12. June 2005
Moscow / RUS
Rhythmic Gymnastics
XXI. European Championships of Rhythmic GymnasticsTchachina most successful gymnast
Irina Tchachina is European Champion with rope and clubs - and with her team. So she is the most successful gymnast of this European Championships. Her teammate Olga Kapranova was the best gymnast with the ball today while Natalia Godunko (UKR) won the final with the ribbon.
The junior group of Belarus is the European Champion 2005! It was a surprise since the Russian group was the favourite for this final. Russia won the silver medal, the 3rd place went to the group from Greece.
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Olga Kapranowa won with the ball and reached the 2nd place with the rope
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Titles for Tchachina, Kapranova and Godunko
With three titles overall Irina Tchachina from Russia was the most successsful gymnast of these European Championships. The 23-year-old gymnast, who already was World Champion with the Russian team in 1999 and has won numerous medals at international competitions since, once again convinced with her very difficult routines and technical perfection in the execution.
Despite of three silver- and 2 bronze- medals (!) Anna Bessonova from Ukraine probably won’t be happy with her results at these championships,leaving without a gold medal. At the European Championships 2003 in Riesa she had won the titles with hoop, clubs and ribbon.
The only “non- Russian” gold medal this year went to Natalia Godunko (UKR) in the ribbon final. This is not her first victory with this apparatus. The 20-year-old from Kiev presented a unique choreography, full of speed and temper. She certainly belongs to the favourites of this apparatus for the World Championships in October.
These European Championships in Moscow were the championships of the hosts. Olga Kapranova definitely proved that she doesn’t stand in the shadow of Kabaeva and Tchachina anymore. With 2 European Championship titles and being the youngest of her team – she is only 17 years old – she certainly has a bright future in front of her. In 2003 she already became World Champion with the Russian team but the gold medal with the ball today has been her first big indidvidual victory.
Closing Gala with men’s RG
The men from Japan who present their very personal style of RG are famous worldwide and thrilled the audience at the closing gala of these European Championships in Moscow. In a one-hour lasting show, gymnasts from all different kinds of age presented their performances, among them the former World Champion Amina Zaripova. Not among the participants – Alina Kabaeva.
Impressions from the finals
Almost 4,000 spectators came to the large hall in the Olimpiskij Sports Komplex today in order to watch the finals.
Irina Tchachina with two great routines – which brought her two victories – and two messed-up routines which brought her two - for her quite unusual - 6th ranks. The ball rolled out of bounds that far that she seemed to be quite uncertain whether she should still fetch it, which she finally did.
The leaps of the Ukrainians were as always very beautiful to watch – Bessonova as well as Godunko presented them with a perfect execution.
The rope is again one of the apparatus in the competitions (instead of hoop), so only new routines were presented with this apparatus – open throws, (planned) interesting snarls, artistic jumps (Natalia Godunko), the formerly quite boring apparatus nowadays is a true enrichment of RG.
Turns on the belly seem to be quite up-to-date at the moment, with all apparatus and in all kind of variations.
The routines of the day: Tchachina with the clubs – highest score of the day with 17.150; Godunko with the ribbon – simply thrilling!
Information from Moscow: Gigi Eschmann
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Irina Tchachina - European Champion with the rope
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Results overview Results rope: 1. Irina Tchachina RUS 17.050
2. Olga Kapranova RUS 16.850
3. Anna Bessonova UKR 16.175
4. Inna Zhukova BLR 16.025
5. Natalia Godunko UKR 15.900
6. Simona Peycheva BUL 15.825
7. Dinara Gimatova AZE 15.175
8. Anna Gurbanova AZE 15.075
Results ball:
1. Olga Kapranova RUS 17.025
3. Anna Bessonova UKR 16.350
3. Inna Zhukova BLR 16.300
4. Simona Peycheva BUL 16.025
5. Natalia Godunko UKR 16.000
6. Irina Tchachina RUS 15.875
7. Anna Gurbanova AZE 15.225
8. Valeria Kuryilskaya BLR 13.950
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Today without a gold medal: Anna Bessonova from Ukraine
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Results clubs:
1. Irina Tchachina RUS 17.150
2. Olga Kapranova RUS 16.600
3. Anna Bessonova UKR 16.275
4. Simona Peycheva BUL 15.600
5. Inna Zhukova BLR 15.575
6. Liubov Sharkashyna BLR 15.375
7. Natalia Godunko UKR 15.325
8. Anna Gurbanova AZE 15.175
Results ribbon:
1. Natalia Godunko UKR 16.225
2. Anna Bessonova UKR 16.150
3. Inna Zhukova BLR 15.875
4. Vera Sessina RUS 15.525
5. Simona Peycheva BUL 15.400
6. Irina Tchachina RUS 15.375
7. Valeria Kuryilskaya BLR 14.600
8. Irina Risenson ISR 14.400
The junior group from Belarus was the best today
The junior groups from Russia and Belarus dominated this final – and in the end the girls from Belarus were a little bit better. The Russians presented the highest level of difficulty (6.700) in this competition but made a mistake and couldn’t compensate this drop of a ball.
On rank 3 followed the group from Greece, almost two points behind the two higher- ranked teams. The Bulgarians were a bit disappointed with their 5th rank - in the qualification they still were on the bronze medal position – but they dropped a ball which then rolled out of bounds and with such kind of mistakes it’s almost impossible to reach a medal- rank in a final.
Despite of various mistakes, the 13 – 15- year-old girls presented demanding and nice choreographies: The level of performance was very high in this competition and also the large amount of participating junior groups (22) shows that the attractivity of groups - RG is steadily growing.
Information from Moscow: Gigi Eschmann
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The junior group of Belarus became European Champion 2005
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The Bulgarian group - 3rd in the qualification, today only 5th
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Results of the junior groups final: 1. BLR 23.600
2. RUS 23.100
3. GRE 21.225
4. ESP 20.475
5. BUL 20.100
6. UKR 20.075
7. ISR 19.925
8. HUN 19.825
Results The group from
Russia was 1st- ranked still after the qualification on Friday in front of
Belarus and
Bulgaria.
Results qualification junior groups
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The Russian group could not defend their title today
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