Day Four Recap from Cottbus: Finals
Sunday marked the fourth and final day of competition at the 2014 Cottbus World Cup. Medals were distributed on five events: men’s vault, parallel bars, and high bar, and women’s balance beam and floor exercise. On vault, Tomi Tuuha (FIN) scored a 15.0 for his Kasamatsu and a front handspring layout double full to take the title. Silver went to Diego Hypolito (BRA) with a 14.85, and Rayderley Zapata Santana (ESP) took bronze with a 14.6625. Denis Abliazin (RUS) performed a beautiful Tsukahara double pike but was not able to land his second vault, a Yurchenko half on, 2.5 twist off. He finished in fourth place with a 14.575. Just behind him in fifth place was Michael Fussenegger (AUT) with a 14.525, and sixth place went to Andreas Toba (GER) with a 14.4625. The two Ukrainian men, Igor Radivilov and Oleg Vernaiev, finished in seventh and eighth place (with a 14.4125 and 13.062, respectively) after disappointing falls and missteps. On the women’s balance beam, Hungary’s Noemi Makra performed a clean routine and scored a 13.925 to take the gold medal. Maria Kharenkova (RUS) earned silver with a 13.85. Despite a fall on her backhandspring- tucked full series, Andreea Munteanu (ROU) was able to take the bronze medal with a 13.75. Fourth place, a full 0.5 points behind Munteanu, was Germany’s Sophie Scheder with a 13.25. Katarzyna Jurkowska (POL) placed fifth with a score of 13.075, and Cagla Akyol (GER) took sixth with a 13.05. Canadians Aleeza Yu (CAN) and Natalie Vaculik (CAN) finished in seventh and eighth with scores of 12.825 and 12.475. On parallel bars, it was Japanese competitor Koji Uematsu who took the gold with a 15.55. Just 0.05 points behind him was Frank Baines (GBR) with a 15.50, and the bronze medal went to Mitja Petkovsek (SLO) with a 15.40. Frenchmen Hamilton Sabot landed in fourth place with a 15.225, and there was a tie for fifth place between Vasileios Tsolakidis (GRE) and Chris Brooks (USA), both of whom scored a 14.975. In seventh was Cyril Tommasone (FRA) with a 14.75, and Oleg Vernaiev (UKR) rounded out the field with a 14.575. On women's floor exercise, Marta Pihan-Kulezsa (POL) earned a 13.95 and the gold medal, with Germany’s Kim Bui taking silver and Russia’s Maria Kharenkova taking bronze. Their scores were 13.925 and 13.75 respectively. Sasa Golob (SLO) landed in fourth with a 13.25, while Romania’s Andreea Munteanu finished in fifth with a score of 13.15. Cagla Akyol (GER) scored a 12.825, which was good enough for sixth place, and Canadian Aleeza Yu ended in seventh with a 12.075. Kirsten Beckett (RSA) finished in eighth place with a 10.975. The last event of the competition was the men’s high bar final, which included Americans Josh Dixon and Chris Brooks. Today wasn’t team USA’s day, as the Americans finished fourth and fifth with scores of 14.675 and 14.45 respectively. Andreas Bretschneider (GER) took the gold for a second consecutive year, scoring a 15.175 and wowing the crowd with high-flying release moves. Silver went to Petrix Aguiar Barbosa (BRA), who scored a 14.925, and bronze went to Oliver Hegi (SUI) with a score of 14.85. Daniel Keatings (GBR) scored a 14.35 and ended in sixth place, well ahead of seventh-place Oleg Vernaiev of the Ukraine, who scored a 13.625 after a fall on his Tkatchev with ½ twist. It was also a tough day for Andreas Toba (GER), who suffered a fall on his dismount and a stop in the routine, scoring a 13.525 and finishing in eighth place.
Mar 16, 2014
