Mesmerising Belgian Derwael Makes It Three In-A-Row in Doha the Teenager Claims Uneven Bars Gold in Style; USA’S Carey Tops Vault; China’S Lan Best on Still Rings
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World champ Simone Biles says Tokyo 2020 will be her final Olympics as her body is ‘falling apart’ SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 Mesmerising Belgian Derwael makes it three in-a-row in Doha The teenager claims Uneven Bars gold in style; USA’s Carey tops vault; China’s Lan best on Still Rings VINAY NAYUDU DOHA THREE days shy of being nine- teen, Nina Derwael of Belgium has always relished coming to Doha for gymnastic competi- tions as each of her visits as a teen athlete have fetched her gold medals. An action-packed Friday at the Aspire Dome was no different as the petite gym- nast wowed the holiday crowd with another mesmerising golden show on the Uneven Bars at the 12th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup. This was also the young gymnast’s first competition since she claimed gold at the World Championships here in October last year. A hiatus of almost five months didn’t seem to have af- Spectators enjoying the finals do a Mexican wave during the 12th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup at the Aspire Dome on Friday. fected her as the 2018 World and two-time European cham- floor”. Results pion on the Uneven Bars Uzbekistan’s 43-year-old proved why she is one. Oksana Chusovitina, who is Women Just like during the qualifi- aiming for her her eighth Olym- Uneven Bars: 1.Nina Derwael cations, Derwael was fluid and pic appearance, finished fifth (BEL) Difficulty Score: 6.5; Total flawless logging the most points with 13.866 points. Points: 15.033; 2.Yilin Fan (CHN) even as others tried to catch up In equally enthralling men’s 6.5; 14.933; 3. Anastasiia hard. action, Lee Chih-Kai overcame Iliankova (RUS) 6.3; 14.700. Beginning with a full twist- nerves as he worked his way to Vault ing double tuck and finishing win the Pommel Horse gold. 1.Jade Carey (USA) 14.883; 2. with a twist high above the bar, The World bronze medalist Derwael logged a whopping from Chinese Taipei gymnast Maria Paseka (RUS) 14.766; 3. 15.033 points, the same score beat 2013 world champion Coline Devillard (FRA) 14.549. she achieved at the qualifying Kohei Kameyama of Japan to Men two days ago. gold, after both finished on Pommel Horse: 1.Chih Kai Lee Delighted with her show same score of 15.400. (TPE) D-Score: 6.5; Total Points: Derwael simply couldn’t stop Chih-Kai’s superior difficul- 15.400; 2. Kohei Kameyama smiling. A finger injury had ty score saw him edge the Japa- (JPN) 6.8; 15.400; 3. Kaito kept her away for a while but nese. Kameyama’s compatriot Imabayashi (JPN) 6.7; 15.333. that seemed forgotten. Imabayashi took bronze with a Floor: 2. Rayderley Zapata (ESP) “I did not have an ideal total of 15.333. D-Score: 6.1; Total Points: China’s Xingyu Lan (centre) with Armenia’s Artur Tovmasyan (left) and preparation for the competi- The men’s Floor Exercise, 14.433; 3. Carlos Edriel Yulo tion but I am very happy that Nina Derwael of Belgium bites the gold medal after the women’s Vahagn Davtyan after receiving gold medal for his win in Still Rings Filipino Carlos Yulo’s hopes of a (PHI) 6.1; 14.266; 4. Emil I pulled it off. I had some lit- Uneven Bars prize-presentation at the 12th FIG Artistic Gymnastics along with QGF President Ali al Hitmi, Al Meraghi and Abeer Albuain- claiming gold were dashed in a tle injuries that prevented me World Cup on Friday. ain. strong field. The world champi- Soravuo (FIN) 5.5; 14.233. from doing other competitions. onship bronze medallist, how- Still Rings: 1.Xingyu Lan (CHN) But now I am really happy to Aiming to make it to Tokyo this year,” she said. kept her dominance ensuring a points to 85, putting her first ever, still came good ensuring D-Score: 6.4; Total Points: be back on the podium,” she for the 2020 Olympics, Der- But before that, she will gold medal finish. in the Vault race for Olympics a bronze with a score of 14.266. 15.100; 2.Artur Tovmasyan beamed. wael aims to continue her form be back for another shot at The 18-year-old, who had qualifications. Rayderley Zapata of Spain (ARM) 6.1; 14.833; 3. Vahagn “I wasn’t really anxious I at the European Champion- the gold medal in the Balance clinched both Vault and Floor “I think it was a really good was a surprise runner-up with Davtyan (ARM) 6.1; 14.825. was comfortable out there and ships next month. Beam finals on Saturday. golds at the Baku World Cup performance”, said Carey. 14.433. The evening’s last ac- I knew I could do it. I just did “I am going to prepare for Derwael’s swing to the top last week, was on top once again “It is cool to be in Doha, tion was the Still Rings where what I usually do in training,” the European championship of the podium saw 2017 World with a perfect landing. She tal- after missing last year’s World China’s Xingyu Lan kept his she added. now. I am very excited about champion Fan Yilin of China lied 14.833 points, ahead of Championships. I am happy poise with a strong show that respectively. On Aspire Dome being one Tokyo Olympics. The Belgium (14.933) settle for the silver, Russian Maria Paseka (14.766) that I made both vaults, espe- saw him claim gold having Saturday’s action will see of her favourite venues, Der- team still need to qualify as while Russian Anastasiia Il- and Frenchwoman Coline Dev- cially the first one, because it is logged 15.100 points. the women’s Balance Beam wael said, “I am really happy to a team so we are going to do iankova (14.700) took bronze. illard (14.549). the first time I have tried it in Armenia’s Artur Tov- and Floor finals, while it will be be back here, I have won gold try and do that at the World In the women’s vault ap- The win takes Carey’s competition. I am looking for- masyan and Vahagn Davty- Vault, Parallel Bars and Hori- thrice now in Doha.” Championship in Stuttgart paratus, American Jade Carey World Cup series ranking ward to tomorrow’s final on the an took the silver and bronze zontal Bar for the men. QATAR ATHLETES ARRIVE IN DOHA AFTER WORLD GAMES MEET Team Qatar special needs athletes touched down in Doha on Friday after a successful outing at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi. The stars won 13 medals at the meet. Sports Saturday, March 23, 2019 13 Qatar, Oman surge to opening day wins in AFC U23 qualifiers IKOLI VICTOR DOHA QATAR defeated a physi- cal Afghanistan side with two first half goals in the AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks plays a shot during the second Qualifiers at Aspire Stadium 5 Twenty20 international (T20I) against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park in Doha on Friday. Stadium in Pretoria on Friday. (AFP) The win takes Qatar atop of Group A with three points same as Oman who had earlier edged Hendricks hits dashing 65 Nepal 1-0. The Afghans dominated to revive World Cup hopes the early exchanges but were stopped by the impressive de- fensive duo of Qatar’s Asian AFP er hitting, which brought Cup 2019 winning team Tarek CENTURION him four fours and three Salman and Bassam al Rawi. sixes, Hendricks oozed class Hassan Ahmad scores the OPENING batsman Reeza as he struck nine fours in a opening goal for Qatar in the Hendricks hit a high-quality 46-ball innings marked by 13th minute from inside the 65 as South Africa scored fluent off-side drives. box. It was The enterprising 180 for three in the second Sri Lanka captain Lasith play of Abdurrahman Moustafa Twenty20 international Malinga, who sent South from the left wing that set up against Sri Lanka at Super- Africa in to bat, ended the the striker to slot the ball into Sport Park on Friday. stand when Hendricks hit a the net from close range. Hendricks started the slower ball to mid-off. Despite being a goal down, season as one of the favour- Off-spinner Akila Danan- Afghanistan pressed on in Goalscorer Hassan Ahmad Palang (left) celebrates scoring the opener against Afghanistan during their Group A AFC U23 Championship quali- ites to make South Africa’s jaya bowled Van der Dussen search of goal and were almost fier in Doha on Friday. Qatar won 2-0. squad for the Cricket World two overs later and the scor- rewarded but for the timely in- Cup later this year but a run ing rate slowed briefly before tervention of goalkeeper Mo- too had a corner kick in first half As the game dragged on, host and a disciplined perfor- Afghanistan coach said after of poor form, together with South African stand-in cap- hamed Albakri to to stop striker stoppage time as they tried to midfielder Alahrak suffered mance especially in the second the game, “It was a good match the resurgence of Aiden tain JP Duminy finished the Fareed Sadat. level the tie but some infringe- a knock on the knee and was half where they restricted the for the players but our lack of Markram, put his chances in innings with a flourish, scor- Qatar’s patience paid off as ment inside the box ended the replaced by Hazem Shehata Afghans in their own area.