XXI. European Championships of RG - qualifications/ Will Kabaeva return?
The European Championships of Rhythmic Gymnastics began today with the first part of the team competition (groups C and B) and the qualification of the junior groups competition in Moscow.
The team of Czech Republic was the best today in front of Turkey and Slovenia . Russia won the junior group qualification in front of Belarus and Bulgaria.
On the verge of these European Championships Russia's head coach Irina Viner announced a possible comeback of Olympic Champion Alina Kabaeva who will take part in Sunday's gala.
It is new at these ECh’s that no all-around takes place – this will only take place at the ECh’s 2006.
Friday, 10th June 2005
Today the first part of the senior team competition took place for the groups C and B (4 exercises - rope, ball, clubs, ribbon)
Every country has to present 8 routines. This also is the qualification for the best 8 gymnasts per apparatus who then reach the apparatus finals.
The team of Czech Republic with Dominika Cervenkova and Eva Pavelkova was the best today with 51.175 points.
Turkey (50.800), Slovenia (50,300), Estonia, Finland and Latvia reached the following ranks. The world best teams will follow tomorrow (group A).
Dominika Cervenkova (CZE) was the best gymnast today
The best of the individual qualifications with each apparatus were today Dominika Cervenkova (ball and ribbon), Irina Kikkas (EST, clubs) and Mojca Rode (SLO, rope).
The junior group from Russia won the qualification today
Russia won the junior group qualification in front of Belarus and Bulgaria.
The other finalists are: ESP, GRE, HUN, UKR, ISR
The junior groups present only one routine with 5 balls at these championships.
In an exclusive interview with the newspaper “Kommersant” Russia’s head coach Irina Viner speaks about a comeback of Olympic Champion Alina Kabaeva who has already resumed training and “has just regained her host place”. According to Viner, Alina needs the energy exchance with the audience like the air to breath and this would be one of the reasons to restart again.
Alina Kabaeva will present 2 show parts in the closing gala on Sunday. However, Viner mentioned that already on July 3rd 2005 she will join the Russian national team in Croatia and then the serious part will beginn for her again. Viner said that a comeback of Alina Kabaeva wouldn’t only be a good thing, it would be brilliant.
plans he comeback - Olympic Champion Alina Kabaeva
The competition hall of the Olympiysky Sports Complex
PREVIEW: XXI. EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2005 of Rhythmic gymnastics
The regulations
The program of the European Championships seems to be a bit difficult to understand on the first view.
>> At first a team decision will take place in Moscow (the scores of the individual gymnasts will be added together to a team result, 8 routines are required, each apparatus 2x and not more than 3 gymnasts per country).
>>The best 8 gymnasts each then reach the finals with the four apparatus rope, ball, clubs and ribbon on Sunday.
>>Furthermore the 20 best all-arounders secure their country a spot for the all-around final which however will only take place at the following European Championships in 2005 (this rule is new, during the last years both all-around qualification and final took place at the same championships).
>> The junior groups present their routine with 5 balls in the qualification (Friday) and final (Sunday).
hoop- studies of the favourite Irina Tchachina by our photographer Dirk Zimmermann, who will be on site in Moscow for GYMmedia.
The favourites for the competition
High aims for the titles per apparatus at these individual European Championships have Irina Tchachina and the 3rd- ranked from the Olympic Games Anna Bessonova. Both dominated the recent top- events this spring, although Bessonova in the meantime had problems with a minor injury.
But also the two other Russian competitors Olga Kapranova and Vera Sessina will have good chances to win medals in front of their home crowd. They managed to beat their team-mate Irina Tchachina already this year at the beginning of May in Baku.
Other favourits for medals are Bulgaria's Simona Peycheva, Natalia Godunko (UKR), Alya Yusupova (KAZ) and Inna Zhukova (BLR).
Germany with a particpation at ECh’s again in 2009 only
The RG- Technical Committee of the German Gymnastics Federation decided not to take part in this European Championships “due to reasons of the current level of performance”. This decision was highly critisized by various German RG- experts.
It means also that definitely no German gymnast will take part in the European Championships 2006. The next ECh with a participation of Germany could only be the one in 2009 (in the C- group) at which the German gymnasts then will have the chance to qualify for the B- group for the next European Championships.
Olympic competitor Lisa Ingildeeva - not good enough for other international competitions...?
Caroline Weber - Austria's No. 1 - wants to reach the top 20 for the Euros 2006!
Austria’s No. 1 Caroline WEBER wants to reach the top-20 at these European Championships but mainly thinks about the result for her team: "The most important thing is the team- competition. Austria was on rank 18 last year. We want to keep this rank in order to remain in the 2nd- best of the 3 groups”, - mentioned the 19-year-old gymnast from Dornbirn. Eckhard Herholz, gymmedia
ECH's - SCHEDULE: >> Friday, 10-Jun-2005
12.00-13.45 competition 1 – group C (4 apparatus)
15.30-17.15 group competition – juniors
18.45-19.15 opening ceremony
19.15-21.30 competition 1 – group B (4 apparatus)
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>> Saturday, 11-Jun-2005
10.00-11.45 competition 1 – group C (4 apparatus)
12.15-14.30 competition 1 – group B (4 apparatus)
16.00-18.00 competition 1 – group A (4 apparatus)
18.15-20.25 competition 1 – group A (4 apparatus)
20.25-20.35 award ceremony
>> Sunday, 12-Jun-2005
11.00-11.45 final competition – group exercises – juniors
11.45-11.55 award ceremony
16.00-16.50 final competition – seniors (2 apparatus)
16.50-17.00 award ceremony
17.05-17.55 final competition – seniors (2 apparatus)
17.55-18.05 award ceremony
18.10-19.00 closing ceremony
