15. April 2018  
Antwerp, BEL  
Sports Acrobatics

26th ACROBATIC GYMNASTICS WORLDS 2018

In the spring of 2018 Antwerp will host the 26th World Championships Acrobatic Gymnastics.
The competitions will take place in the Antwerp Lotto Arena from 13 till 15 April 2018.
Depending on the team composition, we can distinguish 5 categories first in qualifying rounds, followed by the finals:
* Women Pairs, * Men's Pairs, * Mixed Pairs, * Women's Groups & *Men's Groups.
One week before this WCh elite competitions, the 10th World Age Group Competions took place in the same venue from April 04 till 110 ...

* P R E V I E W
The 26th Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships 2018 took place in Antwerp, Belgium on 13-15 April shining the spotlight on a spectacular discipline which later this year will make its debut at the Youth Olympic Games. Some 170 gymnasts representing 19 countries take the stage at Antwerp's Lotto Arena to contest six world titles - Women's, Men's and Mixed Pairs; Women's and Men's Groups; and the Team title.
It is the second time the 'City of diamonds' Antwerp has welcomed these World Championships. The first time was in 1988 and in the intervening 30 years Acrobatics Gymnastics has evolved considerably - and Belgium, with its strong tradition in the discipline, has made a telling contribution.
* FIG ACRO WCh Trailer ...:

These 2018 Acro World Championships began on Friday, April 13 with a first day of qualifying.
The finals for Women's Groups and Men's Pairs followes on Saturday and on Sunday by the finals for Women's Pairs, Mixed Pairs and Men's Groups.
Acrobatic Gymnastics, in the form of Mixed Pairs, will form part of a multi-discipline competition alongside Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampoline at the Youth Olympic Games in October. FIG President Morinari Watanabe said: "2018 will be a memorable year for the discipline, which will be included in the Youth Olympic Games programme for the first time in Buenos Aires."
* source: f i g  preview

* Sunday, April 15
* FIG-REPORT --:
The final day of the 26th FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium had it all, superlative performance, home success and surprise new champions yet still the incomparable Marina Chernova (RUS) managed to shine the brightest. The Russian superstar became the first person in the 44-year history of Acro World Championships to win three Mixed Pair gold medals. Ultimately, it was current partner Georgii Pataraia, who best put her achievements into context.
The duo currently exist in a league of their own. Their routine for the final had a difficulty rating more than half a point higher than any of their competitors and yet they comfortably secured the highest execution score. Together it amounted to a mark of 30.640, a whopping 1.31 points ahead of Belarus's Hanna Kasyan and Konstantin Evstafeev in second.Worryingly for their opponents, the diminutive Russian has no plans  to retire.
Home hopes deliver to send crowd wild
While the packed house at the Lotto Arena showed its appreciation for Chernova and Pataraia's extraordinary efforts, the decibel levels went through the roof when Belgian Mixed Pair Marte Snoeck and Bram Roettger finally gave them what they really wanted; a medal.
Belgium's Men's Group took full advantage of the fevered atmosphere, as they followed Roettger and Snoeck straight on to the mat. The quartet's score of 29.040 was not quite good enough for a second home medal of the day, but the sight of flier Raj Noam Patel moonwalking across the stage to a medley of Michael Jackson hits was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Championships.

Israel score historic first in top quality Men's Group final
A remarkably high level of competition followed in the Men's Group, with three teams recording scores above the magical 30.000 mark. Performing last, an emotional Israel secured their first ever World Championship gold, finishing 0.31 points ahead of pre-final favourites, China.
Daniel Uralevitch (ISR) having won silver at the 2016 World Championships. Russia finished in third, with a score of 30.130.

'Double Darias' delight fans with second consecutive World title
While the Championships closed with Israel's historic first gold, the final day of competition had opened in a manner similar to many others, with Russian athletes proudly finishing atop the podium.
Daria Guryeva and Daria Kalinina (RUS) proved their mastery of the Women's Pair category with a captivating display of grace and elegant power. The defending world champions retained their title with relative ease, finishing close to a point clear of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea duo, Jong Kum Hwa and Pyon Yun Ae.
Israel's bronze medal winner, Roni Surzon gave her own awed appraisal of the famed 'Double Darias'.
Russia reign supreme... again
For the 10th World Championships in succession, Russia walked away with the team title. All three Russian Groups finished first in their categories, with Israel, led by their famed Men's Group, claiming silver and Belarus taking the bronze medal. With five golds and a bronze medal Russia finished in its habitual position, top of the medals table. Despite strong challenges from the ever-creative Israelis, the vibrant Belarusians and the precise Chinese, the powerhouse remains streets ahead of the rest.
►► All Results & more Information

* Saturday, April14
... Second Day of Qualifying and first Finals:
* F I G - report--:  Russia once again proved utterly irresistible on Acrobatic Gymnastics’ biggest stage of all, as both the Women’s Group and the Men’s Pair claimed World Championship gold in Antwerp’s rocking Lotto Arena.
The best of the rest put up a fine fight, with the capacity crowd treated to all the sport has to offer but in the end nothing could stop the irrepressible Kseniia Zagoskina (RUS) with her two teammates and the gigantic Nikolay Suprunov and his top Igor Mishev (RUS) from grabbing the glory. From the moment they first strutted into the Arena during Friday’s opening balance exercise, Zagoskina, Daria Chebulanka and Polina Plastinina have looked unbeatable.
Russian Women’s Groups have now won nine of the past 10 World Championship titles.
Suprunov and Mishev retain title in style
If Zagoskina and her crew owned the Lotto Arena from the beginning, not many present on Saturday will forget the sight of 1.97m-tall Suprunov powering his partner to their second successive World Championship gold in the Men’s Pair. From their signature move – in which Mishev vaults from the floor onto Suprunov’s broad shoulders – through to their impeccable balance routines, the duo reigned supreme scoring 29.490.
Ri Hyo Song and Kong Yong Won (PRK) produced a fun-filled, highly creative combined exercise to snatch the silver medal from Great Britain’s grasp. Not that the British duo of Adam Upcott and Charlie Tate were complaining too much.

Belgian pair, Robin Casse and Kilian Goffaux, may well be looking to the future too. The home hopes saw their brave efforts to give the crowd the gold they so vociferously wanted end in agony. A fall during an early balance routine left the 2017 World Games bronze medallists distraught.

China shine as Men’s Group competition heads for thrilling finale
China’s remarkable conveyor belt of talent was on show for all to see as the Men’s Group completed their second qualifying exercise on Saturday. Rui Liuming, a 2016 World Champion, has long led his all-conquering Group with charisma and style to spare but he may now have a serious rival, as 15-year-old top Jiang Heng propelled China’s second quartet through a stunning display that had large sections of the Lotto Arena crowd on their feet.
Jiang, Fu Zhi, Guo Pei and Zhang Junshuo sit first in qualifying with just the combined to come, leaving Rui and his decorated team in danger of missing the final – given just one team per nation can progress.

Double Darias' show intent with Chernova looking set for third gold
An epic battle is shaping up in the Women’s Pairs, with the pre-Championship favourites, Russia’s Daria Guryeva and Daria Kalinina recovering in style from their shaky performance in Friday’s balance exercise to post a huge 29.290 in the dynamic. The 2016 Word Championship and 2017 World Games gold medallists lie in fourth. But the leaders from day one, Israel’s Roni Surzon and Mika Lefkovits remain in pole position and seem in no mood to give up their spot. It was very much business as usual in the Mixed Pairs, as the seemingly invincible Russian duo of Marina Chernova and Georgii Pataraia stretched their lead to 3.275 points with one qualifying exercise to come.

The Mixed Pair, Women’s Pair, Men’s Group and Team World Championship titles will all be decided on Sunday. 
>> Overview: Results all

Friday, April 13
First Day of Qualifying

* f i g-report--: Treble-title-chasing Chernova lights up a day of shocks, surprises and artistry
Among a mass of exhilarating displays of strength, artistry and flexibility, defending Mixed Pairs World Champions Marina Chernova and Georgii Pataraia (RUS) shone the brightest on a thrilling first day of qualifying at the 26th FIG Acrobatic World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.
Led by Chernova, who is going for her third successive World Championship gold, the Russian duo established a vast lead of 2.02 points over the field after the opening dynamic exercise. For the pair themselves, it was not quite a perfect day at the office. It was a similar tale in the Women’s Group with fellow all-conquering Russians, Daria Chebulanka, Polina Plastinina and Kseniia Zagoskina relegating the rest to a fight for second in the qualifying rounds. After flawless dynamic and balance routines, the trio sit comfortably ahead of their opponents.
Despite a pair of immaculate performances from China’s two leading quartet, it was another Russian team that stole the limelight in the Men’s Group.
German Kudriashov, Alexander Sorokin, Valeriy Tukhashvili and Kirill Zadorin may just be fifth after the opening qualifying round, but their extraordinary new move, featuring three of them holding up the top via one-armed handstands (as pictured below/above) captured the hearts of those inside the Lotto Arena.
Portugal’s quartet also thrilled the fans with their signature ‘Acro Snake’ move.China’s 2016 World Championship winning team of Li Zheng, Rui Liuming, Zhang Teng and Zhou Jiahuai lead the way with the dynamic and combined exercises to come in qualification.
* ... more >> Information & results

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10th World Age Group Competitions 2018
   - Antwerp / BEL, April 04 - 10 -

During the 10th World Age Group Competitions, teams from the different nationas competed in 3 different age categories.
The categories for the WAGC are:

  • Age Group 11-16
  • Age Group 12-18
  • Age Group 13-19

►►  RESULTS All, Overview

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♦♦ In a phantastic review back to the 25th WORLDS 2016 in Putian / China
by FIG video impressions you lern more about the esthetic world of Acrobatic Gymnastics and all its different disciplines ...:

► Women’s Pairs      ► Men’s Pairs      ► Mixed Pairs
► Women’s Groups   ► Men’s Groups

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