28. März 2004  
Kiev / Ukraine  
Artistic Gymnastics

USA and Russia won Stella Zakharova Cup 2004

STELLA ZAKHAROVA CUP 2004

The hosts took the individual AA honours, but the USA and Russia won the men's and women's team competition respectively at the 3rd Stella Zakahrova Cup in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

The competition continues today with event finals. Report from Kiev by GYMmedia correspondent
Nora Schuler:
On the men's side, strong showings on floor and vault contributed to the US victory.
Leading Ukraine by two points going into the last rotation, even some problems on parallel bars didn't put the gold in jeopardy. 2001 world champion on parallel bars Sean Townsend had to swallow his only sub nine score on that apparatus but vaulted a handsping double front with a half twist and gave an impressive demonstration on rings (9,6).

Roman Zozulia (UKR):
Best in AA

One of the team's coaches was Rustam Sharipov, now coaching in the USA after a succesful career representing the USSR, the CIS and, ultimately, Ukraine.

Ukraine 1 took the silver despite losing Alexander Svetlichni, who scratched after two events, following a disaster on rings and balking on vault.
Actually, the highest team total (165.25) was amassed by the Russian men, but since they only entered the competition as individuals, their scores did not count towards the team total.
Roman Zozulia (UKR) took the AA title with a 56,625 and a clean performance on all six pieces of apparatus.
Rafael Martinez (ESP) surpised himself with a competition worthy of the silver while Georgi Grebenkov(RUS) squeezed into the bronze position after Townsend faltered on bars.

Alina Kozich (UKR) wins AA

Russia proved the best team of the women's competition, with their best performance coming from little known junior Kristina Pravdina. Top ranked juniors Svetlana Kliukina and Yulia Lozhechko were competing in the senior division here despite preparing for the Junior European Championships in Amsterdam. (Teams at the Zakharova Cup feature two juniors and two seniors, but there are separate all-around awards given out per age group).
Ukraine 1 was just behind Russia in second place with Ukraine 2 trailing them by over three points for the bronze. While the Ukrainians showed flashes of brilliance and great technqiue, they suffered many falls and failed to impress accross the board on home ground .
Alina Kozich (UKReasily won the AA senior title, with a few bobbles on beam but no major errors all night. Her highest score was a 9,6 on floor where she opened with a high double front.
Nicole Harris (USA) who had looked set to challenge for the gold in podium training, came off beam on her ff-full and had to swallow a fall on floor. Katie Heenan added a couple of extra swings to her bar routine but did well on beam and floor.
During the opening ceremony, there was a moving tribute to 2000 European champion and Oympic medalist Alexander Beresh, who was tragically killed in a car crash on Februray 29. Video clips showing highlights of Beresh's career were accompanied by a dance perfomance while the audience stood in silence.
RESULTS: 3rd Stella Zakharova Cup 2004
- Kiev, UKRAINE, March 27 - 28 -

Women's Team
1. Russia (Pravdina, Ivanova, Lozhechko, Kliukina) 111,575
2. Ukraine 1 (Kozich, Zgoba, Kvasha, Kayukova) 111,000
3. Ukraine 2 (Shcherbatikh, Kostyuchenko, Proskurina, Sergiyenko) 108,150
4. Greece 102,200
5. Canada 101,725
6. Belgium 100,600

ELITE, AA:
1. Alina Kozich UKR 37,625
2. Svetlana Kliukina RUS 36.850
3. Yulia Lozehechko RUS 36.700

4. Olga Cherbatykh UKR 36,450
5. Katie Heanan USA 36,05
6. Nicole Harris USA 35,950

Women's Vault
1. Alina Kozich UKR 9.356
2. Tatiana Kazantseva RUS 9.144
3. Olga Scherbatykh UKR 9.025
4. Marina Papadopoulous GRE 9.000
5. Tanja Deladido CRO 8.906
6. Adrien Kekegui HUN 8.631
7. Laura Gomhas HUN 8.487
8. Svetlana Klyukina RUS 4.650

Uneven Bars
1. Darya Zgoba UKR 9.587
2. Alina Kozich UKR 9.475
2. Nicole Harris USA 9.475
4. Katie Heenan USA 9.325
5. Kristina Pravdina RUS 9.025
6. Lynn Moonen BEL 8.725
7. Nadezhda Ivanova RUS 8.700
8. Marina Papadopoulous GRE 4.725

Balance Beam
1. Svetlana Klyukina RUS 9.237
2. Nicole Harris USA 9.125
3. Katie Heenan USA 8.962
4. Darya Elizarova RUS 8.950
5. Natalia Sirobaba UKR 8.675
6. Lynn Moonen BEL 8.600
7. Valeria Maksyuta UKR 8.525
8. Rebecca Simbudhas CAN 7.425

Women's Floor Exercise
1. Alina Kozich UKR 9.637
2. Mirabella Akhunu UKR 9.175
3. Tunde Pentek HUN 8.837
4. Kristina Pravdina RUS 8.712
5. Rebecca Simbudhas CAN 8.550
6. Katie Heenan USA 8.300
7. Lynn Moonen BEL 8.062
8. Darya Elizarova RUS 8.000

Female Junior AA:
1. Kristina Pravdina RUS 37,100
2. Nadezhda Ivanova RUS 36,575
3. Daria Zgoba UKR 36,350

Men's Team:
1. USA (Durante, Townsend, Abdullah, Del Castillo) 164,250
2. Ukraine 1 (Zozulia, Isayev, Suprun, Svetlichni) 163,400
3. Ukraine 2 (Kuvakin, Bogonosyuk, Kuksenkov, Skiba) 160,025
4. Spain 1 159,650
5. Hungary 1 156,500
6. Hungary 2 152,400

ELITE, AA:
1. Roman Zozulia UKR 56,625
2. Rafael Martinez ESP 55,800
3. Georgi Grebenkov RUS 55,500
4. David Durante USA 55.300
5. Sean Townsend USA 55.100
6. Yevgeny Vasilyev RUS 54.500
7. Dmitry Barkalov RUS 54.500
8. Vadim Kuvakin UKR 54.275
9. Marcell Hetrovics HUN 53.550
10. Yevgeny Bogonosyuk UKR 52.600
11. Samuel Piasecky SLO 54.450
12. Alexander Biarkhovin BLR 52.45
13. Zoltan Detroi HUN 52.050

Men's FINALS:
Men's Floor Exercise
1. Yevgeny Bogonosyuk UKR 9.400
2. Taqiy Abdullah USA 9.275
3. Alexander Dyomin RUS 9.100
4. Rafael Martinez ESP 9.075
5. David Durante USA 8.875
6. Zoltan Detroi HUN 8.725
7. Vadim Kuvakin UKR 8.500

Pommel Horse
1. Rafael Martinez ESP 9.587
2. Gunter Couckhuyt BEL 9.575
3. Andrei Isayev UKR 9.487
4. Robert Seligman CRO 9.475
5. Yevgeny Vasilyev RUS 9.412
6. Mikola Kuksenkov UKR 9.350
7. Vid Hidvegi HUN 9.212
8. David Durante USA 8.650

Still Rings
1. Roman Zozulia UKR 9.675
2. Gregory Grebenkov 9.562
3. Sean Townsend USA 9.425
4. Isaak Botella ESP 9.400
4. Rafael Martinez ESP 9.400
6. Roland Kiraly HUN 9.350
7. Yevgeny Vasilyev RUS 9.212
8. David Durante USA 9.100

Men's Vault
1. Filip Ude CRO 9.262
2. Sean Townsend USA 9.212
3. Yevgeny Bogonosyuk UKR 9.212
4. Taqiy Abdullah USA 9.112
5. Alexander Dyomin RUS 8.262

Parallel Bars
1. Roman Zozulia UKR 9.625
2. Valery Goncharov UKR 9.550
3. Rafael Martinez ESP 9.450
4. Andreu Vivo ESP 9.425
5. Samuel Piasecky SLO 9.275
6. Dmitry Barkalov RUS 9.137
7. Yevgeny Vasilyev RUS 8.725
8. Alexander Tsarevich BLR 7.225

High Bar
1. Valery Goncharov UKR 9.600
2. Sean Townsend USA 9.587
3. Andrei Mikhailichenko 9.500
4. Jesus Carballo Jr. ESP 9.425
5. Andreu Vivo ESP 9.100
6. Alexander Biarkhovin BLR 8.937
7. Samuel Piasecky SLO 8.750

Male Junior AA:
1. Andrei Isayev UKR 54,275
2. Alexander Suprun UKR 52,450
3. Taqiy Abdullah USA 52.000
4. Brian Del Castillo USA 52.000
P R E V I E W: 3rd Stella Zakharova Cup 2004
 Gymnasts from 12 nations, including Australia, Canada and the USA, have arrived in the Ukrainian capital for the 3rd Stella Zakharova Cup.
The competition features men's and women's competition and kicks off with the team and all-around on March 27. March 28 will see the event finals. One of the few invitationals held on a podium, gymnasts were able to get used to the settings today during podium training.... 3rd Stella Zakkarova Cup 2004
From Kiev, GYMmediacorrespondent Nora Schuler
The USA's Nicole Harris looked particularly strong, earning impressed looks and even some applause for her bars and her powerful ff-tucked full on beam. The USA has only sent two female gymnasts to the event. Harris is joined by Katie Heenan.
Russia has brought six gymnasts, including Svetlana Kliukina, Yulia Lozhecko, Nadezhda Ivanova and tiny Daria Elizarova. They displayed some impressive skills in training, despite some stability issues.
Ukraine's Irina Yarotskaya and Irina Krasnanskaya will not compete due to a hectic competition schedule over the past few weeks. The home team will be lead by Alina Kozich and Alyona Kvasha.
Nora Schuler, Kiev

Stella Zakharova (USR/UKR)

Notice:
Stella Zakharova is on hand this weekend, at the event named in her honour. Zakharova is the 1979 and 1980 all-around World Cup gold medallist. She holds one Olympic medal, team gold from the 1980 Olympics.