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20-October-2001:    Alina Kabaeva - World Champion 


German version

Alina Kabaeva is the old and the new World Champion.

The top-favourite achieved to prove here exceptional position in the world of Rhythmic Gymnastics. After her team-mate Irina Tchachina had been leading in the first turn, the 18-year old showed her qualities for fighting and reached the first position dominantly. 113,025 against 109,750 points - the final result of the two Russians’ duel. 

As already at the qualification competition, the Bulgarian Simona Peycheva achieved the third position (106,150), but at last, after the 4th rotation, the Ukrainian Tamara Erofeeva came on third with a score of 106,225 points. Anna Bessonova came on fifth (103,375) and Elena Tkachenko (BLR) on sixth place (101,200).

3,000 spectators were present in the afternoon already, at night the gym was crowded, however, and over 4,000 spectators saw a fascinating final competition of the best 15 gymnasts of the XXIV World Championships. The audience only contributed to the great atmosphere with ceaseless temperament and enthusiasm – that is the way a World Championships’ final should be !

Competition:  1st rotation: 

Great start by Irina Tchachina with hoop (28,450), who did not leave any doubt about her ambitions for the gold medal. The spectators’ darling Simona Peycheva from Bulgaria did not show to have nerves facing the World Championships’ atmosphere (clubs 27,275), followed by Tamara Jerofejewa, who immediately fought for the third rank (hoop 26,975). Jelena Tkachenko, a favourite as well, could not keep up (26,000). Then Alina Kabaeva appeared and the gym threatened to crash down…And as almost expected: She showed to have nerves, had to rearrange the rope after a catching-mistake and continued with little insecurities – placing herself behind Tchachina with one point less!! Anna Bessonowa (UKR, hoop 26,300) started with mistakes as well, so that there was a team of four in the competition for the medals: 
>> Tchachina (photo) in front of Kabajewa,
                              Peycheva in front of Erofeeva.

2nd rotation:
Tchachina with a difficult ball routine gave reason for the judges’ attack at least two times -  and was punished for it (only 26,625 points). The pool of judges here in Madrid already gained the reputation to be extremely strict – but always fair ! 


Simona Peycheva

 A hopefully remaining reputation…Simona Peycheva, with a really original rope routine presented herself fresh and carefree as always and stayed close to the medals (26,350). Tamara Erofeeva executed her ball routine entirely in white and with wide movements, not without mistakes, however (26,375). The World Championships are stressful… Tkachenko could not improve with rope and fell back, Bessonova achieved the fifth postion at ther place later on: Kabaeva with hoop, which was bad luck for her at the Olympic Games: and again it did nor bring her any luck, at least three mistakes could be observed by the spectators and by the judges, of course. She still got a very high score (28,375) – since the judges stuck to the rules, which allow things like that.  

The new darling of the audience is little Jennifer Colina, who fascinates the spectators with her spanish temperament. Another great presentation by Almudena Cid with rope to one of the fashion hits of the season.

>>> New ranks: Kabaeva in front of Tchachina, Peycheva in front of Erofeeva

3rd rotation:
Alina Kabaeva proved to be a fighter with her ball routine, charmingly and used to it she presented her famous self-creations – 28,250 points assured the leading position for her. The usually elegant and lightly-acting Anna Bessonova did not seem to be herself and had to deal with whole chains of mistakes…
Irina Tchachina did not give up: She fascinated with a firework and Spanish guitar music with clubs, did not manage a turn-around properly and got 27,825 points. That strengthened her second position, but made the first one almost impossible. Next firework presented by the girl without nerves, who presented even the most spectacular passages with full risk: Simona Peycheva with hoop (26,975) – the bronze medal seemed to be within hersphere. Tamara Erofeeva is a fighter as well. She presented her clubs routine in red and with “slow-motion” turn-around, which only she can do that perfectly. She remained clearly on the fourth rank, however.

>> Rank after three routines: Kabaeva in front of Tchachina, Peycheva in front of Erofeeva  


Kabaeva, hoop

4th rotation:
Kabaeva was the third gymnasts on the carpet and with the clubs routine she showed everything: Now the audience had not only seen the former, but the new World Champion, too. Although carefully, she showed all her perfection charmingly and confirmed what an exceptional gymnast she is at the moment. 28,550 points- that is it!

Irina Tchachina with rope, was a little nervous and not as dominating as usual – 26,850. But she is a great silver medal winner, and we can only congratulate the Russian federation to these two exceptional gymnasts !

The third position seemed to be secure for sympathetic Simona Peycheva, the shooting star of the season,– her routine was good, but proved to be not good enough. The last gymnast of this final competition changed everything – Tamara Erofeeva still won the bronze medal and deserved it. With routine, perfection and willing to fight she presented her rope routine and got 27,125 points – and won bronze with a surplus of 0,75 points only. About that she was as happy as Alina about gold…

“Mixed” Final:

Only five gymnasts of the All-round final competitions of the world Championships in Osaka 1999 were present in Madrid as competitors for the gold medal. World Champion Alina Kabajewa, Tamara Jerofejewa (UKR), Almudena Cid Tostado from the hosting federation, Ephmorphia Dona (GRE) and Laura Zacchili (ITA). That shows the qualities of these gymnasts, but also reflects how ephemeral the discipline is. The competition was characterised by these two things: experience, routine and feminine appearance of the above mentioned gymnasts faced the excitement and the will to be successful of many very young gymnasts, who are preparing for the Olympic Games 2004 in the long run. One of them is Olga Lukjanov, another one Jennifer Colino from Spain ( coached by Nina Vitrichenko) or Olga Gusarchuk from Latvia and, above all, Elisabeth Paissieva from Bulgaria, who became seventh (!) as the youngest participant and who takes part in three final competitions on Sunday !

It was not Olga’s day…
In the afternoon, the competition of group B (qualification ranks 16 – 30) took place. With the success of Hannah McKibbin in group B the British gained attention. In the team competition they had achieved the tenth position (position 32 in 1999!) and 16-year-old Hannah is prepared to improve her presentations in the future. The Bulgarian coach Nadia Alexandrova has been training the British gymnasts for two years now, but only that is not enough to improve that much, as we know in Germany…

Olga Lukjanov started well, the audience cheered a lot for her rope routine, as she was on the tenth position after the first turn. It was bad luck in her interesting new hoop routine: Literally in the last second the hoop landed on her foot and rolled away…The ball routine was not too convincing either, so that she was on the last-but-one position after the third turn, which she could not change anymore, not even with her clubs routine (failing to catch the clubs) – in the end Olga was on the 13th position in group B and on the 28th in the entire classement.  
 The qualities of the audience, who is really enthusiastic about Rhythmic Gymnastics, here in Madrid, a Spanish centre of the discipline, were expressed when the music turned off in the rope routine of Dusica Jeremic (SLO). With rhythmic hand-clapping and cheering they almost carried Dusica for the rest of the routine, which she finished confidently and for which she earned champion-like cheers.

Disturbing rules
One cannot avoid to start talking about the  valid rules, which are not well done at all. It is obvious that the decrease in participation results from the rules (not taking the cancels due to the political situation into consideration). The already known statement was confirmed again in Madrid: The beauty of the discipline is not the same, many gymnasts are not up to it and the variety of styles, the diversity of the different countries are missing. Gymnasts could “tell” so much about their countries in their routines – e.g. Anahi Sosa (ARG), who his admirable despite the rules, Minhong Zhu from China (with a great hoop routine, the 22,475 points for it were the highest score in group B) or Vanda Kereselidze from Georgia – but no one lets them do so. Only the five or six top-gymnasts can cope with the demands in a way, that does not look like hard work.
Hence the sportive variety of the actually beautiful World Championships was lost due to the Code de pointage.

(From Madrid: Sonja Schmeisser, text and Dirk Zimmermann, photos;
Translation: Janka Schmeisser)

 
  
FIG: OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION
ONE RED – THREE YELLOW !  Madrid, 21st October 2001:

After the All Around Final of the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Madrid, the International Gymnastics Federation has expelled the judge  Tetyana Litovko (UKR)  from the FIG judges pool because of serious judging mistakes.
The FIG has also given a yellow card to Giurka Gancheva (BUL) and Betty Lhoste (FRA).

The Technical Committee, chaired by Mrs. Egle Abruzzini (ITA) has analysed all judges marks given to Tamara Yerofeeva (UKR), ranked 3rd and Simona Peycheva (BUL), ranked 4th  and came to the conclusion that serious judging errors were made.
The Technical Committee has also sanctioned Heather Richards (GBR) with a yellow card. 

The FIG has recently introduced a new judges structure by  forming an FIG judges pool, with the worlds best 16 artistic, 16 technical, and 24 execution judges. Only these expert judges are eligible to judge at FIG events until the end of this Olympic cycle.  A red card means immediate expulsion from the judges pool. 
The yellow card is a serious warning, the second yellow card means automatically a red card.  Because the sanctions were given during the World Championships, the judges concerned have the right  to appeal to the Jury of Appeal of these World Championships.
The sanctions taken against the three judges were welcomed by the judges panel. With the exception of the above mentioned case, the judges present in Madrid have made an excellent job, proving that the new system put in place by the FIG is working and respects the spirit of fair play and the code of ethics. The FIG and its President Bruno Grandi are proud of this attitude. The exemplary  sanctions underline the willingness of the FIG in its fight against biased judging and corruption among the judges and to preserve the spirit of fair play and ethics to the benefit of the gymnasts. (source FIG / PHS)
 

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