This Championships, held in Budapest from September 24th - September 28th were also qualifications for the Olympics in Athene 2004, so it was double important.
Wednesday September 24th: AA qualifications individual & finals hoop and ball
After two routines in this qualification Anna Bessonova took the lead, before Alina Kabaeva
and Irina Tchachina. Anna Pobokova did great and after her hoop and ball routine she ended on
a 47th place.
The medals in hoop and ball finals were divided by Bessonova and Kabaeva; Bessonova took
gold with a fabulous hoop routine and silver with ball, Kabaeva got the first place on ball and
became 2nd with hoop. Bronze medals were for Irina Tchachina (hoop) and Inna Zhukova (ball).
Thursday September 25th: AA qualifications indivdual & finals clubs and ribbon
Anna Bessonova became the All Around winner of this qualification, still before Kabaeva and Tchachina.
Anna Pobokova got a 50th place, which wasn't enough to reach the finals. The first 30 gymast (I believe)
made it into the finals, so also Dominika Cervenkova from Czech Republik, who reached a very
good 20th place in the qualification.
The battle for gold ended in a equal score: today Kabaeva obtained the gold with the ribbon and
Bessonova became first with clubs. She also got 2nd on ribbon. Tchachina got the silver for a
really good clubs routine. Bronze medals were for Kabaeva (clubs) and a first bronze medal for Elisabeth
Paisieva on ribbon.
Also the team competition was finished today:Russia got first, before Ukraine and Belarus.
Greece got the 4th place, before the Bulgarians, who had to compete without star Simona Peycheva
due to a doping affaire and a foot injury.
Friday September 26th: Groups AA
The All Around competition for groups was won by Russia, but they were very closely followed by Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian girls even managed to receive the highest day-score for their routine with hoop and ball.
With some distance between numbers 1 and 2, Belarus and Italy shared the thirth place.
Saterday September 27th: AA Final
Bad luck for Anna Bessonova with ball: when the music ended, the ball rolled away out of her reach.
Bessonova's hoop routine was just fantastic, and you could see the hapiness on her face when
she ended it. Bessonova did a very good competition, except for that mistake with the ball, which
would cost her the gold. Final score: 1st Kabaeva (also a mistake with ball), 2nd Bessonova with only 0.3 in between.
3rd place went to Tchachina. Surprising was 10th place for Mary Sanders from USA, who is the first
American who made it into a AA final.
Almudena Cid received the Longines prize for elegance.
Sunday September 28th: Group final and gala
Both finals were won by Russia, but Bulgaria was reall very very close both times. On ribbon,
the difference was only 0.250 and on hoop-ball even 0.75! Italy was third both times.
Olympic Qualifications
The first five countries of the team competition will get two places for the Olympics.
This are Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Greece and Bulgaria. The following countries will get one
place: Kazachstan, USA, Azebaijan, Italy, Spain, Germany, China, Czech Republik, Japan and Israel.
There also will be four wildcards, so a total of 24 participating gymnasts.