28. Juni 2005  
Almería / Spain  
Artistic Gymnastics

XVth Mediterranean Games 2005:Artistic Gymnastics events finished with Italian and Spanish Dominion

Mediterraneans are opened now...
Last Friday Spanish King Juan Carlos officially opened the 'XVth Mediterranean Games Almería 2005 to a full house and after a spectacular ceremony organized by “La Fura dels Baus”.
In front of an enthusiastic audience that filled the Mediterranean Stadium, “Al-Mariyat Bayyana” traced back the history of Almerian civilization as a tribute to the combination of different cultures.
Eleven nations have sent gymnasts to this quadrennial multi-sport event for European and African countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. 2005 European all-around champions Rafael Martinez (ESP) and Marine Debauve (FRA) are set to headline the gymnastics competitions, which started on Saturday, June 25 and will finish at Tuesday...
The Mediterranean Games Palace will debut, on a competitive level, with the Spanish Cup for Gymnastics.
The best national specialists, among whom host country's Rafael Martínez, and Marine Debauve (France) recent Champions of Europe, will gather in Almería. Saturday afternoon will be the men’s competition while the women will compete on Sunday morning.

Tickets to attend this competition will be completely free. COJMA and the Spanish Gymnastics Federation hope that Almería spectators fill the complex which, in two weeks, will host the artistic gymnastics event in the XV. Mediterranean Games.
Saturday, June 25: First Decision:
Italy won gold in women’s artistic gymnastics team competition
France finishes second and Spain obtains a praiseworthy third place .
Italy has achieved the first gold medal in artistic gymnastics in the Games. The Italian team, comprised of Daria Sarkosh, Monica Bergamelli, Vanessa Ferrari, Federica Macri and Rosso Ilaria, obtained 108.525 points. The French finished two tenths of a point behind the Italians and the Spanish only three tenths. Italy was first in two of the four exercises -vault and floor, finishing third in uneven bars and beam.
>> Women's Team Results

Vanessa Ferrari (ITA)

Sunday, June 26:
Women's All-around: Vanessa Ferrari wins another gold for Italian gymnastics
The young gymnast Vanessa Ferrari captivated spectators with her great performance and dominated the women’s individual competition with 37.750 points. She won on three apparatus –vault, beam and floor- and was second on the uneven bars.
Spain took silver thanks to the concentration and fine effort of Tania Gener, who won on the uneven bars.
Third place went to the Greek Stefani Bismpikou, who won the first medal for her country in artistic gymnastics.
>> Women's All-around
Spain sweeps to victory in the men’s team competition
Spain won its first gold in artistic gymnastics, with a score of 165.725. Andreu Vivó, Manuel Carballo, Rafael Martínez, Víctor Cano and Iván San Miguel performed brilliantly in the team competition which brought the public to their feet. They were the best in four apparatus –floor, pommel horse, parallel bars and horizontal bars- and finished in second place in rings and vault.
Italy won the silver medal five points behind Spain (160.050), and France was the third with 159.725 points.
>> Men's Team Results

Rafael Martinez

Men's All-around: Rafael Martínez and Manuel Carballo go to the podium in style
Martinez took gold and Carballo bronze in the last apparatus
The “Spanish fury” was resurgent in the men’s individual event of artistic gymnastics. Rafael Martínez became champion with a score of 54.975, more than one point ahead of the gymnast in second place, the French Arnaud Willig. Manuel Carballo had slipped out of the medal postions after an error in the last rotation – parallel bars -, and everything seemed lost. But with a wonderful horizontal bar exercise (9.425), he won the bronze medal and everyone went wild in the Mediterranean Palace, which was completely packed.
>> Men's All-around
Monday, June 27
It’s raining medals for the Spanish team:
Three gold, a silver and two bronze, the medal tally for Spain

The Spanish medal table spectacularly increases with every artistic gymnastics trial. On Monday (June 27) saw the finals of the individual apparatus finals.
For the men, Rafael Martínez polished his third gold medal of the Games. This time it was on the floor, with a mark of 9.313.
Víctor Cano was the highlight of the day, winning gold on the pommel horse. He gave a professional performance which was reflected in his mark of 9.500. The rings was the only event in which the Spanish came away with nothing. The victory went to the Italian Matteo Morandi with a mark of 9.713.

Finals Part II: Tuesday, June 28
The artistic gymnastics bids farewell to the Palace with another gold for Rafa Martínez
There have been two gymnastic stars of the Games: for the men Rafael Martínez, with four golds (teams, individuals, the balance beam and the floor) and a bronze (the parallel bars).
For the women, the exceptionally young gymnast Vanessa Ferrari, with five golds (teams, individuals, the floor, the parallel bars and the vault) and a silver (asymmetric bars). The artistic gymnastic event has left Almeria in the best possible way: with a full and devoted Palace cheering them on whilst humming the Spanish National Anthem in honour of Rafael Martínez’ last gold, won on the balance beam with a score of 9.613.
On the parallel bars, the champion was the Slovenian Mitja Petkovsek with an average of 9.650, finishing in front of Manuel Carballo and Rafael Martínez, silver and bronze respectively. The vault was won by the Tunisian Wajdi Bouallegue, scoring 9.413, whilst Ivan San Miguel and the Italian Matteo Angioletti shared silver, both scoring 9.356.
In the women’s event the Spanish won two medals.
In the vault, Tania Gener was left with silver after being beaten by the Italian Vanessa Ferrari by a fraction of a point, 9.187 and 9.175 respectively. Bronze consequently went to Melodi Pulgarín with a mark of 9.162.
In the uneven bars, two Spanish gymnasts also made it to the podium, but won different medals. Tania Gener took gold with an outstanding 9.675, knocking the Italian Vanessa Ferrari into second place. Bronze went to Lenika de Simone.

Finals, part II: Tuesday, June 28
The Italian Vanessa Ferrari was named floor and parallel bars champion
In reference to female representation, there was only one name on everyone’s lips: Vanessa Ferrari, who took gold on the balance beam (9.625) and on the floor (9.600). The Spanish, however, could not climb the podium, Lenika de Simone finishing fourth on the balance beam and Tania Gener and Thais Escolar fifth and seventh respectively on the floor.

>> Apparatus Finals, PART I

>> Apparatus Finals, Part II

Source: Official website of Mediterranean Games 2005

Moises Ruiz Hall for Rhythmic Gymnastics and Volleyball

Rhythmic Gymnastics in Almer?a
In the Mediterranean Games in Almería 2005 Rhythmic Gymnastics will form a part of the sports programme for the first time.

The competition will be held in the 'Moisés Ruiz' Sports Hall from July 1 - 2.