24. Oktober 2009  
Zurich, Switzerland  
Artistic Gymnastics

Ariella Kaeslin and Marian Dragulescu perform gymnastics at the Swiss Cup Zürich 2009

stv--: - two weeks after the World Championships 2009 in London the world elite in artistic gymnastics meet on the 1st of November 2009 in the hall stadium Zürich for the attractive couples competition. 
Swiss Cup – World class gymnastics – stands for dynamics, power, elegance, grace, precision and above all for sports and entertainment on the highest level. Simply world class!
Just a few days before the event the OK is celebrated under the leadership of Jürg Stahl - with yet another 5’000 tickets. Again the organisers have managed to put together an attractive field of participants - including the Swiss Silver girl Ariella Kaeslin, who was the first swiss artistic gymnast to win a medal at a world championship and the Romanian double world champion Marian Dragulescu (Gold on the floor and on the vault).
The organisers are expecting over 7’000 spectators. After the Swiss Cup 2006 could first take place in the hall stadium Zürich, the international competition developed to a high standard, treasured occasion. Despite unlucky injuries of gymnasts such as Fabian Hambüchen (Germany), 14 world championship finalists will perform in the hall stadium on the 1st of November.

 Swiss couple again the audience favorites?
The team of Ariella Kaeslin and Niki Böschenstein  set an early goal to get onto the podium.
Both agree, «as a thank you to all the Swiss fans who supported us all the way through». Last time in 2006 it worked out for them with a third place. The second Swiss team is made up of Linda Stämpfli and Daniel Groves. Linda Stämpfli from Zürich is especially excited about being allowed to perform before her home audience.

Romania with gymnast world star Marian Dragulescu
Romania is going into the competition, with a winner-duo, as is tradition. The 29 year old Romanian Marian Dragulescu belongs to the top stars in artistic gymnastics. In London he won his fourth world championship title on the floor and with vault. Dragulescu is not unknown for Swiss Cup fans, already in 2001 and 2003 did he win at the Swiss Cup. In 2009 he performed together with Anamaria Tamirjan. The Silver medal winner on the Bar of this years European championship, managed to get 9th place in this years world championship. Both will make sure of a firework of highest speed, strength, elegance and grace in the hall stadium.

 

Russia with top crew
Russia is sending a strong duo to the Swiss Cup 2009. The high-bar specialist Sergej Khorokhordin and the elegant Xenia Afanasyewa. Chorochordin already achieved his position as European champion and medal winner at world championships in his long gymnastics career. He got 5th place in the all-around gymnastics of the Olympic Games in Peking . Second place in the all-around competition of the European championships in Milan2009, Xenia Afanasyewa, is coming to the hall stadium for the second time after 2008. 

 

Germany with Matthias Fahrig and Kim Bui
After the injury caused stepping out of Fabian Hambüchen, the German all-around champion Kim Bui (TSG Tübingen) will perform with Matthias Fahrig (SV Halle). Both Bui and Fahrig were in a final in London. Kim Bui in an all-around final and  Matthias Fahrig on the floor and with vault.

 

Italy and France with world championship finalists in Zürich
Italy and France are also taking part this year. Italy is starting with Enrico Pozzo and Serena Licchetta. Licchetta achieved 8th place on the uneven-bars at the world championships in London and Pozzo managed 10th place in the all-around competition.
Also the French team did not get away without injuries in London. The French male example gymnast französische Aushängeschild im Männerkunstturnen,Yann Chucherat, dislocated two fingers on the bars in London such that he has to pass on the start at the Swiss Cup. As a replacement the OK Cyrill Tommasone, fourth on the pommel horse in London, could commit to the competition. He will represent the French colours together with the 17 year old  Pauline Morel – 15th in the all-around competition at the world championship in London. 

Unfortunately the team from Brazil had to pull out at last minute. The Swiss-Cup OK is being negotiated with Mexiko and Colombia: «Our wish is to commit a South American country as a replacement for Brazil, in order to underline the international character of the Swiss Cup», said Adrian Sonderegger, Managing Director of the Swiss Cup.
Team competition in the Cup system
The Swiss Cup is a couples competition, where each one male and one female gymnast per Nation will form a team. In the Cupsystem with its pre-round, semi final and final the winner will be announced. The male and female gymnast of each team will perform right after each other and will obtain a team rating made up of their individual scores. With certain restrictions the aparati of each round may be freely chosen. In the final round the score of the four finalist-couples starts at nill. The team which lies in fourth position starts first. Winner of the Swiss Cup Zürich is the couple with the highest total score of the final round. Guaranteed excitement up until the last excersise.
Switzerland as the host country is represented with two teams.
The starting field of the world class athletes
The following athletes will present their shining achievements in the hall stadium in Zürch.
(Chances arranged, listed by gymnast of each Nation):
Switzerland 1: Ariella Kaeslin / Niki Böschenstein 
Switzerland 2: Linda Stämpfli / Daniel Groves
China:       He Ning / Fuliang Liang
Germany:  Kim Bui / Matthias Fahrig 
France: Pauline Morel / Cyril Tommasone
Italy:  Serena Licchetta / Enrico Pozzo 
Canada: Cynthia Lemieux-Guillemette / Casey Sandy 
Netherlands:Mayra Kroonen / Jeffrey Wammes 
Romania:Anamaria Tamirjan / Marian Dragulescu 
Russia: Xenia Afanasyewa / Sergej Chorochordin
Ukraine: Jana Demjantschyk / Mykola Kuksenkow 
Brazil: Excused, Replacement open

Tickets/Ticket sales
At Ticketcorner under the number 0900 800 800 (CHF 1.19/min.), via the internet: www.ticketcorner.com or at ‚Die Schweizerische Post‘, Manor, SBB and Coop City, aswell as all other Ticketcorner sales points.
* Direct link:
http://www.ticketcorner.com/eventstore/control/requestcard?leistid=43961&sysid=500&typ=TS&mand=190