【Evgenia KANAEVA (RUS)】

　           　(C) LOC / EINS / Ｔ. ＹＡＭＡＤＡ

On 7th September, 2009, the 29th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 opened at MIE prefectural Sun Arena where 148 fairy gymnasts from 51 countries and regions gathered. 

The event started with Competition I – qualifying event and team competition. Three to four gymnasts per team made 12 performances at the team competition for Rope and Hoop. The 10 best scores of 12 exercises will be counted for the Team ranking.

For Hoop, the first competitor of Japanese Team Mimi Inoue did quite good performance despite she had not been stable enough with the catch.
Yuria Onuki, who wanted to show her individuality in the big stage, performed next. She was strongly applauded for her dynamic, sharp performance that fit the music.　

The Japanese champion Mai Hidaka succeeded in technically hard high throw, showing wonderful apparatus handling, but unfortunately dropped the apparatus in her last performance of four forward roll, finishing with lost of apparatus. We wish her good luck with the remaining performances tomorrow.

Today’s top team was Russia with Evgenia Kanaeva marking the highest score 28.775, Daria Kondakova the runner-up and Olga Kapranova showing stable performance without a mistake.
 
Belarus came the second by challenging higher difficulty; Melitina Staniouta and Liubou Charkashyna showed accurate difficulty and consistent apparatus handling, knocking off Ukraine that ranked third. 


 　                                   (C) LOC / EINS / Ｔ. ＹＡＭＡＤＡ

The final ranking will be decided when all the four exercises are completed. When all qualifying events finished tomorrow, the eight best-scored gymnasts will qualify for the Individual Apparatus Finals. The final for Rope and Hoop (Competition III) he will be held on 8th September.

                                                                                                     (Posted by Kinuyo Takahashi)