Monday. Montreal. In world Cup qualifying combination on the horse Oleg VERNAEVE managed. Photo: fig-gymnastics.com

The Ukrainian gymnasts will have five chances to stand on the podium in Montreal.

The main intrigue launched on Monday in Montreal, the world forum there was a question whether Kohai of Uchimura extend a fantastic winning streak in the competition, which began in 2009 and includes six world Championships and two Olympic games (2012, 2016).

The answer is fans of gymnastics received even earlier than expected. In the night from Monday to Tuesday on the Kiev time the legendary Japanese was injured and had to prematurely end the struggle. After the king vacated the throne, he counted from five contenders and one of the main recognized Ukrainian Oleg Vernaeve. However, proceeding not so much from the results of the qualification, where our gymnast did not avoid the mistakes, how much mindful of the fact that he’s only 0,099 points not enough in order to stay ahead of Uchimura at the Olympics in Rio.

Oleg VERNAEVE: “COULD BE WORSE”

On the platform Olympic stadium in Montreal Vernaeve that on the eve of the world Championships, 29 September, marked its 24th anniversary, in qualifying, not all succeeded. By his own standards, he dropped points in the floor exercise (13,233 – 54-th result), still rings (13,800 – 40) and crossbar (13,366 – 24th). But the first jump, which was in ladder-round, the pupil of Gennady Cetinskog did, perhaps even better (14,833 – 5th) than at the world University games in Taipei, where he collected the highest in the current season the amount in the all-around – 88,300. However, “kasamatsu with two pirouettes” performed by Ukrainian gymnast seemed to the judges as convincing as “dragulescu”, and in the top eight, who will continue to fight for the medals in this kind of program, he didn’t hit, sitting in the two attempts on the eleventh line (14,466).

However, its norm is the leader of the Ukrainian team performed. He qualified to the finals on pommel horse with the fifth result (14,733), and the second most difficult combination after Olympic champion Rio and the current world champion in this kind of Briton max Witoka (6.6 vs. 6,8). And was headed by the Protocol on the bars, which he left with the rank of winner of gold of the Games in 2016 and silver world competitions-2015 (15,466 at the highest base 6,7).

In the all-around Vernaeve rounded out the Top 5 (85,431), behind a Cuban Manrique of Largueta (86,699), Chinese Xiao Jotana (86,297), Russians David Belyavskiy (85,839) and Japanese Kenzo Shirai, (85,697).

– In principle, could be worse – he shared his thoughts with NBC Sports after qualifying Oleg Verniaiev, confessing that he did not have enough starts this year to gain the same form in which it was at the Olympics in Rio – But in the end everything turned out not so bad. If in the final I will be able to avoid mistakes and to implement its program, as my coach, is close to ideal, I will be able to compete with Uchimura. (our gymnast did not know that the main favourites will be forced to withdraw from the race – Approx..With.)

All of our men’s team on the basis of qualifications received five finals. In addition to the three (in the all-around, on a horse and parallel bars) Vernaeve two more chance to compete for a world championship medal earned Igor Radivilov. On the rings he showed the seventh result (14,733), vault – sixth (14,670), and the leadership in these shells captured two Olympic Champions – Rio 2016 international Petrounias from Greece (15,400) and London 2012 South Korean Yang HAK Son (15,283) respectively.

As for the other representatives of the Ukrainian men’s national team in Montreal, more or less in their strength in qualifying was able to speak, perhaps, only the bronze prize-winner of stages of the challenge Cup in Szombathely and Baku Eugene Odincovo. Just hand this was not enough to compete for getting into the finals. Floor exercise – 30-th result (13,733), ring – 33rd (14,000) and bars – 20 minutes (14,400).

Only the horse was claimed and became the 34th (13,500) Andrew Senichkin. Peter Pahnyuk raised this season on a pedestal tournaments in Varna, Paris and at the world University games in Taipei, alas, was not able to correctly perform their combination on the main start of the season: uneven bars – 22-e a place (14,300), beam – 34-e (13,033) – 68-e (12,966). And it failed doing the debutant of the world championship Alexander Petrenko. He was in the second hundred of the Protocol that the pommel horse (11,066) that on the crossbar (9,266).

UNEXPECTED IDOL

When the Ukrainian national team, who played in the first stream, already completed the qualification, the Japanese had yet to go on the platform in Montreal. His speech they started with rings, and then switched to the same ill-fated vault. “Rondat – flyak rotated by 180 2.5 screw forward” performed by Uchimura often called simply a storm of delight in the stands. The Japanese owned this item almost better than its author’s four-time Olympic champion Chinese Li Sjaopina. In Montreal, the king of gymnastics ovation for its attempt to not stripped, but it turned out pretty decent working version. Suspected something was wrong only when he, descending from the dais, began to limp on his left leg with a pain distorted face.

“This jump may not be the most entertaining, but very treacherous, and always affects the left leg, which is the emphasis upon landing”. – said later in an interview with local journalists by the famous Romanian gymnast Marian dragulescu, who himself has twice received “if seapine” injury – in 2011 and just a couple of weeks ago in the challenge Cup in Paris.

Uchimura later admitted that when his feet touched the Mat after the jump, he felt a piercing pain “in the head even surfaced picture of the disgusting falling Samir AIT said on the Rio Olympics” the French gymnast, recall, then broke his left leg.

Koha after consultation with the doctors still decided to continue the fight and did not even simplify the dismount from the uneven bars. But the naked eye could see, like he’s in pain. And there were still two shells, one in the floor exercise, where perhaps the biggest strain on the legs. The Japanese came in next shell, but then during szminki with the bar on the back, finally convinced that to continue this agony just doesn’t make sense.

The arena, he did not leave, remaining to cheer for my teammates, and they support that night was very much needed. Japanese national team risks to have the unsuccessful world championship for the last seven years. At least starting in 2010, less than four of the winning Country of the rising sun from the main start of the season were not taken away, not to mention the fact that often in the finals she even had two representatives.

In Montreal at the Japanese gymnasts will only have five chances to medal , and three of them have Kenzo, Shirai. He was the first result, reached the final in his crown free, with a second in vault and fourth in the all-around, unexpectedly once there the number one team Japan. By the way, curious fact: in a profile on the official website of the International gymnastics Federation (FIG) as the idol, the 21-year-old athlete from Yokohama set, who do you think, Oleg Verniaiev!

Kohei Uchimura in the future we are probably on the gymnastic floor will see, moreover, that he has made it clear that he intends to stay in the sport up to a home Olympic games in 2020. But will he continue to compete in the all-around, or still focus on one or two missiles, as he said, sharing his plans after winning in Rio. It is a question! In our opinion, only a matter of time. Although, of course, with its unique natural qualities and samurai genes perhaps even impossible. But the fact remains. In Montreal, a 28-year-old Uchimura in case of victory, would have become the oldest Olympic champion or world champion in the all-around over the last 50 years(!)

In Canada, award-winning Japanese have done to their rivals Royal gift of yourself taking off the crown of the absolute world champion, and with another – has deprived them of the chance, it is possible that the latter, in a fair and uncompromising fight he had it to win.

Anna SAVCHIK, Sport-Express in Ukraine

MONTREAL (Canada). Championship of the world. Men. Qualification. The all-around. 1. Lardot (Cuba) – 86,699. 2. Xiao Goten (China) – 86,297. 3. Bielawski (Russia) – … 5 85,839. The VERNIAIEV (Ukraine) – 85,431.

The floor exercise. 1. Of Shirai* (Japan) – 15,766. 2. Wittenberg – 15,033. 3. Moldauer (both – USA) – 14,700… 30. UDENCOV – 13,733… 54. The VERNAEVE – 13,233… 68. PAHNYUK (all – Ukraine) – 12,966.

Horse. 1. Whitlock* (UK) – 15,300. 2. Van Hao (China) – 15,033. 3. Naddour (USA) – 14,966… 5. The VERNAEVE – 14,733… 34. SENICHKIN – 13,500… 105. PETRENKO (Ukraine) – 11,066.

Ring. 1. Petrounias* (Greece) – 15,400. 2. Ablazin (Russia) – 15,333. 3. Colak (Turkey) – 15,033… 7. RADIVILOV (Ukraine) – 14,733… 33. UDENCOV – 14,000… 40. The VERNAEVE – 13,800.

Vault. 1. Yang HAK Sohn (Korea) – 15,283. 2. Of Shirai – 14,949. 3. Dragulescu (Romania) – 14,866… 6. RADIVILOV – … 14,670 11. The VERNAEVE – 14,466.

Bars. 1. The VERNAEVE – 15,466. 2. Zou Parkview (China) – 15,233. 3. Lardot – 15,200… 20. UDENCOV – 14,400… 22. PAHNYUK – 14,300.

The crossbar. 1. Zonderland (Holland) – 14,433. 2. Brigger (Switzerland) – 14,433. 3. Srbic (Croatia) – 14,366… 24. The VERNAEVE – 13,366… 34. PAHNYUK – 13,033… 121. PETRENKO is 9,266.

* world champion in 2015.