Turkey’s reigning European champion Ferhat Arican warmed up for the parallel bars final after his effortless attempt saw him top the qualification chart at the 13th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup at the Aspire Dome yesterday.
Ferhat, who also made it to the Pommel Horse final yesterday, collected an impressive 15.200 points. Compatriot Ahmet Onder finished second with 14.766 points. Ahmet, who had earlier qualified for Rings and Floor, made it to his fourth apparatus finals by qualifying for Horizontal Bar.
Doha is the eighth and final stop on the 2018-2021 FIG Apparatus World Cup series, where some of the top-ranked gymnasts will have one last chance to book their places at the Games. Two Brazilians and as many Spaniards also made the cut in parallel bars. Caio Souza, who will also contest in the Rings final, and Francisco Barretto Junior made the grade.
Spanish duo Nestor Abad and Nicolau Mir also ensured their presence in the final with some excellent efforts. In the women’s floor exercise, three-time Olympian Vanessa Ferrari stayed on track to book Tokyo Olympics ticket after she topped the qualification chart with 13.600 points.
For the first time since Doha hosted the high-profile FIG event in 2008, this year’s edition is being held behind closed doors due to the strict Covid-19 protocols. “I thank all the participants and delegates for their unstinted support in making this event a successful one,” said Competition LOC chairman Ali Ahmed Al Hitmi, who is also the Qatar Gymnastics Federation president.
“We hope to see a good contest in the finals tomorrow.” The finals start at 4pm (local time) with three apparatuses in MAG (Floor, Pommel Horse, Still Rings) and two in WAG (Vault, Uneven Bars).
