06. März 2015  
Maia, Portugal  
Sports Acrobatics

2015 FIG Maia World Acro Cup

Yana Vastavel & Solano Cassamajor (BEL)

A new year and a new competition season has meant a new partner for 2014 World Acro bronze medallist Claire Philouze.
Philouze, who won France's only World medal at the 2014 World Acro Championships in Levallois with partner Lea Roussel in Women's Pair, has entered this weekend's Maia World Cup in Maia (POR), as part of a Mixed Pair, this time with partner Paul Cantalibre. As one of nine mixed pairs in a field that includes 2014 World bronze medallists Kiley Boynton &  Ryan Ward (USA) and fourth place finishers Yana Vastavel & Solano Cassamajor (BEL), Philouze and Cantalibre will be looking to prove themselves in Portugal.

Gymnasts from nine countries will participate at Maia, the first of three FIG Acro World Cups this year and a first step toward the 2015 European Acro Championships in Riesa (GER) and 2016 Acro Worlds in Putian (CHN).
After the fireworks of Levallois, where the older professionals prevailed in Men's Pair and Mixed Pair, a new generation is set to assert itself in Maia, where the oldest registered competitor was born in 1992. Competitions will be held in Women's Pair, Men's Pair, Mixed Pair, Women's Trio and Men's Group. Host nation Portugal is fielding the largest group of competitors, pinning their hopes on veterans Jessica Correia, Susana Pinto and Joana Patrocinio to challenge for the Women's Trio title, while Diogo Rodrigues, Filipe Miranda, Pedro Costa and Francisco Carrapato are the host country's big hopefuls for gold in Men's Group.
* source: f i g website
There was gold for the British women’s group of Cicely Irwin, Jennifer Bailey and Josie Russell ahead of Portugal and Israel.
Amy Cook & Lucy Weir also took gold in the women’s pair category with Hannah Baughn & Ryan Bartlett finishing 4th and Isabella Montagna and Lewis Walker 5th in the mixed pairs. Great Britain also had some sensational results in the international event which took place alongside the World Cup.

* Related: ►  R e s u l t s