Rising German star Marcel Nguyen was knocked out of the World Championships after breaking his right fibula on his opening tumbling pass at the friendly meet between Germany, Switzerland and Romania Saturday in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
What a shame! Nguyen, a skinny kid with a spiky hairdo, was at the top of my list of gymnasts who would make a huge statement at the Rotterdam Worlds. He's a consumate trickster and was opening with a triple double on floor. Without him, and with star Fabian Hambuechen only performing four of six events due to an Achilles injury, the European Champion German men are going to have a much more difficult time winning a team medal at the World Championships.
Nevertheless, the German men won the meet, scoring 353.9 over Switzerland (346.65) and Romania (345.95), which was once again without star Marian Dragulescu. The Romanian women, led by all-around winner Ana Porgras (58.6) topped the Germans 229.95-214.4. Team Switzerland, led by Ariella Kaeslin, who finished fourth overall, scored 210.30.
The Romanian women dominated the all-around, with Porgas, Raluca Haidu and Diana Chelaru going 1-2-3 (58.6-57.4-57.05). German veteran Oksana Chusovitina, 35, won vault (15.0, 5.9 D-score), Porgras bars (14.6) and beam (15.7), and veteran Sandra Izabasa had the high score on floor (14.8).
With Nguyen out, Philipp Boy stepped up to win the men's all-around title for Germany with a huge 91.05, a score that would have won him silver in the all-around at the 2009 World Championships. Veteran Eugen Spiridonov of Germany was second (87.5), followed by longtime Swiss champion Claudio Capelli (86.5). Marius Berbecar, second at last weekend's Romanian championships, was the highest Romanian finisher (sixth, 84.15).
Boy was the top scorer on floor exercise (15.0), while German newcomer Sebastian Krimmer won pommel horse (15.15), Romanian Robert Stanescu rings (15.7), Capelli vault (16.25), and Hambuechen parallel bars (15.4) and high bar (15.8, 7.1. D-score).
Besides Nguyen's broken leg, one of the surprises of this meet was the resurgence of Haidu, a strong beamworker when she stays on. Haidu, subject of the Romanian gymnastics documentary "The Secret of Deva" finished sixth overall at the Romanian Championships and seemed in danger of not making the World team. She has not been consistent (it's hard to forget those two falls on beam to lead off the Romanian efforts at the European Championships) but is a wonderful gymnast when she hits and one of the interesting wildcards for the World Championships.
Video: Check out Nguyen in action at the 2010 Japan Cup. Click the video to the left to play in larger format.
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