ROTTERDAM -- The logic of the two upcoming Swiss meets seems to be this: As long as everyone's in Europe and everyone's in shape, let's have a fun boy-girl partner competition!
It's good logic. The premier Swiss gymnastics events -- the Arthur Gander Memorial and the Swiss Cup -- are both happening this week. At Arthur Gander, to be held in Chiasso near the Italian border, men to choose four events to perform on, while the women compete on three.
Many of the same competitors will then travel north to Zurich to compete in the Oct. 31 Swiss Cup, the most prestigious mixed pairs competition in gymnastics. The Arthur Gander Memorial takes place Wednesday evening, the Swiss Cup this weekend.
Here's the most recently updated lineup for Arthur Gander, according to the event website:
MAG:
Philipp Boy (Germany)
Maxim Devyatovskiy (Russia)
Yann Cucherat (France)
Huang Yuguo (China)
Jordan Jovtchev (Bulgaria)
Flavius Koczi (Romania)
Mykola Kuksenskov (Ukraine)
Matteo Morandi (Italy)
Sergio Munoz (Spain)
Kristian Thomas (Great Britain)
Zou Kai (China)
Epke Zonderland (Netherlands)
WAG:
Rose-Eliandre Bellemare (France)
Diana Chelaru (Romania)
Rebecca Downie (Great Britain)
Vanessa Ferrari (Italy)
Elsa Garcia (Mexico)
Lisa Katharina Hill (Germany)
Marie-Sophie Hindermann (Germany)
Ariella Kaeslin (Switzerland)
Angelina Kysla (Ukraine)
Wyomi Masela (Netherlands)
Zhang Yilinzi (China)
It will be interesting to see the Chinese duo -- 2008 triple Olympic gold medalist Zou Kai was held off China's World team, and Zhang Yelinzi is one of the country's young up and comers.
Bellemare and Masela are both injured and, at least in Bellemare's case, definitely not able to compete, though the start list was updated as of Monday. Cucherat is recovering from an injury and was not ready to compete in Rotterdam, so it seems the French have decided to ease him back by sending him to Switzerland.
Though Niki Boeschenstein and Mark Ramseier were initially scheduled to compete for the Swiss men, both have withdrawn, leaving the Swiss without a male representative at this meet. Boeschenstein is suffering from shoulder and Achilles problems and has decided to withdraw from all meets this season in order to protect his chances for competing in 2012. He was initially supposed to be Ariella Kaeslin's partner at the Swiss Cup, and has been replaced by Swiss champion Claudio Capelli.
The pairings for the Swiss Cup feature many of the same gymnasts:
Switzerland one: Ariella Kaeslin and Claudio Capelli
Switzerland two: Giulia Steingruber and Roman Gisi
China: Zhang Yelinzi and Huang Yuguo
France: Marine Brevet and Yann Cucherat
Germany: Elizabeth Seitz and Fabian Hambuechen
Great Britain: Becky Downie and Kristian Thomas
Italy: Vanessa Ferrari and Matteo Morandi
Mexico: Elsa Garcia and Daniel Corral
Netherlands: Marlies Rijken and Jeffrey Wammes
Romania: Sandra Izbasa and Flavius Koczi
Ukraine: Yana Demyanchuk and Mykola Kuksenskov
Follow Gymnastics Examiner Blythe Lawrence on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GymExaminer or click the "Subscribe" button above to receive the latest gymnastics news and results via e-mail.
Comments
Why no US athletes? Money?
I'm wondering the same thing as the commenter above. I just saw on International Gymnast Magazine's website a lineup of the gymnasts competing in upcoming World Cups. Blythe, do you know why the USA doesn't take advantage of that international experience? It seems like it would benefit the U.S. men especially since they have struggled at the World Championships in recent years.
I always thought that if US athletes competed at world cup events they would lose their NCAA eligibility because those events had prize money. But there was prize money for the winners at worlds, so now I don't know.
A gymnast is allowed to compete in a competition that awards prize money and still be NCAA eligible as long as he/she doesn't accept the prize money awarded.
U.S. gymnasts were initially registered to compete at Arthur Gander, but the plan was obviously made a long time ago, because the women's entry was "Rebecca Bross/Bridget Sloan" and the men's rep was supposed to be Tim McNeill.
And yes, you only give up your NCAA eligibility if you accept prize money. You can decline it to keep your eligibility. -- Blythe
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