COMPETITION I: Team qualification WOMEN  / Frauen

Tatiana Zharganova (BLR)

Rotation 1:
Belarus lived up to its reputation of being an inconsistent team by starting the day`s competition with a struggle against the bars. Only Tatiana Zharganova broke the nine point barrier with a 9,2 (9,9 SV). Their team total on this event is lower than Brazil`s!

The host team was cheered loudly and were solid on their largely simple vaults.

In the mixed group, Uzbeki wonderwoman Oksana Chusovitina– surprisingly not the oldest competitor here- as always made her difficult tumbles look easy, just staggering on her double pike dismount a little..

Spain had a bye in this rotation.

Rotation 2:
Spain started nervously on beam with a fall from Marta Cusido on double tuck dismount and wobbles from Alba Planas and Esther Moya (nice layout to two feet). Elena Gomez turned in strong performance, only to be followed by another fall from Sara Moro, who came to grief on a side somi.

Chusovitina should be in contention for the vault final and maybe more with her full-twisting front layout. Her mastery of the vault is all the more remarkable considering she has had very limited exposure to the new vaulting table.

Belgium couldn`t build any momentum on bars with three scores in the sevens. Belarus had a bye.

Oxana Chusovitina (UZB)

Elena Gomez (ESP)

Rotation 3:

Belarus continues its shaky perfornances with a fall from its most experienced gymnast Tatiana Zhargannova. Yulia Tarasenko threw a ff to immediate full-twisting back pike but fell as well.

Spain experienced mixed emotions on floor with a solid performance from Cusido but falls from Moro on a pass of 2 ½ twist to punch front and Gomez (2 ½ twist to punch front full).In general, they seemed to be lacking some of the technical finesse that had been their trademark in the last years.

Oksana Chusovitina fell on her double layout dismount.

  Rotation 4:

Tatiana Zharganova finally put in a good effort for Belarus on floor, opening with a handspring.double front. Perhaps inspired by her example, Prakharenko and Tarsaneko followed with strong perfrormances of their own but low start values kept their scores in the eights.

All Spanish girls vaulted Yurchenkos, mostly 1 ½ or  two twists. While they landed them well enough, none of then was as explosive as they have been from the Spanish team in the past..

Oxana Chussovitina >>
She is 25 years old and starts in her 6th world Championships. Ten years ago, in 199, she was world champion on floor in Indianapolis, already. 

Sara Moro (ESP)

 Rotation 5:

Spain made up lost ground on bars with good lines and difficulty. Alba Planas scored a 9,050 for a routine that inlcuded a nice Tkachev-Gienger combination. 
Sara Moro had some form breaks on her dismount but was fantastic in the rest of her routine for a 9,20, the second highest score on bars to date (10 SV). Still, they trail the USA by over two points.

Belarus kept it simple with handspring-front pike on vault to stay behind Brazil. Chusovitina nails beam for the sixth highest individual total.

Report: Nora Schuler / Photos by Don Johnson
Web editor: Eckhard Herholz