Merdinyan wins after Berki falters; Iordache takes vault

Kenzo Shirai of Japan in action during the Floor event in the 7th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup yesterday. Shirai won ahead of USA’s Paul Ruggeri and China’s Wang Peng. PICTURES: Mamdouh

By Sahan Bidappa/Doha

Harutyun Merdinyan created the biggest upset of the 7th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup 2014, when the Armenian won the Pommel Horse event here at the Aspire Dome yesterday.

Going into the final, Merdinyan was one of the contenders for the gold medal having topped the qualification rounds as well. But with Olympic champion Krisztian Berki, rated as the best Pommel Horse competitor of all time by the International Gymnastics Federation, in contention, victory wasn’t a sure shot for Merdinyan.

However, it was Merdinyan who displayed an immaculate performance with 15.475 points. On the other hand, Berki was cheered vociferously by the small Hungarian contingent, but the 2011 World Champion failed to hit the right notes. He began his performance impressively, but slipped off the beam and could garner only 14.775 points to finish sixth.

The second place went to Croatia’s Robert Seligman (15.275), while Slovenia’s Saso Bertoncelj (15.150) came third. Qatar’s Ahmed Aldayani came eighth with 12.625 points, but it was good show from the local gymnast and the experience will serve him world of good.

The 2013 World champion Kenzo Shirai of Japan won the Floor event comfortably. Shirai used his Worlds routine, including eye-popping quadruple twist dismount -- to post the highest score of the entire meet so far (16.000). That mark, stemming from a 7.4 Difficulty-score, easily topped second-placed Paul Ruggeri (15.150) of USA and China’s Wang Peng (15.100), who finished.

Shirai was delighted with his performance and gunned another gold medal in today’s Vault final, where he is also one of the favourites. “I am very happy with my performance. It was quite clinical and I put up a very good score, especially in the difficulty level. Now I want to win the Vault gold as well,” said the Japanese.

In the women’s Vault, the 2012 Olympic medallist Larisa Iordache of Romania won the event with a total score of 14.337, ahead of Slovenia’s Teja Belak (14.100). Hong Kong’s Wong Angel Ying Hiu, who had finished first in the qualification round, had to settle for third place with a total score of 13.812 points.

“I expected to do well in all the events but to win the Vault event is special. I had a good support from the crowd as well, which encouraged me to do better,” said Iordache.

Olympic veterans Kristyna Palesova of Czech Republic did no harm to her favourite tag as she won the Uneven Bars event, piping compatriot Jana Sikulova.

Palesova tallied 13.425 points to Sikulova’s 13.175. Laura Schulte (12.775) was third. Another Olympian Hiu Ying Angel Wong (10.800) disappointed finishing in seventh spot.

In the Rings, the last event of the night, Armenians scooped one-two spots with Artur Tovmasyan and Vahagn Davtyan taking the gold and silver respectively. Tovmasyan tallied 15.575 points to Davtyan’s 15.425. Henrique Flore of Brazil also had same score as Davtyan, but was third due to lesser Difficulty score to the Armenian.

It was a major upset in the Rings final, which also featured 2005 World Rings champion Yuri van Gelder and Double Olympic silver medallist Marcel Nguyen.

Van Gelder could only his fifth (15.375), while Nguyen, who was making a comeback after taking break due to burn out, finished sixth (15.250).

Today will be the final day of the event but it promises to be as exciting as yesterday. There will be five finals, with Olympic and world horizontal bar champion Epke Jan Zonderland of the Netherlands in action in the Horizontal Bars and Parallel Bars.

BELOW:

1) Larisa Iordache of Romania won the women’s vault event ahead of Slovenia’s Teja Belak and Hong Kong’s Wong Angel Ying Hiu.

2) Armenia’s Harutyun Merdinyan won the pommel horse event, while Croatia’s Robert Seligman and Slovenia’s Saso Bertoncelj finished second and third respectively.