Workforce China
The Chinese language ladies adopted within the males’s footsteps on the Asian Video games in Hangzhou, profitable a gold medal by a decisive margin forward of a robust Japanese B staff, however the huge shock was the North Korean ladies – unseen in worldwide competitors since 2019 – taking the bronze.
It was an odd staff that was chosen to compete in Hangzhou, with the nation’s high three all-arounders at nationals despatched to world championships, although the worlds staff isn’t as balanced because it could possibly be, with nearly no consideration paid to vault. As an alternative, it appeared the entire vaulters had been going to the Asian Video games, and the staff made some nice headway there to get greater than some extent forward of the remainder of the sphere, along with performing nicely on bars and flooring.
Zhang Jin introduced again her tsuk double full to attain a 13.9, and continued with the strongest general efficiency each for the staff and inside the context of the complete competitors to steer the all-around standings with a 54.266, whereas additionally incomes spots within the beam and flooring finals. Zuo Tong was subsequent in step with a 52.865, doing her finest work on bars to make the ultimate with a 13.933, whereas Zhang Xinyi completed third with a 52.499 with a miss on beam, although she regarded good elsewhere, and made the ground last with a 13.2.
The staff’s strongest vaulter, Yu Linmin, put up a robust tsuk double of her personal to earn a 14.033, and although her second vault was downgraded in {qualifications}, she nonetheless certified in fourth place into the ultimate with a 13.383 common. Lastly, Tang Xijing complemented Yu by filling in on the opposite three occasions, and she or he fortunately regarded a lot stronger on bars than she did at nationals, incomes a 14.466 to steer {qualifications} whereas additionally making the beam last regardless of errors there.
General, it was a reasonably nice day for China, beam apart (hilariously, beam ended up being China’s lowest-scoring occasion because of the variety of errors and falls), and so they ended up with a 161.896, nearly a tenth shy of what the staff earned in {qualifications} at worlds final 12 months. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how the worlds staff compares, as on paper they’re general a bit stronger, however I feel with none core vaulters, it may maintain them again a bit, so I’m actually excited to see how they examine to the staff right here.
Whereas China’s worlds and Asian Video games groups are considerably evenly cut up in a method, Japan despatched a transparent “A” staff to worlds, however a nonetheless gifted and really succesful “B” staff to the Asian Video games, and it was no shock to see them stroll away with a 157.229 to take the silver medal, and with out would-be staff chief Sakaguchi Ayaka, who traveled to world championships because the alternate.
With out Sakaguchi within the roster, solely 4 gymnasts competed with all 4 taking over all-around duties. Okamura Mana, the strongest general nationwide competitor on this staff after ending seventh on the NHK Trophy, ended up the highest qualifier for the staff, incomes a 52.432 all-around rating with a reasonably balanced efficiency. She’s usually a stronger beam employee, although nonetheless managed a 13.366 there to qualify third into the ultimate, and she or he additionally made the bars and flooring finals, displaying simply how a lot she was in a position to contribute to the staff.
The remainder of the staff all completed within the high 11, with Ushioku Kohane eighth with a 52.165, Masui Misaki ninth with a 51.199, and Serita Mikako eleventh with a 49.565 after struggling on flooring, although she had a superb bars set and certified fifth into the ultimate with a 13.533. Ushioku had an unbelievable day on her two standout occasions, making the vault last in third place with a 13.449 common and displaying tremendous robust landings on flooring to qualify first with a 13.266, whereas Masui, who’s brand-new to worldwide competitors, was at her finest on beam, incomes a 13.266 to make that last.
Whereas Japan did some unbelievable work with a gaggle of gymnasts who usually aren’t first-choice athletes for worldwide assignments, there ended up being an surprising combat for that silver medal because the North Korean staff confirmed as much as a world competitors for the primary time in 4 years and almost acquired the upset, scoring simply 4 tenths decrease than the Japanese girl with a 156.829.
The staff’s finest gymnast 4 years in the past, Olympic qualifier Kim Su Jong, stays the nation’s finest, placing up a stellar efficiency to earn a 52.365 within the all-around. Again in 2019, she was notable as a first-year senior for having probably the most inventive flooring routines North Korea has ever produced, and her inventive qualities have grown together with her, together with her flooring routine probably the most pleasing of the competitors. She earned a spot in that last along with the bars and beam finals, and it will be nice to see her stroll away with a bit of medal haul.
Her two all-around teammates completed instantly behind her, with An Chang Okay putting sixth with a 52.265 whereas Kim Son Hyang was seventh with a 52.199. An was glorious on bars, incomes a 13.933 to qualify third into the ultimate, and she competed a Cheng on vault, serving to her qualify first into the ultimate with a 13.833 common. Kim additionally made the vault last with a Yurchenko double full and a handspring rudi, qualifying in second with a 13.583, and she or he additionally had stable work on bema and flooring to succeed in each of these finals as nicely.
These three gymnasts had been all standouts again in 2019, however the staff right here additionally featured two newcomers, together with Sim Hae Gained, whose solely worldwide expertise was the Junior Asian Championships in 2017 the place she received a bronze medal on bars, and Ryu Mi Rae, who made her worldwide debut in Hangzhou. Sim confirmed a excessive degree of problem on bars at a 5.9, although sadly had a fall there and missed the ultimate, whereas Ryu competed solely on vault, scoring an 11.666.
No different groups got here near a podium spot, with the remaining rankings seeing Taiwan in fourth with a 147.096, South Korea in fifth with a 144.196, Kazakhstan in sixth with a 142.829, Singapore in seventh with a 140.096, and Thailand in eighth with a 123.994.
4 of the six members of Taiwan’s worlds staff competed right here, together with Ting Hua-Tien, who was the nation’s finest all-arounder in tenth place with a 50.665 whereas main the beam qualification rankings with a 13.866, displaying brilliantly fluid connections and artistry in her routine, and Lai Pin-Ju, who reached the all-around last with a 48.398.
South Korea despatched a whole “A” staff to worlds, and with veteran Lee Eunju ending up not in a position to compete, it meant the staff’s general energy was a lot decrease than what we will usually anticipate from them, although we did see a few standout routines, together with a 13.033 on flooring from Lim Sumin, qualifying her into the ground last, whereas Yun Boeun made the bars last with a 12.066.
Aida Bauyrzhanova of Kazakhstan, who is ready to compete within the all-around at worlds, had a robust {qualifications} efficiency to succeed in the all-around last with a 48.665 and the bars last with a 12.0, whereas fellow worlds qualifier Nadine Pleasure Nathan was Singapore’s finest, ending fifteenth within the all-around with a 47.466 and making the beam last with a 12.6, although she’s really already off to worlds and can miss the ultimate, together with her spot going to teammate Kaitlyn Lim, the primary reserve.
After all, we’ve to speak about Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan, who selected to compete right here as a substitute of at worlds. She competed solely on vault right here, and I think about will make that her sole focus main as much as the world cup Olympic qualification collection after lacking out on qualifying an all-around spot to worlds this 12 months, and she or he reached the ultimate in fifth place with a 12.949 common. She carried out at a decrease degree of problem than the athletes who outranked her, however she’s completely able to upgrading within the last, and now that she is aware of what her competitors’s wanting like, I wouldn’t be stunned to see the upgrades – and a medal – approaching Thursday.
Additionally competing within the vault last are Pranati Nayak of India, Charlie Manzano of the Philippines, and Darya Yassinskaya of Kazakhstan, who additionally reached the ground last with a 13.0. Yassinskaya is certified as a specialist to worlds on each of those occasions, and could have a decent turnaround with the ground last on Friday, however making these two finals right here was an enormous deal so I’m certain it’ll be definitely worth the exhaustion in the long run!
Please see under for a full record of the staff rankings, in addition to the qualifiers into every particular person last.
Workforce Last Standings
1. China 161.896
2. Japan 157.229
3. North Korea 156.829
4. Taiwan 147.096
5. South Korea 144.196
6. Kazakhstan 142.829
7. Singapore 140.096
8. Thailand 123.994
All-Round Qualifiers
1. Zhang Jin, China, 54.266
2. Zuo Tong, China, 52.865
4. Okamura Mana, Japan, 52.432
5. Kim Su Jong, North Korea, 52.365
6. An Chang Okay, North Korea, 52.265
8. Ushioku Kohane, Japan, 52.165
10. Ting Hua-Tien, Taiwan, 50.665
12. Aida Bauyrzhanova, Kazakhstan, 48.665
13. Lai Pin-Ju, Taiwan, 48.398
15. Nadine Pleasure Nathan, Singapore, 47.466
16. Lim Sumin, South Korea, 47.432
17. An Yeonjeong, South Korea, 47.399
18. Kaitlyn Lim, Singapore, 46.531
21. Amina Khalimarden, Kazakhstan, 44.499
22. Sasiwimon Mueangphuan, Thailand, 44.264
23. Pranati Nayak, India, 44.232
25. Kursten Lopez, Philippines, 43.565
26. Ananya Patanakul, Thailand, 42.331
Vault Qualifiers
1. An Chang Okay, North Korea, 13.833
2. Kim Son Hyang, North Korea, 13.583
3. Ushioku Kohane, Japan, 13.449
4. Yu Linmin, China, 13.383
5. Oksana Chusovitina, Uzbekistan, 12.949
6. Pranati Nayak, India, 12.716
7. Darya Yassinskaya, Kazakhstan, 12.633
8. Charlie Manzano, Philippines, 12.583
R1. Wu Sing-Fen, Taiwan, 12.550
R2. Aida Bauyrzhanova, Kazakhstan, 12.499
R3. Nadine Pleasure Nathan, Singapore, 12.483
Uneven Bars Qualifiers
1. Tang Xijing, China, 14.466
2. Zuo Tong, China, 13.933
3. An Chang Okay, North Korea, 13.933
5. Serita Mikako, Japan, 13.533
7. Kim Su Jong, North Korea, 13.433
8. Okamura Mana, Japan, 12.933
12. Yun Boeun, South Korea, 12.066
13. Aida Bauyrzhanova, Kazakhstan, 12.000
R1. Nadine Pleasure Nathan, Singapore, 11.733
R2. Lai Pin-Ju, Taiwan, 11.566
R3. Ting Hua-Tien, Taiwan, 11.566
Steadiness Beam Qualifiers
1. Ting Hua-Tien, Taiwan, 13.866
2. Zhang Jin, China, 13.600
3. Okamura Mana, Japan, 13.366
4. Masui Misaki, Japan, 13.266
5. Kim Su Jong, North Korea, 13.166
6. Kim Son Hyang, North Korea, 13.100
7. Tang Xijing, China, 12.833
9. Nadine Pleasure Nathan, Singapore, 12.600
R1. Kaitlyn Lim, Singapore, 12.466
R2. An Yeonjeong, South Korea, 12.200
R3. Darya Yassinskaya, Kazakhstan, 12.166
Flooring Train Qualifiers
1. Ushioku Kohane, Japan, 13.266
2. Zhang Jin, China, 13.233
3. Zhang Xinyi, China, 13.200
5. Okamura Mana, Japan, 13.133
6. Kim Su Jong, North Korea, 13.100
7. Lim Sumin, South Korea, 13.033
8. Darya Yassinskaya, Kazakhstan, 13.000
10. Kim Son Hyang, North Korea, 12.933
R1. Ting Hua-Tien, Taiwan, 12.500
R2. Sasiwimon Mueangphuan, Thailand, 12.466
R3. An Yeonjeong, South Korea, 12.400
Article by Lauren Hopkins
