Yana Kudryavtseva (RUS) |
After a slower-than-usual start to her competitive season, World Rhythmic All-around champion Yana KUDRYAVTSEVA roared back to sweep the titles at this past weekend's Bucharest World Cup in Romania. The 17-year-old Muscovite debuted four new routines at the Moscow Grand Prix several weeks ago, but lost the title there to her friend and teammate Margarita Mamun and surprisingly did not win a single indvidual title. Compared to her Russian teammates, she struggled again at the FIG World Cup season opener two weeks ago in Lisbon (POR), this time finishing third behind rising star Aleksandra Soldatova and Mamun. In Lisbon, she qualified for only two event finals, her poorest result at a World Cup in more than a year.
* The worldwide RG GYMmedia reports are supported by the Japanese co. C h a c o t t
* WORLD CUP "14. Irina DELEANU 2015"
- Bucharest, Romania, April 03 - 05 -
____________________________________
But any doubts about Kudryavtseva's capabilities in 2015 will likely be laid to rest after her performance this weekend in Bucharest, where she not only swept the golds in the All-around and in event finals but tallied a monster 75.950 points in the All-around, including three scores above 19 -- 19.050 with the Ball, 19.100 with the Clubs and 19.000 with the Ribbon. That 75.950 is the highest score she has ever reached in international competition, and more than 0.6 above what she earned to win her second consecutive World All-around title last year in Izmir (TUR).
Trailing behind was Margarita Mamun, who earned her own mark of 19.050 with the Hoop to finish second All-around (73.800). Belarussian star Melitina Staniouta finished third All-around (72.450), ahead of Son Yeon Jae (KOR), who injured her ankle during her Hoop performance and withdrew from event finals. Through her agency, Son confirmed that she would also miss the Pesaro World Cup, the next stop on the circuit. Behind Kudryavtseva, five gymnasts combined for the rest of the hardware in Bucharest. French star Kseniya Moustafaeva, who finished a disappointing 10th in the All-around after problems in her Ribbon routine, won bronze medals with the Hoop and Clubs in finals.
Soldatova, who has emerged as a challenger to Mamun if not yet Kudryavtseva herself, tied Kudryavtseva for the Ribbon title and took silver with the Hoop and Clubs.
Mamun, for her part, grabbed a silver with the Ball. Azeri star Marina Durunda (AZE) broke into the medals by tying Staniouta for bronze with the Ribbon.
Stanoiuta added a second bronze with the Ball. Kudryavtseva scooped up all the gold at just one other World Cup last year, in Pesaro (Italy).
That World Cup is coming up this weekend -----
* source: f i g
* R E S U L T S:
♦♦ All-around:
Yana Kudryavtseva, RUS, 75.950
2. Margarita Mamun, RUS, 73.800
3. Melitina Staniouta, BLR, 72.450
4. Son Yon Jae, KOR, 72.050
5. Marina Durunda, AZE, 71.600
6. Aleksandra Soldatova, RUS, 71.550
►► Detailed results
** F I N A L S:
♦ Hoop:
1. Yana Kudryavtseva, RUS, 18.950
2. Aleksandra Soldatova, RUS, 18.450
3. Kseniya Moustafaeva, FRA, 17.850
♦ Ball:
1. Yana Kudryavtseva, RUS, 19.100
2. Margarita Mamun, RUS, 18.800
3. Melitina Staniouta, BLR, 18.150
♦ Clubs:
1. Yana Kudryavtseva, RUS, 18.950
2. Aleksandra Soldatova, RUS, 18.450
3. Kseniya Moustafaeva, FRA, 17.850
♦ Ribbon:
1. Yana Kudryavtseva, RUS, 18.500
Aleksandra Soldatova, RUS, 18.500
3. Marina Durunda, AZE, 17.750
3. Melitina Staniouta, BLR, 17.750
► Detailed Final results