COMPETITION I: Team qualification WOMEN  / Frauen

Andreea Raducan and the new Pegases

Rotation 1:
Romania started like the champions they are on vault, nailing their various Yurchenkos for a team total of 37,061.

When Andreea Raducan was announced, she was cheered loudly by the crowd.

France got the crowd going with inspired choreography and great tumbling on floor. European champion Ludivine Furnon might not have the difficulty she used to – opening with only a double pike instead of her old double layout punch front – but has lost nothing of her unique style. Clelia Cotzac tumbled a piked full-in and a double pike within seconds. 

Rotation 2:

Bars have long been a Romanian weakness and the gymnasts did little to correct this impression this evening. First up, Carmen Ionescu fell twice. She was followed by Silvia Stroescu, Sabina Cojocar, Andreea Raducan and Loredana Boboc none of whom were able score above nine points. While they avoided huge breaks, their routines looked somewhat laboured.

France had a fall on vault when Delphine Regease failed to stand up her handspring front pike ½ . Clelia Coutzac was their highest scorer with a 9,012 for a Yurchenko 1 ½ twist. The French camp in the audience brightened up proceedings cheeriung on the gymnasts with shouts of “Allez la France” while they marched to the next apparatus.

Sabina Cojocar - may be the new Romanian star...?

Rotation 3:

Romania lived up to its reputation on beam with excellent routines from Ionescu, Stroescu, Cojocar and Raducan. Raducan stuck her double pike dismount cold as well as her ff-full-twisting back tuck combination.
Cojocar and Ionescu also threw full-twisting back tucks and Stroescu tumbled a ff-ff-Onodi. The last gymnast up, Loredana Boboc couldn’t match her team mates and wobbled through her routine.

France couldn’t gain any scoring momentum on bars with weak routines.

<< Heidi Piccardi- 
Changed from Australia to Austria

Rotation 4:

Romania went into the lead with high difficulty and solid tumbles on floor. Huge cheers and chants of “Romania, Romania” errupted after Raducan’s and Cojocar’s routines. Most of the gymnasts opted for similar tumbles, either opening with a double layout or a full-in. The team’s new choreography was well received by the crowd. 
Raducan went into the lead on floor with a 9,425 and is now second in the individual standings.

France started badly on beam when Magaly Hars took a nasty fall on a layout. None of the following gymnasts could get high scores and the team fell to 11^th place.

Andreea Raducan - third position in all-round and one top favourite for the AA title!

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