FIG Artistic Gymnastics Challenge Cup CIII
Grand Prix Ostrava
Ostrava (CZE), December 1 – 3, 2011
LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, November 29, 2011: Featuring the sixth and final event of the 2011 FIG Artistic Gymnastics Challenge Cup series, the Grand Prix Ostrava is set for December 1 – 3 in the Czech Republic’s third largest city.
Organisers from the Czech Gymnastics Federation look forward to welcoming a total of 71 male and 43 female gymnasts representing 27 countries at Ostrava’s Winter Stadion Porub, equipped with apparatus from Gymnova.
The Men’s events will see former World Champion Eleftherios Kosmidis (GRE) defending his title on Floor in a face off against current world ranking leader Rok Klavora (SLO). Croatia’s Robert Seligman and Saso Bertoncelj (SLO) will battle it out on the Pommel Horse, while Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE), who currently leads the world ranking, and 2010 title holder Marek Lyszczarz (POL) contest on Rings. Igor Radilov (UKR) is a strong contender on Vault, Adam Kierzkowski (POL) and Mitja Petkovsek (SLO) on Parallel Bars and Roman Kulesza (POL) will seek to prevail again on Horizontal Bar. 2008 Olympian Martin Konecny will lead the host country’s Men’s team, performing on all six apparatus.
In the Women’s competition, the participation of Romania’s four entries, Diana Maria Chelaru, Raluca Oana Haidu, Daniela Mihaela Andrei and Elena Amelia Racea, all members of the team that finished fourth at the World Championships in Tokyo, is highly anticipated. What’s more, Vasiliki Millousi (GRE) will try to repeat the successful performances that brought her the 2010 titles on Uneven Bars and Balance Beam in Ostrava; Israel’s Valeriia Maksiuta, world ranking leader on Vault and Beam, will compete on all four apparatus; and the Czech Republic is banking on experienced Kristyna Palesova, a 2008 Olympian and among the top 5 in the Uneven Bars world ranking, for victory.
Check out the complete roster for the 2011 Grand Prix Ostrava!
After 2007, 2008 and 2010, this year’s Cup features the fourth edition of the “Grand Prix Ostrava” under the FIG World Cup label.
2010 Event Champions:
MAG
FX: KOSMIDIS Eleftherios (GRE)
PH: SELIGMAN Robert (CRO)
SR: KHENARINEZHAD Hadi (IRI)
VT: LYSZCZARZ Marek (POL)
PB: KIERZKOWSKI Adam (POL)
HB: KULESZA Roman (POL)
WAG
VT: TKALCEC Tijana (CRO)
UB: MILLOUSI Vasiliki (GRE)
BB: MILLOUSI Vasiliki (GRE)
FX: UCTAS Goksu (TUR)
About 2011 FIG Challenge Cup Series in Artistic Gymnastics
Starting in 2011, the former FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cups of the category B will run under the label “FIG Challenge Cup” and represent an open series. This year, all FIG Challenge Cups stage Individual Apparatus Finals.
Prize money of 25,000 CHF will be attributed at each event.
In 2011, FIG Challenge Cups with a maximum of two participating gymnasts per country and apparatus will take place on March 11 – 13 in Cottbus (GER), March 30 – April 1 in Doha (QAT), September 3 – 4 in Ghent (BEL), September 23 – 25 in Maribor (SLO), November 4 – 6 in Osijek (CRO) and December 1 -3 in Ostrava (CZE).
Separate World Ranking lists will be established for C III, six for Men and four for Women. The competitions feature Qualifications and Finals, with the best four gymnasts per apparatus from Qualifications proceeding to the final rounds. An additional one wild card per Men’s and Women’s competition is allowed in the event that the host federation fails to qualify for the Finals.