DOHA: Ukraine’s Illia Kovtun added one gold and a bronze his campaign at the 14th Taishan FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup here with on Saturday.picked up his back-to-back gold in parallel bars after World Cup series opener in Cottbus (Germany) on February 27.
The 18-year-old, who won All-Around bronze at 2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, collected amass 15.166 in the finals, which was much ahead of Kazakhstan’s Milad Karimi (14.566) and Russia’s Ivan Kuliak (14.533).
Among other notable gymnasts, Armenia’s Olympic bronze medallist (vault) Artur Davytan also picked up his back-to-back World Cup gold while Ukraine’s Nazar Chepurnyi finished behind the former in a repeat of their Cottbus performances. James Bacueti took bronze.
After the Doha edition, the World Cup Series will travel to Cairo (Egypt, March 13–20) and Baku (Azerbaijan, March 31-April 4. It will be followed by six World Challenge Cup series spread over six different cities.
Russia’s Urazova wins women’s balance beam title
The 17-year-old, who turned senior in 2020, won a gold in the team event at the Tokyo Games ahead of USA. She also qualified to the all-around and balance beam finals in Tokyo but due to the presence of other heavyweights barring American superstar Simone Biles, the Russian finished fourth in all-around and eighth in balance beam apparatuses.
Urazova missed a podium finish by a whisker on the Floor Exercise in the Qatari capital, finishing fourth (12.233 ) behind team-mate Mariia Minaeva (12.666), Ukraine’s Daniela Batrona (12.666) and Hungary’s Dorina Boeczoego (12.433).
The teenager belongs to a new generation of gymnasts that also includes Anastasia Ilyankova, Viktoria Listunova and Angelina Melnikova, one of the most decorated Russian gymnasts.
Her team-mate Listunova won one gold (uneven bar) and bronze (vault) to reaffirm Russia’s supremacy in world gymnastics. With the next Paris Games due two years from now, the points earned at the FIG World Cup Series would do a world good for these Russian youngsters.
Ukraine’s Kovtun picks up second gold
Results:
MAG Vault: Artur Davtyan 15.033; Nazar Chepurnyi 14.833; James Bacueti 14.666.
MAG Parallel Bar: Illia Kovtun 15.166; Milad Karimi 14.566; Ivan Kuliak 14.533.
MAG Horizontal Bars: Alexander Myakinin 14.333; Robert Tvorogal 13.933; Illia Kovtun 13.933.
WAG Balance Beam: Vladislava Urazova 13.200; Nora Peresztegi 12.733; Hiu Ying Wong 12.333
WAG Floor Exercise: Mariia Minaeva 12.666; Daniela Batrona 12.666; Dorina Boeczoego 12.433;
