On the first day of competition at the BRICS Games in Kazan, representatives of artistic gymnastics competed for the first medals.
And there were some surprises.
“You have to be able to lose. Can”
The men’s overall competition was opened by 17-year-old Savely Syedin. The Russian was much stronger than the Uzbeks Rustambek Nematov and Mukhamadalli Tursunaliev, who competed with him in the first turn. Sedin scored 79,850 points and with this amount he was in the lead for a long time and expected medals.
The main rivals of the middle leader came to the platform only in the second turn. Team leaders Nikita Nagorny, Artur Dalaloyan and Daniel Marinov, as expected, stayed for dessert.
Nikita Nagorny was the first to abandon the fight for full gold. On the uneven bars, the Olympic champion tore a callus off his hand. The injury did not allow her to perform on all the apparatus, so the gymnast had to retire.
Nikita Nagorny
Photo: RIA Novosti
“As I progress, life is already hinting to me that it is time to hang up the superimpositions. I was actually well prepared, but on the first element of the uneven bars I tore a callus all over my hand. I wanted to jump on the road, but I realized that it was an international start and I couldn’t do it. I had already thrown myself and until the last moment I thought: “I hope it’s not a blister, I hope it’s not a blister.” Unfortunately it will no longer be possible to continue doing suspension exercises with all your strength and with all your abilities, so we decided it was best to retire. My favorites are still floor exercises and jumping. I hope to recover psychologically and morally.
Preparing for a full event for two weeks, as I always do, is inexcusable, these are the consequences, so it’s my fault. Today I lost, I admit it. You need to be able to lose, I know how to do it. Oh, BRICS! Maybe a gold medal in the general category would give me motivation to leave my professional career, but now I will have to stay until the Friendship Games (laughs),” Nagorny shared his emotions on Match TV.
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Arthur Dalaloyan was the next to fall off the crossbar, losing precious points. But Kazan’s Daniel Marinov demonstrated a fluid and almost error-free preparation. In six rounds, Marinov scored 84,700 points and won an unconditional victory. Dalaloyan, who made one mistake but overall had a consistent performance, won the silver medal (79.950).
“Danya went out, did her job and became the BRICS Games champion. I’m very proud of him. This is his first international outing. She dealt with both emotions and excitement. I can safely say that this is not the future, but the present of artistic gymnastics. Danya is already going out and winning with confidence. God willing and international competitions are opened, he will also win there,” Nagorny said about the winner.
The bronze could have gone to Syedin. But, according to the rules of the Games, the top three finishers can have a maximum of two representatives from the same country. This deprived the young gymnast of her medal. Third place finally went to the Belarusian Egor Sharamkov, who scored 1,900 points less than Syedin.
Daniel Marinov
Photo: RIA Novosti
“There is a lack of foreigners”
Angelina Melnikova entered the women’s competition as a favorite. But already in the first test, the floor exercise, the Olympic champion made several mistakes. The 23-year-old athlete performed well on other apparatus, but a lost point deprived her of victory.
“First of all, I was offended from the beginning when I made a mistake on the ground. It was such a stupid mistake that I understood that it would cost me a medal, because we have young girls, they are really great. They tear and rush, because after all, they are young, it is clear that they have such a boom. I’m very happy for them, it’s great that we have such a young generation.
Of course, there is a little lack of international competitions, a little more foreign ones, because we don’t have much here,” said Melnikova after finishing the competition on Match TV.
Angelina obtained 55,550 points, showing the third result. And the BRICS Games champion was 16-year-old Leila Vasilyeva, who scored 56,450 points.
“It was a little difficult to compete today, but I did it. I really like the organization of the competition. Finally the anthem played, we had been waiting for it for a long time, I listened to it with all my heart and even sang it.
Leila Vasilyeva
Photo: RIA Novosti
It is a shame that they (the best foreign gymnasts. – Note from the “Championship”) could not come here. If they had managed to come, there would have been a stronger rivalry and the competition would have been tougher. It’s a shame we don’t have trips abroad now, it’s very frustrating. But we are preparing, training, working on quality to always be ready for the Olympic Games,” shared the tournament winner.
Silver went to another Russian, 15-year-old Anna Kalmykova, who was 0.450 points ahead of Melnikova. The best result in floor exercises was shown by the gymnast: 14.250, Melnikova, who made mistakes on the same apparatus, scored only 13 points.
And the bronze, as in the story of Savely Sedin, went not to the one who showed the third result, but to a foreign athlete. In accordance with the regulations of the BRICS Games, the winner of the competition was the Belarusian Kira Makarevich, who obtained 48,750 points and ranked sixth behind the Russians Melnikova, Gerasimova and Roshchina.
Ahead of the athletes are competitions in individual events, where Sedin and Melnikova still have a chance to win medals at the Kazan Games.
