Tough test against the World Team Champions

Youngster Fabian Hambuechen (GER)
- best in AA

Today was held a 5-way International and World Championships Trials in Men’s Gymnastics between the world champin of 2001 Belarus, France (4th place in Ghent), Switzerland, Germany, and host Great Britain. The location was the Robin Park Sports Centre, Wigan.
>> Results and Report by Vera Atkinson...:

Five-way Men’s Gymnastics International in Wigan Belarus v France v Germany v Switzerland v Great Britain

RESULTS:
1. Belarus- 218,775
2. Germany- 213.225
3. Switzerland 212,500
4. France 210,575
5. Great Britain- 209,050

ALL AROUND:
1. Denis Savenkov BLR 55.250
2. Niki Böschenstein SUI 53.450
3. Fabian Hambüchen GER 52.950
4. Ross Brewer GBR 52.900
5. Rene Tschernitschek GER 52.325
6. Cedric Guille FRA 52.100
7. Gaetan Dupont FRA 52.075
8. Kevin Bachman SUI 52.050
9. Eugen Spiridonov GER 52.025
10. Robert Juckel GER 51.800
11. Yohan Mounard FRA 51.550
12. Danny Lawrence GBR 51.300
13. Ronny Ziesmer GER 51.025
14. Roman Schweizer SUI 50.875
15. Mark Ramseier SUI 50.850

>> Detailed Results

Vera Atkinson

The competition was a classic!
- by Vera Atkinson
Wigan normally associated with Rugby League (Wigan Warriors and Ellery Hanley) and Soccer (Wigan Athletic, newly promoted to the first division of the Football League) has, since the emergence of the Atherton twins (Kevin and Andrew), the building of the Arena and the Gymnastics Centre, plus the appointment of Mike Lea, become a major feature of Gymnastics performance and competition.

What started out as an “in-house” control competition in Lilleshall National Sports Centre between Great Britain and Switzerland, finished as Wolfgang William, the Technical Director of the German Gymnastics Federation, stated “as a Mini European Championships”.
Despite the weekend being a major sporting event with Wigan playing Leeds at Rugby League, the Gymnastics competition attracted a good, knowledgeable and enthusiastic audience, which contained many former International gymnasts and judges. Dick Gradley is ageless, and Bob Currier and Arthur Hansen were scrutinising every mark given by their friend Bert Dooley.

The competition was a classic!
The Belarus Team demonstrating quite clearly why they are the current world team champions - every member of the team was a World Champion! 2003 Champion of Belarus Denis Savenkov, the only member of the team to work all the six apparatus was the clear individual winner (55.250) followed by Niki Boschenstein of Switzerland (53.450) and Fabian Hambuchen of Germany, (52.950). Savenkov was the top scorer on four pieces of apparatus (Floor 9.3, Pommels-9.7, Vault- 9.3, P.Bars- 9.15. His team mate, the former world champion Ivan Ivankov was the top-scorer on rings with a score of 9.650, but it was left to Cedric Guille (France) to steal the show with 9.60 on High Bar.
Fabian Hambuechen, the 16 years old “wunderkind” from Germany demonstrated clearly that he is a star of the future. He has been excellently prepared by his father and coach Wolfgang Hambuchen and his high level performances drew gasps and much spontaneous applause from the audience. Germany, who have regrouped since their poor performances in Ghent performed strongly to take the second team place and look good enough for their Olympic passports.
Switzerland was steady but need to improve on floor and pommel horse if they are to challenge for the top places at the World Championships and Olympic Qualification in Anaheim (USA) in August. However, this is one of the greatest nations in the Men’s gymnastics. They have a great coaching staff led by Peter Kutzurek and a lot could happen on the Swiss drawing board between now and August.
France showed their strength in depth and quality by managing to raise two teams to compete on the same day- one in Great Britain, the other in Canada. Thierry Aymes at 29 years of age was the oldest gymnast performing along with his teammate Eric Casimir (26). They showed they could still be valuable to the French qualification on Floor, Pommel Horse and High Bar. The French have been handicapped by the loss of their Champion Yann Cucherat who snapped a wrist ligament in training. However, such is their strength in depth that it is unlikely that they will be without a full team in Athens 2004.
Great Britain started very well and after three pieces was in the lead, but a disastrous performance on the High Bar left them with too great a gap to challenge for the medals. Ross Brewer showed once again his capacity as an all-around performer by finishing in fourth pace, but the prize for progress must go to Danny Lawrence from South Essex, whose remarkable improvement over the last six moths are to be truly commended.
The GB Team coaches and gymnasts are to be congratulated for keeping their nerve after the accident on High Bar to David Colvin, who thankfully is now OK and back to his family in Bristol. Stephen Aldridge and Lizzie Lane showed a real excellence of our medical staff, in calmly securing David’s injury until the Paramedics arrived. Stephen, an orthopaedic surgeon in Newcastle upon Tyne showed that he is definitely a “chip off the old block”- he is a son of our famous surgeon John Aldridge, FRCS.
Rudi Heidiger, Technical Director of the Swiss Gymnastics Federation thanked the British Gymnastics Association for “having not only created an excellent competition, but also brought great spirit to the event”.
By Vera Atkinson
British Gymnastics Performance Director