Olympic Points on the Line at Gymnastics World Cup in Doha ‘I Want to Qualify for the Olympics and I Will Try All Possible Options
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NBA | Page 5 San Antonio Spurs beat Golden State to extend streak Wednesday, March 20, 2019 GOLF Rajab 13, 1440 AH Masters champ GULF TIMES Reed set to defend fi rst major title SPORT Page 3 FOCUS Olympic points on the line at gymnastics World Cup in Doha ‘I want to qualify for the Olympics and I will try all possible options. Since I don’t have a team, it’s a little bit easier for me’ By Sahan Bidappa Doha Filipino teenager Yulo back at the scene of his greatest success ith Olympic berths available at the Ar- tistic Gymnastics Individual Appa- Wratus World Cup, the Doha leg of the series will see some high stakes competition. The four- day event, hosted by the Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF) for the 12th consecutive year, will begin today at the Aspire Dome, with fi rst two days reserved for qualifi cations before two days of fi nals conclude the action. With 2020 Tokyo Games a lit- tle more than a year away, gym- nasts are in a race to book their spots through the World Cup se- arlos Yulo will return Japanese coach Munehiro ries, which will run until March to World Cup action Kugimiya in Tokyo for two 2020. Points will be awarded ac- Cthis week in Doha, the years, under a scheme sup- cording to placement on each in- scene of the finest moment ported by the Filipino and Jap- dividual apparatus and Olympic in the teenage Filipino star’s anese Gymnastics Associations berths will be distributed based blossoming career in Artistic and Olympic Committees, the on these totals. Gymnastics. International Gymnastics Fed- Qatar hosted a hugely suc- The 19-year-old was one of eration and the International cessful World Championship last the breakout names of 2018, Olympic Committee’s ‘Olympic October and some of the leading winning his country’s first Solidarity’ programme. names from that meet will be world championship medal – a It was not easy for a 17-year-old back to show their pyrotechnics bronze in the Floor exercise to leave his family and home at the World Cup. A total of 128 – in the Qatari capital. He comforts behind, but Yulo has male and 60 female gymnasts followed that up with a bronze adapted and prospered. “Now from 57 countries will be in ac- and then a gold in the first two I feel more at home here,” he tion with World horizontal bar events of the 2018-2020 FIG In- said. “The people are kind. I am champion Epke Zonderland of dividual Apparatus World Cup studying the language, but it the Netherlands one of the big- Qatar will field three gymnasts – Ahmed al-Dayani, Ahmed Mosa and Raslan Saoud – at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup, series, in Cottbus, Germnay is hard.” gest draws. which begins today at the Aspire Dome. PICTURES: Thajudeen and Melbourne. The Doha World Cup event Unlike other gymnasts, He missed the third World Cup starts today and Kugimiya said Zonderland will be under less event in Baku, Azerbaijan, last the circuit is playing a key role pressure in Doha, with the Lon- week as he was recovering from in preparing Yulo for their tar- don 2012 Olympic gold medallist a chest injury, and so is happy to get of an Olympic medal next in touching distance of qualify- get back to action in Doha. “A lot year – although he stresses ing for the Olympics. A gymnast, of things happened (at the world that Yulo may be even better if he or she wins three of the eight championships in Doha), there for the 2024 Games in Paris. World Cup series, qualifi es for were a lot of ups and downs, but “The World Cup gives him the Olympics. And Zonderland the good thing is I learned a lot greater awareness and con- has already won two events in of things I didn’t know before, fidence,” the coach said. “It Cottbus, the end of last year and mainly from my mistakes,” Yulo shows him what his strengths last week at Baku and if he reigns said. are so we can make a training supreme again in Doha this week, “It was unimaginable (to win plan. Each competition makes he would have already punched a medal), I really didn’t expect him grow, whether he has his ticket to Tokyo. that. I was so happy to get one. success or makes mistakes. “After my victory in Cottbus - The reason for my success was We just discuss things and try at the end of last year - and now my training because I trained our best every day in training Baku, my Olympic qualifi cation a lot. Repeating, repeating, and go to competitions to win. goal is almost achieved. I also repeating, every day.” We have a target for the 2020 fi nished second in Melbourne An added incentive for the Olympics of a medal, but his last month. You receive 30 points gymnasts on the Individual best age will be 24. So now I per win. Out of the maximum Apparatus World Cup circuit must think about his body and number of 90 points, I now have this year is that, for the first mind, his education, to make a 85 in my pocket. After Baku, the time, the series is off ering the plan and follow it.” pressure is off me now and that’s chance of direct qualification Despite living abroad, Yulo’s nice. I have taken a giant step to- for the Olympic Games. While success has made him well wards the Tokyo Games,” he said. Yulo hopes to qualify for the known in his home country, The Dutch however is not tak- All-around event at the Tokyo although he insists he still ing his success for granted. “Of 2020 Games through the “feels just the same, I feel course there is always the possi- 2019 World Championships in normal”. But he knows an bility that someone else gets the Stuttgart in October, he knows Olympic medal would take him same number of points. In that his World Cup scores provide to another level. case, the highest score achieved an important back-up. “I want to win the first one (for in an apparatus counts so that “I’m trying not to think about the Philippines),” Yulo said. “It means that I will go for a high the Olympics too much but would be a super big achieve- score during the World Cup in A gymnasts trains at the Aspire Dome yesterday. hoping that I can compete ment. I would be a hero. It’s Doha. This time I will not com- there,” he said. “I’m not expect- possible, but I have to train a pete against my competitors, Jingyuan, winner of the men’s will return to Doha in pursuit of her ticipated in eight Olympic Games Al-Dayani and Mosa have experi- ing much (from the World Cup lot. My coach will help me, we but for myself. It gives me a good parallel bars at the 2017 Worlds eighth appearance at the Games. since 1992. ence of competing at the World in Doha) but I am aiming for all help each other.” feeling that I can now go for my and the 2018 Asian Games in Ja- The 43-year-old Uzbek took silver Jade Carey will be the in-form Cup events while Saoud will make a good performance and a Always looking at the big- best exercise,” added Zonder- karta, is hoping to warm up for in Baku to lead the overall rankings gymnast on fl oor exercise and his senior debut at his home turf. medal.” ger picture, Kugimiya sees land, who completed his medical the Tokyo Olympics by winning after three events. vault. The American won both “We are hoping for a good Yulo has plenty of reason to Olympic success as a chance training to become a doctor ear- World Cup events along the way. “I want to qualify for the Ol- the events in Baku and she will performance from our athletes get excited about the prospect to inspire the next generation lier this year. Romania’s 38-year-old Mar- ympics and I will try all possi- look to cap off another good week as they have trained well for of competing at the Olympic of Filipino gymnasts. “It would Other prominent names who ian Dragulescu will also be back ble options. Since I don’t have at Aspire Dome. Known for her this important competition,” Games in Tokyo. Firstly, he has have a big meaning for the Fili- have confi rmed their partici- to compete with a younger gen- a team, it’s a little bit easier for incredible skill on the uneven said QGF president Ali al-Hit- a good chance of winning his pino people and Filipino sports pation in Doha includes world eration of athletes. Ferhat Ari- me to qualify compared to gym- bars, Belgian gymnast Nina Der- mi. “Raslan Saoud is a talented country’s first Olympic medal (if Carlos won an Olympic champions Xiao Ruoteng and can, who became the fi rst Turk- nasts from other countries. I wael will be showcasing her tal- gymnast from Aspire and we are in Gymnastics – something medal),” said Kugimiya. “He is Zou Jingyuan of China. Ruoteng ish male gymnast after 108 years can qualify both through the ent which clinched her gold at happy to see him featuring in his he admits would make him “a a role model for Gymnastics in had beaten Great Britain’s de- to compete at an Olympics at Rio World Championships and the the World Championship.