1998 Worlds

1998 WORLD GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE TIMETABLE:

Friday 8th May	Opening Ceremony All Around Competition: 1st Rotation	16:00 h. 18:30 h.
Saturday 9th May	All Around Competition: 2nd Rotation Awards Ceremony	16:30 h. 18:30 h.
Sunday 10th May	Individual Master: Rope, Hoop Events Finals: 3 Ribbons + 2 Hoops Individual Master: Clubs, Ribbon Events Finals: 5 Balls Awards Ceremony Closing Ceremony	16:15 h. 19:00 h.

THE PARTICIPANTS: .

1.- Germany Coach: Carmen Weber Members: NEUHAUS, Selma BENICKE, Susan KNÖLDER, Anna JUNG, Anne JACKËL, Ellen FISSLER, Jeanine	27.- Japan Coach: Erika Akiyama Members: AKEBAYASHI, Eriko SHINOMIYA, Yukari EGASHIRA, Ai RINATA, Amiko HIRABAYASHI, Mika .
2.- Belarus Coach: Irina Lougunova Members: BELAN, Tatiana GLAZCOVA, Anna MALACHENKO,Irina ILIENKOVA, Irina ZVARIKO, Anastasia ZAITSEVA, Olga	15.- Brazil Coach: Barb. Laffranchi Members: FEREZIN, Cramila STIVA, Davana COBADINE, Juliana FARIA, Flavia FEREZIN, Alessandra SALZANO, Michele
3.- Netherlands Coach: Veneta Mihaylov Members: STOOK, Rowena FIRET, Anelieke KUEMAN, Sanne VAN DER MEER, Willeke MESMAN, Roos LOOYSEN, Elske	16.- Australia Coach: Gina Peluso Members: HOUGNTON, Joelle CHASELING, Margaux VERONESI, Tanya CARBONE, Natascha STAMFORD, Catherine PETERSON, Katie
5.- Ukraine Coach: Albina Deriugina Members: POPOVA, Tatiana EROFEEVA, Tamara ZHADANOVA, Natalia ANDREEVA, Olga BEYZUK, Tatiana HLEDOROVA, Olga	17.- Bulgaria Coach: Lushka Bodkarova Members: IOVTCHEVA,Anguelina ANANIEVA, Borislava SIMENOVA, Valentina MARINOVA, Galina KIBARSKA, Lilia ANDONOVA, Mariana
6.- Spain Coach: María Fernández Members: GURÉNDEZ, Lorena CALAMONTE, Marta ORIVE, Paula NOGALES, Beatríz BAYÓN, Sara MALCHAIR, Carolina	18.- France Coach: Ludmil Kotzev Members: BELART, Claire POISSON, Magalie SAUZEDE, Vanessa GOMARD, Emilie MEYNARD, Marielle LAUDINE, Sophie
7.- Czech Republic Coach: Zenka Schinzelova Members: BARKOVA, Lucie CERNOHLAVKOVA, Z. HLAVATA, Kristyna KALAVOBA, Kristyna FILIPINOVA, Renata SEBESTOVA, Andrea	19.- Portugal Coach: Rita Araújo Members: CAETANO, Alba CHAMBEL, Isabel PIRES, Cristina AVILA, Sandra RAPOSO, Marta MARQUES, Mónica
8.- Canada Coach: L. Dva.-Petkov Members: MA, Jessica COUTTS, Kelly CRUZ, Mariel ONG, Andren ROBSON, Ashley TIEZE, Veronica	20.- Karzajistan Coach: N. Kuznestova Members: KHAIRULINA, Valeriya ROGOZHINA, Yelena YOURTCHENKO, Youlia MERTSALOVA, Yulia VOLKOEDOVA, Yelena NUHAEVA, Assiya
9.- United States Coach: C. Yakhinovich Members: ALBE, Alicia SHOEMAKER, Johanna CROYLE, Stefanie LOJEVSKY, Natasha LOGERWOOD, Virginia NG, Amy	21.- China Coach: Quiong Pang Members: ZHONG, Ling YANG, Qi LI, Chengyuang LU, Yunganyang GONG, Jing .
10.- Italy Coach: E. Maccarini Members: AMATO, Elena CAZZANIGA, Emmanuela D'AMORE, Eva GREGORINI, Silvia RICCARDI, Valentina ROVETTA, Valentina	22.- Austria Coach: Renate Reisinger Members: HRUZA, Kristina KREUTZ, Rebeca PHILIPPI, Christina PIETSCH, Angelica RADAKOVIC, Barbara STOTTINGER, Sylvia
11.- Lithuania Coach: Rasa Griniuviene Members: FILISTOVIK, Natalija URENLEVA, Julija ZIROMSKAIET, Ruta FILIPOVIK, Anzelika BOGDANOVA, Oarja NEVIDOMSKYTE, Daiva	23.- Korea Coach: Hye-Jung Baek Members: SUN CHO, Eun-Sun YOUNG KANK, Bo AH KIM, Young JOUNG BAEK, Ja YEON CHUNG, So JUNG SON, Eun
12.- Romania Coach: Mihaela Manos Members: GOIA, Ancuta VLADU, Ana VLADU, Elena SIMON, Mirela TOMA, Luxandra GUTHER, Ana Maria	24.- Hungary Coach: Reka Szabo Members: HOLJEVICZ, Eszter NAGY, Brigitta STRICHT, Annet SZALAY, Krisztina TOTH, Barbara ZIGLER, Orsolyna
13.- Greece Coach: Marina Fateeva Members: GIAPALAKI, Vasiliki CHRISTODOULOU, Eva KOUVEU, Irini AINDILI, Irini POLATOU, Anna LIOUIA, Liana	25.- Russia Coach: Elvira Averkovich Members: ZILBER, Irina NETESSOVA, Maria ANIKINA, Viktoria BELOVA, Irina CHALAMOVA, Elena CHIMANSKAIA, Vera
14.- Slovenia Coach: Olga Mancevic Members: BAS, Polona PINIZRPINTER, Eva KANIZ, Katia LONEC, Anga BRAJOVIC, Zorica BRADINJAN, Maja	26.- Slovakia Coach: M. Tatiana Members: MOTOLIKOVA,Ivana KORCEKOVA, Eleonora FILCOVA, Eva KRISKOVA, Adriana REZNIKOVA, Michaela SVEDOVA, Milena

THE FAVOURITES:

Spain.- The Olympic Champions want to do their best before the home crowd and renew the success got at the 1991 World Championships, becoming World Champions. This is their goal and they have been preparing very hard for it from mid 1997. The victories at several Tournaments on this year guarantee them.
Russia.- They are the European Champions and want to be on the top of the World podium, something they don't get since 1994.
Bulgaria.- The Title owners want to renew it. They have been suffering with an internal crisis but still are a team to take into account.
Belarus.- Like for the Bulgarians and the Spanish, 1997 wasn't a good year at all for the Belarussians but their quality and competitiveness will surely make them be up.

READY TO MAKE A SURPRISE...

Ukraine.- Third at the '97 Euros they want to establish on the top positions
Greece.- They are making big efforts for becoming one of the great groups
France.- Fourth at the Olympics, they will try to claim in the ranking
China.- Their creativity would surprise us

FULL RESULTS . All Around Competition ..

RK	Country			Total
1	Belarus	19.766	19.600	39.366
2	Spain	19.333	19.800	39.133
3	Russia	19.533	19.599	39.132
4	Ukraine	19.600	19.433	39.033
5	Bulgaria	19.566	19.408	38.974
6	Greece	19.433	19.433	38.866
7	Italy	19.466	19.439	38.865
8	Japan	19.216	19.200	38.416
9	China	19.300	19.099	38.399
10	Hungary	19.133	19.166	38.299
11	Romania	18.933	19.066	37.999
12	Portugal	18.933	18.833	37.766
13	Brazil	18.941	18.966	37.707
14	Germany	18.399	19.300	37.699
15	France	18.766	18.833	37.599
16	United States	18.583	18.733	37.316
17	Czech Republic	18.475	18.766	37.241
18	Slovakia	18.391	18.833	37.224
19	Kazajistan	18.741	18.466	37.207
20	Austria	18.533	18.599	37.132
21	Netherlands	18.408	18.633	37.041
22	Finland	18.208	18.716	36.924
23	Canada	18.166	18.750	36.916
24	Slovenia	18.391	18.499	36.890
25	Korea	17.866	18.600	36.466
26	Lithuania	18.007	18.133	36.140
27	Australia	17.866	18.241	36.107

... Events Finals ..

RK	Country
1	Spain	19. 850
2	Belarus	19.800
3	Ukraine	19.766
4	Russia	19.666
5	Bulgaria	19.616
6	Greece	19.566
7	China	19.300
8	Italy	19.032

RK	Country
1	Russia	19.850
2	Belarus	19.816
3	Ukraine	19.716
4	Bulgaria	19.700
5	Italy	19.683
6	Greece	19.666
7	Spain	19.566
8	Germany	19.299

. .

Longines Prize for the most elegant team:

Spain

QUOTES FROM... . The Coaches .

SPAIN
María Fernández

BELARUS
Irina Lougunova

RUSSIA
Elvira Averkovich

About their fails on the first day of competition:

"They were due to a few seconds of confusion"

About risk:

"Gymnastics' beauty is in difficulty, risk is a component of the competition that has always characterized Spain and we are not going to change"

About Belarus' 1st place:

"For the sake of gymnastics it's better that Belarus has won, I didn't wish them to fail because I didn't want to win at the expense of something like that"

About their gold medal:

"This medal rewards a very hard work during seven years. It's the biggest happiness that I could have and a great moment for the gymnasts"

About the competition:

"We have observed that the level of the competition has increased a lot"

About their bronze medal:

"We are very happy with this third place because this is a completely new team, because any of the gymnasts was in Atlanta. We have done a good job"

. The Spanish gymnasts .

LORENA GURÉNDEZ (captain)

CAROLINA MALCHAIR

About their ball routine:

"We were very happy after the routine because we had demostrated that we are able to do it well"

About Belarus' gold:

"I think that Belarus deserved to win because they haven't failed in any of the routines"

About their fails:

"Preassure had nothing to do with our fails of the first day. I think that we all doubted, I
don't know, maybe we lacked on self-confidence"

About Events Finals:

"We want to win two gold medals at the Finals"

About their silver medal:

"I feel vey worthy of getting the silver medal"

About being the only gymnast from Andalucía:

" I felt a bit more responsability because Worlds were held in Andalucía"

.. The ex-Spanish selector ..

EMILIA BONEVA

About the new Spanish group:

"This team is perfectly able to repeat the Atlanta gold medal. They are very young and disciplined. They did perfect in a very hard championship. For the majority, it was the first big International competition and maybe they were nervous on the first day, but it's because competing before the Spanish crowd is very difficult. There is a big preassure."

About María Fernández:

"I'm very happy for her. she was gymnast at the first group that I directed here."

More Information is coming soon!

Reports of Competitions Spanish RSG