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Boelsems reports on the World Championships in Sports Acrobatics competition, which was held in Manchester England Sep 18-21. Russia won the team competition, with Ukraine placing second and China third.
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THE big wheels joined together in the recently-built velodrome in Manchester, England, for the IFSA World Championships in Sports Acrobatics, Sept. 18-21.
Nineteen countries sent competitors with only four nations submitting full teams of 17 athletes. Twenty-two member countries arrived for the IFSA Congress held prior to the event. Topics of discussions included the finalization of the merger of IFSA into the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), slated for 1998, and major rule changes. The importance of some of the changes led to a second session of the congress after the end of competition.
With the strength of many outstanding competitors, the Russian team once again took first place (seven exercises by Russian athletes received a 10.0), edging the Ukrainians by only three points. China was third. The British athletes thrilled the home crowd by winning seven medals, including two golds. Mixed pair Neil Griffiths and Emily Crocker scored a 10.0 for their individual tempo exercise, and Kathryn Peberdy won the women's tumbling event. Peberdy became the first woman to successfully compete a triple back in world competition. She tumbled a double twist-in, tuck back-out after working through a double layout. Olena Tchabanenko of Ukraine also did a triple back, taking several steps on the landing. However, she did win the twisting pass finals.
The most common straight pass for the women was working through a double layout to a double tuck, but Tatiana Morozova of Belarus tumbled a double layout through to another double layout.
Nine men attempted the once rare triple salto, but Alexei Kryjanovski of Russia landed fairly cleanly on a full-twisting triple back. He also performed a quadruple-twisting double salto, as did Chen Bo of China. The overall gold went to Vladimir Ignatenkov of Russia, who also won the straight pass final with a roundoff, flic, double layout, whip, whip, flic, flic, piked triple back.
Pairs and groups competition featured some awesome combinations and skills, but several competitors lacked in either presentation or difficulty. The Chinese and Russians dominated the awards, the former winning the women's and men's pairs, the latter taking gold for the mixed pair, women's trio and men's four (tied with Ukraine).
Sports acrobatics continues to be an excellent sport for both spectators and participants. Acro offers a place for all body sizes, shapes and ages, and should be a great addition to the FIG. IG GERMANY EDGES USA
A U.S. junior men's team battled a team from Germany in Colorado Springs Oct 5, but came up short, 261.30-261.00. Visitors Ronney Ziesmer and Dmitry Nonin (the latter a member of the 1997 German world team) grabbed the top two all-around ranks, leaving third to American Yewki Tomita.
MA: 1. Ronney Ziesmer GER 54.30; 2. Dmitry Nonin GER 53.50; 3. Yewki Tomita USA 53.45; 4. Sean Townsend USA 52.95; 5. Kris Zimmerman USA 52.10; 6. Raj Bhavsar USA 51.05; 7. Christian Rehfeld GER 50.85; 8. Stephan Zapf GER 50.30. Not competing all six events were: Michael Evans USA, Tom Neubert GER, Steffan Jan GER, Matt Abboud USA, Scott Vetere USA, Daniel Muller GER.
Men's Elite Canada, Oct. 17-18 Senior AA: 1. Kris Burley 102.625; 2. Alexander Jeltkov 102.20; 3. Richard Ikeda 100.475; 4. Sebastien Fortier 99.75; 5. Roshan Amendra 98.825; 6. Rhett Stinson 98.275. Junior AA: 1. Grant Golding 96.875; 2. Martin Monderie 90.525; 3. Sascha Kaeser 89.75; 4. Matthieu Simard 89.65; 5. Kris Krunick 88.95; 6. Matthew Soucie 87.30.
TANSKANEN, HERBERT WIN
World high bar champion Jani Tanskanen (Finland) took the all-around but ceded his specialty to regional rival Kasper Fardan of Denmark at the 14th annual Malar Cup, Oct. 18-19 in Sweden. Fardan, known for his triple pike dismount, did not compete on every apparatus. Katy Herbert of the U.S. dominated the women's meet with golds in the all-around and two events. Women's Senior AA: 1. Katy Herbert USA 33.35; 2. Nikki Beyschau USA 33.3; 3. Pia Sjovail NOR 32.05. Junior AA: 1. Elizabeth Tweddle GBR 32.25; 2. Maria Skytta FIN 30.575; 3. Pernilla Hagstrom SWE 30.45. Men's Senior AA: 1. Jani Tanskanen FIN 51.3;2. Per Johansson SWE 46.2; 3. Jesper Furnstam SWE 37.7. Junior AA (by birth year): 1979-80: 1. Anders Pettersson SWE 48.1. 1981-82: 1. Marco Mayr AUT 46.0; 2. Jerker Taudien SWE 44.1; 3. Henrik Lindblom SWE 40.9. 1983: 1. Bjorn Slanvall SWE 42.9; 2. Tobias Samuelsson SWE 40.4; 3. OlegAnissimovEST40. 1984: 1. Viktor Zetterqvist SWE 39.1. 1985+: 1. Patrick Hammer AUT 40.8.
KUI, MENG TIE IN CHINA
Kui Yuanyuan shook off a preliminary foot injury to share the all-around title with Meng Fei at the 1997 Chinese National Games, held Oct. 18-19. In team prelims, Kui fell off beam and jarred her foot, causing her to withdraw from her best events (beam and floor) in the team final. But in the all-around final she pulled a 9.85 on beam and 9.675 on floor. Bi Wenjing was third. NEW WORLD CUP
In an effort to add a major competition to the non-Olympic year between world championships, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has established a World Cup series for 1998.
Four World Cup tournaments (Stuttgart, Germany; Zurich, Switzerland; Paris, France; Vancouver, Canada) will determine the qualifiers to the final, to be held in Sabae, Japan, in June (date-to be determined). The competitions will be for apparatus titles only, and prize money will be awarded at each meet for ranks 1-10. Eligible gymnasts are required to participate in at least three of the four preliminary tournaments. INTERNATIONAL I.D.
It may seem strange that the 1997 world title on high bar went to Jani Tanskanen of Finland, but history reveals that the Finns were once a dominant force in men's gymnastics. The greatest of them all was Dr. Heikki Savolainen, who celebrated his 90th birthday on Sept. 28. Savolainen won medals in five Olympic Games, from 192852. When he was 40 he won the gold on pommel horse at the 1948 London Olympics, and four years later, in Helsinki, he missed the high bar gold by one tenth.
The last time IG mentioned Savolainen, an esteemed physician in Kajaani, was 10 years ago, after his 80th birthday. At the time, former IG International Editor Dr. Josef Gohler wrote: "Taking all in all, Savolainen is an outstanding gymnast and man who deserves admiration and even reverence. And to quote Jacob Burckhardt from his famous treatise on historical greatness: `Greatness is what we are not.'
"And which of us would venture to compete with this Finn of [90] years? It would be megalomania. "
Leon Stukelj, the oldest living Olympic champion in any sport, was honored at the Lausanne World Championships, and a special Gym Gala will be held in his hometown of Novo Mesto, Slovenia, on his 100th birthday, Nov.12,1998. Stukelj, the 1924 Olympic champion, had already invited Nadia Comaneci - also born on Nov. 12 - to this celebration during his induction into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame last June, and the list of invitees is growing. President Bill Clinton and Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee, both of whom Stukelj met at the Atlanta Olympics, have been extended invitations as well. South African champion Tammy Le Roux tore her ACL on a beam dismount, only a few weeks before the '97 Worlds. Le Roux anticipates full recovery in a year. Dagmar Kersten-Heinowski, popular mainstay on the German Democratic Republic team in the late '80s, gave birth to son Erik on March 10. Erik is a redhead like his mother.
Germany's Bundesliga will welcome several foreign athletes to its member clubs' teams this season: Alexei Voropayev RUS (OSC Potsdam), Sergei Fedorchenko KAZ (WKTV Stuttgart), Alexander Svetlichny UKR (SC Cottbus), Nistor Sandro ROM (TV Hannover), Haruo Yasuzato JPN (SV Halle), Igor Vikhrov LAT (KTV Chemnitz), Samuel Sipinen FIN (TAT Cologne) and Thomas Zimmerman AUT (TV Nellingen). 1996 U.S. Olympian Mihai Bagiu and his wife, Kris, celebrated the birth of their second child, daughter Mia, on Oct. 21. Vladimir Klimenko, son of '72 Olympic pommel horse champion Viktor, won the German junior championship for 12-yearolds. The younger Klimenko competes for SV Niederworresbach, where the elder Klimenko is a girls' coach. Representing the Soviet Union, Viktor was the European allaround champion in '71 and '73, and competed in the '68 and '72 Olympics. 1985 co-World champion Oksana Omelianchik of Ukraine gave birth to son Ivan on Sept. 29. Omelianchik, who has a 6-year-old daughter Anastasia, now resides with husband Dmitry in Kiev. She competed in the veterans' event at the '96 Cup of Buratino in Russia (since renamed Novgorod the Great by tournament director Dmitry Trofimov).
1988 Soviet Olympian Svetlana Baitova joined '96 Belarusian Olympian Olga Yurkina, Olga's identical twin sister Yulia (former Worlds competitor) and a troupe of acrobats, trampolinists and divers for a series of popular daily shows at Sea World in Ohio last summer. Other performers included Yuri Kisilev (second on rings for Belarus at the '96 Junior Europeans) and '96 World trampoline champion Dmitry Pularush.
Baitova is now the mother of a son, Sasha, 5. The Yurkinas enjoyed their summer and hope to return to work in America. Their show was threatened with closure, but public support (via calls to 1-800-SHAMU) is influencing a revival next summer.
RHYTHMIC ROUNDUP VITRICHENKO: GRANDEST OF GRAND PRIX
1996 Olympic bronze medalist Yelena Vitrichenko (Ukraine) took the overall title for the six-city 1997 Grand Prix circuit, which ended at the Alfred Vogel Cup in Holland, Oct. 11-12. She also placed first on each event based on points earned in this and the previous tournaments.
Allred Vogel Cup/Grand Prix Finals Oct. 11-12, Deventer, Holland Rope: 1. Natalia Lipkovskaya RUS; 2. Yelena Vitrichenko UKR; 3. Tatiana Ogrizko BLR. Hoop: 1(t.) Lipkovskaya and Yana Batyrshina RUS; 3. Ogrizko. Clubs: 1. Vitrichenko; 2. Lipkovskaya; 3. Tatiana Popova UKR. Ribbon: 1. Batyrshina; 2. Lipkovskaya; 3. Vitrichenko. Group (5 balls): 1. RUS; 2. UKR; 3. BUL. Group (3 balls, 2 ribbons): 1. RUS; 2. UKR; 3. BUL. Day 1 (Qualification):
AA: 1. Lipkovskaya RUS 39.708; 2. Valeria Vatkina BLR 39.425; 3. Editha Schaufler GER 39.363. Rope: 1. Vatkina; 2. Lipkovskaya; 3. Popova UKR. Hoop: 1. Lipkovskaya; 2. Vatkina; 3. Schaufler Clubs: 1. Lipkovskaya; 2. Vatkina; 3. Schaufler Ribbon: 1. Lipkovskaya; 2. Schaufler; 3. Vatkina. Team: 1. RUS 59.275; 2. UKR 58.663; 3. BUL 58.333. (Note: several individuals did not compete in Day 1, pre-qualifying for finals based on Grand Prix ranks and points.) Russian Cup, Sept. 14-16, Moscow Reigning national champion Anna Shishova medaled everywhere at the Russian Cup, yet was excluded from her country's team for the 1997 World Rhythmic Championships in Berlin in October. New Russian Cup winner Yana Batyrshina joined veterans Amina Zaripova and Natalia Lipkovskaya on the Germanybound roster.
AA: 1. Yana Batyrshina 79.45; 2. Anna Shishova 79.383; 3. Amina Zaripova 79.117. Ribbon: 1. Shishova; 2. Batyrshina; 3. Yulia Barsukova. Rope: 1. Batyrshina; 2. Barsukova; 3. Shishova. Clubs: 1. Zaripova; 2. Shishova; 3. Batyrshina. Hoop: 1. Batyrshina; 2. Shishova; 3. Zaripova. Aeon Cup, Sept. 12-15, Tokyo Senior AA: 1. Natalia Lipkovskaya RUS 39.59; 2. Yekaterina Serebrianskaya UKR 39.425; 3. Yelena Vitrichenko UKR 39.248; 4. Tatiana Ogrizko BLR 39.108; 5. Yana Batyrshina RUS 38.96,; 6. Amina Zaripova RUS 38.529; 7. Yevgenia Pavlina BLR 38.34; 8. Teodora Alexandrova BUL 38.141; 9. Boriana Guineva BUL 37.867; 10. Yelena Gatilova UKR 37.662. Junior AA: 1. Alina Kabayeva RUS 36.94; 2. Anna Bessovna UKR 35.848; 3. Alyona Ossyadovskaya BLR 35.813; 4. Yelena Tkachenko UKR 35.444; 5. Yelena Sidorenko RUS 35.387; 6. Iliana Tzaneva BUL 35.268. Team: 1.Interfin RUS 1155.49; 2. Gratsi UKR 112.531; 3. Levski BUL 111.276; 4. Jusco JPN 107.914; 5. Dinamo BLR 56.407; 6. SK City CZE 52.817.
Alba Caride-Costas is the 1997 Spanish champion, having won the June national championship over '97 Spanish Cup champion Esther Dominguez (second) and Almudena Cid Tostada (third). Born April 24, 1980, in Vigo, CarideCostas began her career in 1986 at Club Vallisoletano under coach Sonia Conde. In '94 she was selected for the national junior group, coached by Cathy Xaudaro and Consuelo Burgos. In 1995 she made the senior national team as an individual. CarideCostas placed 19th at the '96 Olympics and 13th at the '97 Europeans.
Caride-Costas enjoys "talking, babies and hanging out with my family and friends." Her favorite foods are ice cream and fruit, her favorite film is "Willow," and her favorite book is the horror novel "Flowers in the Attic" by V.C. Andrews. She loves all music except for flamenco and copla.
Olympic and defending world champion Yekaterina Serebrianskaya of Ukraine was forced to skip the rhythmic World Championships in Berlin when her mother, who is also her coach, became ill. Birgit Schielin won the all-around and all four events at the 1997 Austrian championships. She was 24th (prelims) at the '96 Olympics.
1996 Canadian Olympian Camille Martens has opened her own club near Vernon, British Columbia. For the last two years of her career, Martens was coached by Bulgaria's Lucia Dimitrova, who is now working with Russian star Natalia Lipkovskaya in Moscow.
Copyright Paul Ziert & Associates, Inc. Dec 1997