ZURICH, 12:00 p.m. -- One fall, and you're done. That's the way the Swiss Cup was presented to me by French journalist David Lortholary, who also attended the Arthur Gander Memorial earlier this week in Chiasso, an hour's train ride to the south. He summed up that competition just as succinctly: "Lots of falls." So that's when everyone had their Worlds hangover.
The couple who wins the Swiss Cup gains $30,000 U.S. dollars, which helps explain why many of these countries have sent such strong teams. The second place pair splits $15,000, third $7,500. If you want to attract the best, make it worthwhile for the best to come.
The winning pair will also earn the Swiss Cup trophy, a large, heavy silver sculpture created by an artist that shows an extended hand (like from the grave) grasping one of the rings, while a female gymnast does a ring leap above it. It is likely taller than the gymnasts who will win it, and also takes two people to carry it (this is likely why the Swiss Cup is a partner competition.)
12:25 p.m.: The floor of Zurich's Hallenstadion is bathed in blue light and soft trance-style music is playing as the gymnasts warm up on the equipment and a decent sized crowd takes their seats. It's very Cirque. Last year, the Swiss Cup attracted 6,500 spectators, a large turnout for an event like this.
The gymnasts are doing far more in this warmup than they did in the training gym during the past two days. Matteo Morandi is doing handspring double front vaults. Zhang Yelinzi is going through her entire beam routine, with choreography.
Fabian Hambuechen, who was not present in training, is here and warming up high bar. He and Elisabeth Seitz will make up Germany I, while Lisa Katharina Hill and Sebastian Krimmer are Germany II. Only the Swiss and the Germans have two teams entered here.
Kristian Thomas warmed up a double Arabian on floor and a full twisting double layout on high bar. Imogen Cairns, warming up beam, looks very solid. What I love about Imogen is her adult presence. It's something relatively new in women's gymnastics -- that one can look like an adult and move maturely, yet still be as technically sharp as the 15-year-olds who are coming up.
Zhang fell on her first front half on beam, but made her second one perfectly. Awesome switch ring as well. Ariella Kaeslin made her roundoff to two footed layout on beam look downright easy.
Hambuechen is going through his release moves on high bar and generating a blue cloud of smoke around the apparatus. He just did a Kovacs, immediate Kolman.
Huang Yuguo warmed up a Tsuk 2.5 and a layout Rudi on vault. On floor, he threw an Arabian double front. Looks very good.
Sandra Izbasa is a tall gymnast. She's even taller than her partner, Flavius Koczi. Ditto Ratlisa Mileva and Jordan Jovtchev.
12:40 p.m.: Kiss and cry. Most of the large competitions seem to have ignored the FIG's "Kiss and Cry" mandate from a couple of years ago, but it seems appropriate here -- the better to capture the interaction between the boy-girl partner teams for Swiss television. Each country has a little area with seats at the edge of the arena and the flag of their country, and in the middle are four chairs and a platform. I learn that in Swiss German, "kiss and cry" is "kiss and cry."
1:02 p.m.: The athlete teams stand by an apparatus and a flag waver stands with them. They are each spotlighted and the flag of their country is waved. The two Swiss couples, especially Kaeslin and Claudio Capelli, get huge ovations. The elaborate welcoming ceremony is also very Cirque, and a great example of gymnastainment.
Then the athletes go to the kiss and cry and are introduced one by one. Jovtchev is introduced as the President of the Bulgarian Gymnastics Federation, and the announcer booms, "Welcome Mr. President!" As soon as the camera comes off them, the gymnasts start stretching or doing handstands or whatnot to keep warm.
In the one-touch just before the competition, Koczi stuck his Tsuk triple. Bent legs, but stuck. It appears that the athletes will compete in this blue light...
1:00 p.m.: ROUND ONE (of three):
Marlies Rijken, NED, floor: Triple turn. Arabian double front, OOB, large step forward. 1.5 to double full, landed with chest low.Tourjete half, switch, switch half. Very nice choreo and presentation in this piano/violins piece. Ends with a double tuck.
Jeffrey Wammes, NED, vault: Yurchenko 2.5 with a step forward. Great form in the air as always from Jeffrey. Does a great job of not crossing his legs in the air. Second vault: Tsuk double full with a large step back. I get the feeling that this is not a vault he trains that often; he did something different
Sandra Izbasa, ROM, floor: Double turn with leg up. Full in tucked, steps back and OOB. Split leap, Tourjete full. 2.5 to tucked front full, fought for the stick and won. Switch half. Crowd is enjoying the music, clapping along. Last pass is triple full, legs crossed in the air and overrotated just a little. OOB again on her step back. Izbasa got a lot of applause, but doesn't look thrilled with herself over this routine.
Flavius Koczi, ROM, vault: STUCK Tsuk triple. I can forgive his messy legs and flexed feet. A wow vault. Second vault: Stuck handspring Rudi. The music that plays for the Romanians is "Dragostea din tei," a song made popular by Romanian band O-Zone about five years ago.
Anastasia Koval, UKR, bars: Hecht mount, Toe blind, front giant, Rybalko to Jaeger, Bail to Ray, labored handstand, Tkatchve, blind, double front with a hop. Aside from a couple missed handstands, a really nice routine!
Mykola Kuksenkov, UKR, rings: Very good if not amazing strength parts. Front double pike, front double tuck. Planche, a little high. Stuck double front pike dismount. Their music is a rather Eastern European waltz.
Elisabeth Seitz, GER, bars: Maloney to stalder half to Geinger, Church, Jaeger, stalder full to bail to Ray, toe stalder full to immediate full twitsing double tuck, stuck. Great routine!
Fabian Hambuechen, GER, rings: Roll to cross, Planche, another roll to cross. Inverted cross, double front pike, double front tuck. Double front pike half out, stuck. Great dismount! Nice job, team Germany I.
Giulia Steingruber, SUI, bars: Shapokshi to Pak, clear hip half to Ray, full turn to Geinger vaight a little close...improvises slightly after a pirouette...blind, front giant, double front with a small step.
Roman Gisi, vault: DTY, starts the twist very late and has to take several steps back on the landing (crowd goes "ooooh!") He needs this second vault to keep team Swizerland II in the running...Tsuk full to his knees. Looked like he stutter stepped the run a bit on the approach. Too bad.
Marine Brevet, FRA, bars: Maloney II (not in handstand before the release), bail to toe hecht to high, stalder, blind to Jaeger, toe stalder half, full turn, blind, Arabian double front dismount. Several missed handstands in this routine, and legs came apart on the blind. But her swing is very nice.
Yann Cucherat, FRA, pbars: Straddle cut mount, peach hlaf, giant, doubl etuck, nice. Shoot to the center, inside Diamadov, saved handstand as he moved to one bar. Double pike with a small hop.
Vanessa Ferrari, ITA, bars: Jump to high, blind, front giant, Ono to Jaeger, good, bail to Ray, missed handstand kipping up, stalder, giants, full twisting double tuck.
Matteo Morandi, ITA, vault: Handspring double front, huge and cowboyed, big step forward. Tsuk full, made it look so easy, kind of a big step/hop back.
Lisa Katharina Hill, GER, bars: Shaposh to bail to Ray, clear hip full to Geinger, toe half to blind to Jaeger, full twisting double tuck with a small step back. Very nice routine!
Sebastian Krimmer, GER, pommel horse: The only guy so far to have chosen to perform on horse. Comes off on Magyar at the end of the horse...he just knid of ran out of room for his hands, unfortunately. The rest of the routine was very nice.
Ratlisa Mileva, HUN, floor: Double turn with leg up, kind of lost it after 1.5. Double tuck. Double pike. Switch, split leap. Punch front to double full. Triple turn, again lost it with half a revolution to go...Sat down 2.5 to end but just improvised and turned it into her ending pose. Gets some laughter from the crowd.
Jordan Jovtchev, BUL, rings: Planche, awesome, really nice inverted cross, done twice. Double front tuck. Planche. No dismount -- he just dropped to the ground. Walking along to the kiss and cry he's messing with his grip...I wonder if something was wrong there?
Zhang Yelinzi, CHN, beam: Jump to scale. Lovely switch ring. Two two footed bhs to layout to two feet to immediate bhs swingdown, trerrific. Front tuck half, has to fight to save it, but does. Jumps. Frotn aerial, sheep. Switch, back tuck. Side aerial, wobble, a little off to the side. Very nice double pike, just a hop back.
Huang Yuguo, CHN, floor: 1.5 to front double, hop. 2.5 to front tuck half, stuck. Whip to Arabian 1 3/4. Front full tucked to front 1 3/4. Russians. Press. Arabian double front to end, just a step back. A really nice pair of routines from the Chinese.
Imogen Cairns, GBR, floor: No dancing into her opening pose...Arabian double front, nearly stuck, tiny hop. 1.5 to layout front full, tiny hop forward. Switch, Toujrete half. Front handspring, front layout. Double turn. Switch side. 2.5 to immediate split jump. High fives Carol-Angela Orchard.
Kristian Thomas, GBR: Front double full to front half layout. Hand down on Arabian double pike second pass. 2.5 to front tuck full. Russians. Press. Running front 1 3/4. Thomas, just gets his head under in time. Roundoff, Arabian double front with a step forward.
Ariella Kaeslin, SUI, beam: Roundoff, layout to two feet mount, excellent! Roundoff, layout to two feet, again great. Punch front, leg comes up just a little. Side somie. Shushunova to back hip circle. Switch half. Full turn with leg up, very good. Switch, back tuck. Great routine so far...roundoff, double pike with a step back. Biggest ovation of the day from the crowd!
Claudio Capelli, SUI, vault: Handspring double front, great landing, just a small hop forward. He loves it -- fist pumps in exultation, punches the air. Great vault. Cowbells from the crowd like at the World Championships. Tsuk double full with a step back. The Kaeslin/Capelli team has got to be happy with that.
ROUND TWO: The top three at this point: Capelli/Kaeslin in the lead, followed by Koczi/Izbasa and Hambuechen/Seitz. Morandi/Ferrari are fourth. The bottom four, those in danger of being eliminated, are Hill/Krimmer, Cairns/Thomas, Steingruber/Gisi and Jovtchev/Mileva.
Warmup notes: On floor, I think Koczi just twists until his feet hit the ground. No plan, just launch yourself into the air, begin rotating and see how many you can do. When he hit the floor warming up a 2.5 to front double full, he simply rolled -- and kept twisting.
Marine Brevet, beam: Swing through mount, Switch, scissone. Front aerial, bhs, layout, stepped back very quickly. Switch ring. Full turn with leg at head. Side aerial, check, side somie. Double pike, overrotates to her back and rolls out.
Yann Cucherat, high bar: Stalder hop 1.5, Tak full to Yamawaki, Tak half. Rybalko, Tak to inverts, full twisting double layout with a step back. Sticks his tongue out as he grabs his coat and heads to the kiss and cry.
Giulia Steingruber, beam: Jump to scale. Front pike, a bit tucked but solid. Switch to side somie, saves it with minimal dediaion. Comes off on front aerial, bhs, layout, kind of jumped off when she knew she was off. With a bit more experience she might have fought a bit harder for it. Switch half. Jumps. Rudi dismount, well landed.
Roman Gisi, high bar: Clear hip to nice Yamawaki, layout Tkatchev, stalder to Rybalko, front stalder to Rybalko to inverts, stalder, giants, double double layout with a hop. I think he was trying to make up for vault. Looked very happy at the end of this routine, acknowledged the crowd with waves and smiles.
Elisabeth Seitz, floor: Full in pike, two small steps back, kept it well in bounds. Full in tuck, looked like she stepped on the line but no flag. Switch ring, Tourjete half. 1.5 to double full, stuck. This routine has terrific choreo, and the crowd is loving the song, which was popular in Europe last year. Stuck double pike. She's really risen to the occasion here!
Fabian Hambuechen, high bar: The Germans are attemptoing to put it away right now. Piked Kovacs, great, Kolman draks gasps, layout Tkatchev to immediat hop 1.5? Stalder 1.5. Tak, hop full, stuck full twisting double layout. Fabi plays to the crowd, pumping his fists and milking it for all it's worth.
Anastastia Koval, beam: Forward roll mount. Toujete half, excellent. Side aerial, layout stepout, small check. Switch ring, long pause before she put her leg down, but fine. Onodi, leg comes up slightly. Front aerial. Switch. Full turn. Side somie, another little check. Wolf, split jumps. Great roundoff, double pike -- looked stuck to me.
Mykola Kuksenkov, high bar: Tak half, giant, Tkatchev half caught in mixed grip. Hop 1.5. Tak full to Yamawaki. Front stalder Rybalko, very nice. Stuck full twisting double layout.
Sandra Izbasa, vault: FTY with a big hop back. Second vault: Messed up her steps and did a front handspring. I wonder if she meant to do that...Sandra is laughing about this. Was laughing before she saluted the judges too. Yes, there's definitely a lighter atmosphere here than there was at the World Championship, despite the cash at stake.
Flavius Koczi, floor: Front full to Rudi, stuck. 2.5 to front double full, a little underrotated. Full twisting windmill. Hard to tell because he twists so fast. 3.5 to front half. Russians. Press. Roundoff double full? stuck.
Marlies Rijken, beam: Switch, back layout, wobble. Leap, wobble. Front aerial, deep bend at the hips, back tuck, saves it. Nice standing Arabian. Switch side. Full turn. Side aerial, supposed to be connected with something but isn't. Repeats the skill and connects it to a side somie. Cartwheel, double full. A couple seconds overtime. Marlies takes a bow and waves to the crowd.
Jeffrey Wammes, high bar: Clear hip to Rybalko, Tak half to Tkatchev half to mixed grip, Tak full to Yamawaki, double double layout with a hop back.
Ariella Kaeslin, vault: Very nice Rudi with a few small steps back. More laid out than at Worlds, I think. Second vault: FTY with a small hop back.
Claudio Capelli, parallel bars: Clear hip half mount. Shoot to center, over on one bar. Front somie, nice. Double pike, basically stuck. Fabian Hambuechen is the first to greet him, with a high 10 and a hug. Kaeslin also comes over and gives him a hug.
Imogen Cairns, vault: Yurchenko 1.5 with a step forward. Second vault: Tucked Omelianchik with a large step forward.
Kristian Thomas, high bar: Yamawaki, nice layout Tkatchev, Tkatchev, Tkatchev half caught in mixed grip. Tak half. Stalder Rybalko, stuck full twisting double layout.
Zhang Yelinzi, vault: FTY, tiny hop back. Second vault: Handspring front pike half, excellent landing. That might even have been meant as a layout Cuervo, but I don't think that would get credit.
Huang Yuguo, pommel horse: Excellent routine -- two scissor to handstands and full pirouette dismount.
Ratlisa Mileva, vault: Handspring front tuck half, step back. Second vault: Yurchenko pike, small step back.
Jordan Jovtchev, parallel bars: Kip, cut and catch. Peach, front somie, nice. Double tuck between the rails. Stutz. Back toss, has to take two steps forward on his hands. Very nice double pike to close with a small hop forward. You can't fault his form. Ever. Man, I'm amazed and inspired every time I see him perform.
Lisa Katharina Hill, floor: Double pike, step back. An interesting interpretation of "El Tango de Roxanne" that really is a tango. 1.5? to front tuck. Double turn.Switch, Tourjete half. Handspring, front layout full. Switch side. 2.5, stepped OOB.
Sebastian Krimmer, parallel bars: Peach mount...Diamadov, Stutz. Sat down the double pike dismount. Too bad! Smiles and shakes his head. Gets a hug from Hambuechen.
Vanessa Ferrari, floor: Stuck full in tucked to open. 1.5 to front layout full, small hop. Tourjete full. Double tuck, small hop back. Switch ring, switch half. Great double pike to close, tiniest of hops. This routine, done to a cut of the same music that Alicia Sacramone used from 2006-08, fits her so well, and her presentation of it is excellent.
Matteo Morandi, rings: Planche. Inverted cross, done twist. Another planche. Iron cross. Double front pike. Roll to a second cross. Stuck full twisting double layout.
ROUND THREE (Semi-final round): Capelli/Kaeslin keep their lead going into this round, followed by Hambuechen/Seitz. Morandi/Ferrari move into third, followed by Koczi/Izbasa, Kuksenkov/Koval, Brevet/Cucherat, Huang/Zhang and Wammes/Rijken.
Eliminated: Thomas/Cairns, Krimmer/Hill, Gisi/Steingruber and Jovtchev/Mileva.
Ariella Kaeslin, bars: Hecht mount, full turn to Geinger, bail to clear hip hecht to high, blin to Markelov, Tkatchev, clear hip to stuck full twisting double tuck dismount. Great routine for Ariella. Kaeslin gets 14.2/5.5.
Claudio Capelli, floor: Layout Thomas mount, 1.5 to front layout to Rudi, stuck. 2.5 to front tuck full, tiny hop. Stuck double full. Circle to Russians. Press. Roundoff, triple full with a big hop forward/to the side, but a hit routine for Capelli, and that should keep Switzerland in the lead here.
Elisabeth Seitz, beam: Jump to scale. Punch front, step forward. Jumps. Side aerial. Side somie. Double turn, very well done. Switch. Front aerial. Bhs, layout, leg comes up and she almost falls but saves it. Tourjete, again a big wobble and saved. Double pike with a large step back. 13.6.
Fabian Hambuechen, parallel bars: Peach half, peach, giant, over to one rail, double pike between the rails amazes everybody. Up close that looks like it hurts! Double pike dismount with a small hop. Fabian bows and waves to the crowd. They like him a lot. 14.95. They exchange high fives.
Vanessa Ferrari, beam: Press handstand to planche gets applause. Handstand single stag to bhs, layout to two feet, excellent. Switch ring, no wobbles. Full turn. Front aerial, sheep. Switch, back tuck, great. Jumps. Roundoff, double pike with one step. Terrific routine. I think she is one of the most underappreciated gymnasts in the world right now. She's hitting like a machine and has improved her form quite a bit. 13.85.
Matteo Morandi, parallel bars: Giant, peach. Over to one rail and loses his hand on the press up to handstand and basically sits in middle splits on the bar for a second while he reaches for the other rail to steady himself. Hands down on his double pike dismount. Too bad, especially after that great routine from Ferrari. The audience is applauding appreciatively, mostly for Vanessa, I think. 12.75.
Sandra Izbasa, beam: She looks far more serious now...Front pike kickover, nice. Punch front, off to the side a little and takes a check. Full turn with leg up. Front aerial, slight pause, bhs, layout, again off to the side and leg comes up, but she stays on. Not quite straight legs on the layout. Side aerial. Switch, split. 2.5 twisting dismount with a hop forward. 13.95.
Flavius Koczi, pommel horse: Great opening sequence on one pommel that included a Russian on the pommel. Scissor to handstand. Double pirouetting dismount, raises his arms in victory once on the ground. Definitely the best pommel horse routine we'll see today from one of the best in the world on that event. 15.2.
Anastasia Koval, floor: Jazzy music. Good high double tuck, basically stuck. 1.5 to layout full to single stag jump. Tourjete half. Double full. Front aerial. 1.5 turn. Kind of cutesy choreo for the kind of cutesy music. Stuck double pike to end. Switch ring, switch half, Shushunova to end the routine. Very well performed. Not terribly difficult, but really well done and entertaining. 13.6.
Mykola Kuksenskov, parallel bars: Peach half mount. Peach, giant Diamadov, front somie, shoot ot center, Stutz, double pike with a small hop. He's happy about this one too -- claps his hands in the air and looks to the crowd. There's a raw quality to some of his work, especially on this event. 14.7.
Marine Brevet, floor: Full in pike, very well done. 1.5 to double tuck, small step forward. Switch ring, switch half. Frotn aerial. This music alternates between being hard and driving and soft and tender, with delicate piano notes. From "The Matrix"...I think. Double full. Double turn with leg at head. Stuck double pike. 14.05
Yann Cucherat, rings: Kip to planche. Inverted cross. Front double pike, front double tuck. Giant. Giant, full twisting double tuck with a small hop. A great look of relief on his face after the dismount. 13.65.
Zhang Yelinzi, floor: Whip to Arabian double front, not even close to her feet. Does not have the height for this pass, and never saw her do one in training, just the timer. 1.5 to front full layout with some leg bend. Switch ring, Tourjete half, needs a lot more extension. Double tuck, puts her hands down due to underrotation. Her music is a kind of Mediterranean mix...switch half. Double pike. 10.85.
Huang Yuguo, vault: Really nice Tsuk 2.5 with a hop forward. Wonderful power and good form. Second vault: Handspring Rudi, again really well done. He high fives some front row audience members as he runs back down the runway. 15.85. Will be interesting to see where that puts them.
Marlies Rijken, bars: Jump to high, , full turn, stalder blind, Jaeger, stalder to bail to Ray, stalder blind to front giant to front stalder to double front, overrotated and had to roll out of it. 12.55.
Jeffrey Wammes, floor: Running front double full to front tuck full. Beautiful stuck Arabian double pike. Layout Thomas side pass. Splits. Press. Whip to double full. 2.5 to front half. Triple full to end -- more like a 2.75 that he covered up for. Had a kind of "darn it!" look on his face as he ended that routine. Most impressive thing about this exercise was the kick out of his Arabian double pike. He does that pass better than anyone in the world. 14.4.
So, Kuksenkov/Koval, Cucherat/Brevet, Huang/Zhang and Wammes/Rijken are eliminated. The final will be between Capelli/Kaeslin, Hambuechen/Seitz, Koczi/Izbasa and Morandi/Ferrari for the top three rankings.
ROUND FOUR (Final round): The athletes can now repeat one of the exercises they've already done, which is good for someone like Izbasa, who would be forced to go to bars otherwise.
Vanessa Ferrari, floor: Well, this should be OK for her, as she did several back to back dance throughs in training. Full in tucked with a step forward. 1.5 to front layout, step forward. Tourjete full. Stuck double tuck. She definitely is a little more tired here. The athltes have had to wait a long time between performances...Switch ring, switch half. Double pike with a small step back. Big smile as her workday comes to an end. 13.85.
Matteo Morandi, rings: Everyone's on their best (or at least, their highest scoring) event...planche. Inverted cross. Planche. Double front pike. Iron cross. A second iron cross. Nice control in handstand. Full twisting double layout with a small hop. Maybe a little tiny bit loose in the leg form on the dismount. 15.5.
Sandra Izbasa, floor: She'll get a chance to repeat the routine she was unhappy with earlier...double turn with leg up. Crowd clapping along. Very nice full in tucked, nearly stuck. Split leap, Tourjete full. 2.5 to front tuck full, very good. Switch side half. Double turn. Big breath before last pass. Triple full -- and takes a big step out of it but turns it into her ending pose with arm up and head back! Very nice routine. 14.0.
Flavius Koczi, floor: Front layout full to Rudi, stuck. 2.5 to front double full, better than his first routine. Full twisting windmill. 2.5 to front half, stuck. Might have cheated the 3.5 just a little, but still impressive. Russians. Press. Really great roundoff, triple full to end. Terrific stuff from Koczi. 15.0. Puts them second to Ferrari/Morandi.
Elisabeth Seitz, bars: Maloney, stalder half turn to Geinger. Church. Jaeger. Stalder full to Bail to Ray, Toe full to stuck full twisting double tuck. Big smile and a hug from her coach as she heads to the kiss and cry. 14.85.
Fabian Hambuechen, high bar: Clear hip, piked Kovacs. Kolman. Layout Jager to immediate hop 1.5. Tak to Yamawaki. Tak. Full twisting double layout. A less experienced competitor would have stepped forward, but Fabian bends at the waist and hangs on for the stick. Plays to the crowd again, encourages them to applaud, bows, and heads to the kiss and cry. 16.0. Combined score moves them ahead of Morandi/Ferrari.
Ariella Kaeslin, beam: Roundoff, layout to two feet mount. Roundoff, layout to two feet, small check. Punch front, saved it. Side somie, almost comes off again but somehow manages to save it. Shushunova. Switch. Jumps. Roundoff, double pike with a step back. She puts her hand to her chest and looks so, so relieved. Oh my God, you can see her thinking, I so nearly blew that. 14.15.
Claudio Capelli, parallel bars: Clear hip half, peach. Shoot to center. Over to one rail. Inside Diamadov to immediate front somie. Double pike, tiny hop. He thinks they've got it...15.05.
So that places them third, behind the German team of Elisabeth Seitz and Fabian Hambuechen and the Italians Vanessa Ferrari and Matteo Morandi.
Final results:
1. Fabian Hambuechen/Elisabeth Seitz (88.35, 30.85 in the finale)
2. Matteo Morandi/Vanessa Ferrari (85.9, 29.35)
3. Claudio Capelli/Ariella Kaeslin (29.2, 29.2)
4. Flavius Koczi/Sandra Izbasa (86.825, 29.0)
5. Mykola Kuksenkov/Anastasia Koval (85.25)
6. Yann Cucherat/Marine Brevet (84.45)
7. Huang Yuguo/Zhang Yelinzi (83.3)
8. Jeffrey Wammes/Marlies Rijken (83.0)
9. Kristian Thomas/Imogen Cairns (56.05)
10. Lisa Katharina Hill/Sebastian Krimmer (55.2)
11. Roman Gisi/Giulia Steingruber (54.125)
12. Jordan Jovtchev/Ratlisa Mileva (49.675)
So the Swiss Cup trophy is bound for Germany. I wonder if Fabi and Elisabeth have decided whose gym it will be housed in? (Later I saw it being put on a cart and wheeled out of the arena. Apparently it's just a showpiece, and the men's and women's winners each receive a smaller, more manageable trophy.)
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