05. April 2011
Berlin, Germany
Artistic Gymnastics
Podium trainings Men and Women
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From outside, the Max-Schmeling-Hall still seems a bit dreamy, colored with the first green tones of the spring, but inside there is a lot of movement on the apparatus from this morning on. Women on Monday and men on Tuesday did their podium trainings parallel to the last tests and the qualification days (Wednesday and Thursday).
In the city itself there is hardly no sign that Europe’s best gymnasts are gathering together in Germany’s capital, although the press published a lot of previews and whole school classes and clubs got attractive invitations and visiting offers for the qualification days.
Surely this will change on the three final’s days from Friday on as there was reported that all tickets are already sold out...
ECh newcomer Nadin Jarosch (GER) performed
as the very first gymnast the first exercise
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At the first day and in the first group of women’s podium-rounds, German European Championships newcomer Nadin Jarosch was the very first gymnast on beam. After the youngest gymnast in the German team came one of the most experienced, Kim Bui, who reappeared after her injury for the first time on a big international event. Oksana Chusovitina, the oldest participant of all, and Elisabeth Seitz won’t compete on floor after not having had a satisfying podium training.
There were some more deletions to add:
Only two Dutch gymnasts travelled to Berlin, Céline van Garner and Joy Goedkoop, while Yvette Moshage and Naoual Oazzani Chachdi had to stay at home due to injuries.
There were some more deletions to add:
Only two Dutch gymnasts travelled to Berlin, Céline van Garner and Joy Goedkoop, while Yvette Moshage and Naoual Oazzani Chachdi had to stay at home due to injuries.
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Nevertheless, the Dutch Men team is complete and their hopes are focused especially on Vice-World-Champion Epke Zonderland who convinced lately with a victory in Paris and 7.3 points difficulty...
The Swiss team came without Nikki Böschenstein, who recently started trainings again after an injury, and also without Roman Gisi who is doing a mid-term preparation for the World championships and works on new contents. Daniel Groves and Claudio Capelli are the all-around starters in Berlin, beside Pascal Bucher (pommel horse, parallel bars), Nils Haller (rings), Manuel Rickli (high bar) and Lukas Fischer (parallel bars, high bar).
Altogether, talking to the different teams, it seems that the European championships here in Berlin are seen as a preparative competition where newcomers are being tested and rivals observed, as well as the national strategy towards the World championships in Japan (Tokyo, Olympic qualifying) checked. For the athletes it’s still an important highlight on the way to London 2012 and we can hope for some nice surprises...
The Swiss team came without Nikki Böschenstein, who recently started trainings again after an injury, and also without Roman Gisi who is doing a mid-term preparation for the World championships and works on new contents. Daniel Groves and Claudio Capelli are the all-around starters in Berlin, beside Pascal Bucher (pommel horse, parallel bars), Nils Haller (rings), Manuel Rickli (high bar) and Lukas Fischer (parallel bars, high bar).
Altogether, talking to the different teams, it seems that the European championships here in Berlin are seen as a preparative competition where newcomers are being tested and rivals observed, as well as the national strategy towards the World championships in Japan (Tokyo, Olympic qualifying) checked. For the athletes it’s still an important highlight on the way to London 2012 and we can hope for some nice surprises...
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Experienced Berlin Volonteers, always in good mood and ready to cope with the everything lying ahead of them...! |
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Espen Jansen (42) on saturday as a judge - background: his coach Age Storhaug (NOR) |
… by the way:
The Gymnastics-Methusalem arrived to Berlin already some days ago:
<< Espen Jansen is going to be the only Norwegian gymnast at this European championships!
Since 1989, since the Globen Arena in Stockholm, he is going to compete at his 15th European championships without interruption in his meanwhile 5th decade of life.
Espen Jansen became 42 years last December, on Saturday he worked as a judge at the 16. International Junior Team Cup at the Sportforum Berlin and took care of the Norwegian junior team, together with his coach Age Storhaug – himself Norwegian champion between 1957 and 1971, seven-times European championships participant for Norway and Vice-European Champion on vault (1965, Antwerp).
Both excellent representatives of the international artistic gymnastics!
The Gymnastics-Methusalem arrived to Berlin already some days ago:
<< Espen Jansen is going to be the only Norwegian gymnast at this European championships!
Since 1989, since the Globen Arena in Stockholm, he is going to compete at his 15th European championships without interruption in his meanwhile 5th decade of life.
Espen Jansen became 42 years last December, on Saturday he worked as a judge at the 16. International Junior Team Cup at the Sportforum Berlin and took care of the Norwegian junior team, together with his coach Age Storhaug – himself Norwegian champion between 1957 and 1971, seven-times European championships participant for Norway and Vice-European Champion on vault (1965, Antwerp).
Both excellent representatives of the international artistic gymnastics!
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… and then the oldest gymnast from Norway competed on Tuesday at the podium trainings in the Max-Schmeling-hall(picture, above, right) .
* TUESDAY, April 5th:
Men Podium Trainings
(10.00 / 14.00 / 17.30 Uhr)
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Also the German team had to make some changes. Thomas Taranu can’t compete on floor, rings and vault, as foreseen, due to a knee-injury that became worse last week at the training camp in Kienbaum. Nevertheless, he showed a concentrated performance on rings on Tuesday morning.
Later followed newcomer Sebastian Krimmer and local Berlin gymnast Brian Gladow on parallel bars and high bar, as well as on floor, Krimmer also performed on pommel horse.
Both seemed to have good nerves and not being nervous, but: “…as the coach told me that I’m going to participate at the European’s, there was party inside me…! declared the gymnast from Berlin, coached by Jens Milbradt.
The hosts miss already two of their best gymnasts, Hambüchen and Fahrig.
“These are difficult circumstances, because we don’t have all gymnasts with us. This is a serious problem that makes my stomach ache, because the expectations on the German team are very high and we would love to cope with them. Our gymnasts will fight hard and take every chance. The public will see good performances.” told National teamcoach Andreas Hirsch…
* TUESDAY, April 5th:
Men Podium Trainings
(10.00 / 14.00 / 17.30 Uhr)
_____________________________________
Also the German team had to make some changes. Thomas Taranu can’t compete on floor, rings and vault, as foreseen, due to a knee-injury that became worse last week at the training camp in Kienbaum. Nevertheless, he showed a concentrated performance on rings on Tuesday morning.
Later followed newcomer Sebastian Krimmer and local Berlin gymnast Brian Gladow on parallel bars and high bar, as well as on floor, Krimmer also performed on pommel horse.
Both seemed to have good nerves and not being nervous, but: “…as the coach told me that I’m going to participate at the European’s, there was party inside me…! declared the gymnast from Berlin, coached by Jens Milbradt.
The hosts miss already two of their best gymnasts, Hambüchen and Fahrig.
“These are difficult circumstances, because we don’t have all gymnasts with us. This is a serious problem that makes my stomach ache, because the expectations on the German team are very high and we would love to cope with them. Our gymnasts will fight hard and take every chance. The public will see good performances.” told National teamcoach Andreas Hirsch…
Although that the organizers did a wide ranged press work and invited to the qualifying days, only a few non-expert guests came into the Max-Schmeling hall. Even insiders had difficulties to keep up with the ongoing competition, because the athletes didn’t have starting numbers and even the accreditated media representatives didn’t had a start list.
…instead, the organizers provided them with a resume of the most important judging rules in artistic gymnastics:
>> Mini-Code, Men >> Mini-Code Women
Very good was the renewed possibility for the accreditated to have a look into the nearby training hall. There are four complete training floors and several complete original SPIETH competition equipments, although the arrangement didn't permit to be nearby the gymnasts on the shorter side of the hall. This problem was better solved in rotterdam at last year's WCh.
…instead, the organizers provided them with a resume of the most important judging rules in artistic gymnastics:
>> Mini-Code, Men >> Mini-Code Women
Very good was the renewed possibility for the accreditated to have a look into the nearby training hall. There are four complete training floors and several complete original SPIETH competition equipments, although the arrangement didn't permit to be nearby the gymnasts on the shorter side of the hall. This problem was better solved in rotterdam at last year's WCh.
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Best conditions also in the big training hall, only some steps away from the competition arena. |
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At this year's European championships in Berlin compete 157 male gymnasts from 39 nations and 86 female gymnasts from 32 nations.
Participants list (Standings April 5th):
Participants list (Standings April 5th):