A
Frenchman
(Joseph Martinez) and a Luxemburger (Francoise
Hentges) were the winners on parallel bars at the 1st
International Tournament in Antwerp which was later given the status of 1st
World Championships. They were followed by Italians, Yugoslavs (e.g. Leon
Stukelj 1922)
as well as Swiss gymnasts, all f whom took the title on parallel bars at
one time or oher.
The era of the Soviet school of gymnastics in the fifties (Chukarin,
Shakhlin) was succeeded by a series of Japanese gymnasts, Nakayama,
Kenmotsu, Gushiken, with a notable interrruption by Bart
Connor (USA, 1979). In the eighties, Wladimir
Artiomow (URS) was champion on parallel barsIn
the last few years, Asian gymnasts
have dominated the field of parallel bars gymnastics; only Russian
athletes have managed to break into their ranks.
In 2001, however, a US gymnast managed to win a gold medal on parallel
bars for the first time since 1979 (Bart Connor): Sean
Townsend
won the second parallel bars medal for the US, while Erik
Lopez
won the second World Championships medal in total for Cuba.
Between 2001 and 2006 there were four Chinese triumphs on parallel
bars, with a break only for Mitja
Petkovsek's
(SLO) win in 2005, but only in 2007 again. The tenth parallel bars
title for China went to WANG, Guanyin
in London 2009, and 2010 in Rotterdam FENG, Zhe
made a Chinese hattrick and all medals went to Asia. Ten years after
Sean Townsend in Gent Danell LEYVA
is the next parallel bar world champion from USA now.
