Russia’s Paseka Maria won the women’s vault title at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships. The 20-year-old won gold with a total score of 15.666, followed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Hong Un Jong, 15.633, and the United States’ Biles Simone, 15.541 here on Saturday.
Britain’s Downie Elissa and India’s Dipa Karmarkar garnered the fourth and the fifth place with a total score of 14.899 and 14.683 respectively. China’s Wang Yan finished sixth with a total score of 14.583 in two jumps.
First gold for China as Fan shares four-way tie on uneven bars
China grabbed their first gold at the championships on the penultimate day of competition as Fan Yilin shared an unprecedented four-way tie on uneven bars.
The 16-year-old from Beijing claimed her first major title but shared the glory with three other gymnasts — American Madison Kocian and Russian duo Viktoriia Komova and Daria Spiridonova — after all scored 15.366 points to the amazement of spectators at the Hydro Arena.
It is the first time that more than three gymnasts have shared a world title in the 112-year history of the championships, although five shared the parallel bars silver way back in 1922.
“I was nervous when I was waiting for their scores,” admitted Fan, who competed first among the four. She was followed by the 2011 champion Komova, who had fallen off her signature apparatus during the women’s team final in which Russia finished fourth.
This time the 20-year-old made no mistake, dismounting cleanly as intended, only to see that she had earned the same score as Fan.
Both then stood side by side watching the proceedings as next Kocian and then Spiridonova performed only to see the same mark appear on the scoreboard to gasps of disbelief and laughter.
“I am personally shocked,” said Komova. “It’s the first time judges were having such hard time deciding on the champion on bars.”
The scores are divided into difficulty and execution. Fan’s performance was the most difficult while Kocian and Komova scored the best for execution. But when the scores were added together they all came to the same mark.
“It made me laugh to see four gymnasts with the same score, but I’m happy for all of the other gold medallists,” said Fan, who also got a silver medal in the team event.
No silver or bronze was awarded with America’s Gabrielle Douglas, team gold and all-around silver medallist, finishing next best with 15.133 in the eight woman field. All four hugged and kissed each other during the presentation.
“It’s definitely crazy,” said Kocian after her third world gold after defending the team title with the United States.
“I wasn’t sure if they were going to do a tie-breaker but I knew my execution would be a little better based on qualifications, so I knew either way I was going to have a medal,” added the 18-year-old.
Spiridonova said “I’ve never seen anything like this, and I didn’t really think anything like this would even be possible. But I’m very happy with my result. I think it’s great that we are in this together and we will share the victory.”
Fan’s gold broke China’s drought in Glasgow after their men, the reigning six-time champions, lost their team title to Japan.
Defending rings champion Liu Yang had to settle for bronze on the apparatus on Saturday, with team-mate You Hao taking silver behind Greece’s Eleftherios Petrounias.
Max Whitlock joined the gold medal rush giving hosts Britain their first ever men’s world title. Whitlock continued Britain’s strong showing in the Hyrdo Arena by winning the pommel horse ahead of team-mate Louis Smith. The 22-year-old Whitlock scored 16.133 points, finishing 0.1 points ahead of Smith with Armenia’s Harutyun Merdinyan and Kazuma Kaya of Japan sharing bronze. It was Whitlock’s third medal of the championships after team silver this week and the runner-up spot on the floor behind Japan’s Kenzo Shirai.
“I had dreamed of this moment but never felt I would get emotional,” said Whitlock. “I can’t believe it. I trained in the gym thousands and thousands of routines building up to this moment, so when you go clean like I did today, you can’t express what you feel. I’m over the moon. It’s been an amazing journey.”
Earlier Shirai stole the show on the floor in the first rotation of the penultimate day of competition, reclaiming the title he won in 2013. The 19-year-old finished off with his trademark quadruple twist to score 16.233, edging Whitlock by 0.667 with Spain’s Rayderley Miguel Zapata Santana taking bronze.
“I was quite confident when I went on the floor,” said Shirai who also won team gold with Japan. “As I have experienced defeat last year, I know the importance to keep improving. This time I think I was able to surprise everyone with my difficulty.”
Shirai won the floor silver in 2014 behind Russia’s Denis Abliazin who was not competing in Glasgow. “It was my first world floor final and I won a silver, so I’m very happy to come second to Kenzo Shirai who is a brilliant floor worker,” said Whitlock.
The results:
Men:
Floor: 1. Kenzo Shirai (JPN) 16.233, 2. Max Whitlock (GBR) 15.566, 3. Rayderley Miguel Zapata Santana (ESP) 15.200, 4. Deng Shudi (CHN) 15.166, 5. Daniel Purvis (GBR) 15.100.
Pommel Horse: 1. Max Whitlock (GBR) 16.133, 2. Louis Smith (GBR) 16.033, 3. Harutyun Merdinyan (ARM) 15.500 and Kazuma Kaya (JPN) 15.500, 5. Vid Hidvegi (HUN) 15.366.
Rings: 1. Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) 15.800, 2. You Hao (CHN) 15.733, 3. Liu Yang (CHN) 15.700, 4. Samir Ait Said (FRA) 15.633, 5. Brandon Wynn (USA) 15.600.
Women:
Vault: 1. Maria Paseka (RUS) 15.666, 2. Hong Un Jong (PRK) 15.633, 3. Simone Biles (USA) 15.541, 4. Elissa Downie (GBR) 14.899, 5. Dipa Karmakar (IND) 14.683.
Uneven bars: 1. Fan Yilin (CHN) 15.366, Viktoriia Komova (RUS) 15.366, Daria Spiridonova (RUS) 15.366 and Madison Kocian (USA) 15.366, 5. Gabrielle Douglas (USA) 15.133.
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