best in Group 2 are Non-Eastern European, but only Ledoux could make it into one of the apparatus finals this years.
Three of these gymnasts are already 24 years old, Delphine Ledoux 25, and compete for their countries for a long time. All of them had to wait a lot of years for this success, even when for a non-insider becoming 13th, 14th or 15th at a world championship might not seem a big deal, it is in rhythmic gymnastics considering the possibilities of the Western gymnasts and the political scene inside the sport – and the girls are happy for sure with their ranking today.
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Delphine Ledoux (FRA) - best Western-European gymnast |
* New Code of Points with high requirements
All four gymnasts started training with the all code of points that wasn´t so specialized in flexibility and body technique and they had to learn new difficult elements at an “advanced” age for a gymnast. Some of the girls also weren´t the number one in their home countries for years, Carolina Rodríguez had to wait from 2001 to 2009 to lead the Spanish team, she was placed always behind her teammates Almudena Cid, record four times Olympic finalist, and Jennifer Colino (till 2007). Caroline Weber was Austria´s number two behind Hanna Oberhofer, too, and Julietta Cantaluppi wasn´t even sent to big international competitions by her federation. Now the goal for these four gymnasts can only be the qualification for the Olympic Games 2012.
* Difficulties for young talents
Nevertheless, for young Western talents it´s very difficult to break trough in gymnastics, the training conditions in the countries of the former Soviet Union are excellent and can´t be taken over by Western countries, what makes it nearly impossible to go to school and train for the highest level at the same time.