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The Major Competitions in 2002 |
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Results
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The 56th National Artistic Championships Report
Juntendo Univ. wins second men's team title, and Asahi L.I.G.C.
sweeps
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MEN
 There
were many mistakes. The team with fewer mistakes ranked higher. on pommel horse
especially, most of the finalists of this event at the last years championships
fell from the horse. Even Kasamatsu, the second qualifier into the apparatus finals,
had a balance check on a kehre.
The contention for team title was very close in the final session. Juntendo University
started well, including 9.775 from Kashima, a bronze medalist in the Asian Games.
However, the top gun, Tomita, the reigning champion at last year's national championships,
fell from the horse. On rings, Tokushukai Gymnastics Club, which had several major
breaks in the Non-Student Championships in September, scored high enough to be
first after the first rotation. Tokushukai was still strong on vault and parallel
bars and led by a wide margin. On the other hand, Juntendo Univ. had falls from
Tomita (on parallel bars) and Kashima ( on vault), but they covered their mistakes
and went ahead of Tokushukai, which had to count some falls on horizontal bar
in the fourth rotation. Tokushukai also had to count some falls on both floor
and pommel horse, but Juntendo Univ. was strong on horizontal bar and the margin
between them got bigger after the fifth rotation, and in the final rotation, they
were a little shaky but the scores was good enough to win. Eventually, Juntendo
Univ. won their second team title since 1998 (including Yoshihiro Saito, Isao
Yoneda, and Yashiro Ogawa at that time). Tokushukai grabbed second place, and
the third place went to Daishokai, which chased the top two on vault but could
not catch them and finished third.
For the qualification into the all-around final, Saito (Daishokai) was very steady
except for his landing on vault, and led. Tomita got second place even with falls
from pommel horse and parallel bars. Kashima was third, and fourth place went
to Tsukahara (Asahi Life Insurance), who had a fall from pommel horse.
The national team members were the winners on four events. Kashima and Tsukahara
led with very high scores on their favorite events, pommel horse (9.775) and parallel
bars (9.750), respectively. Mizutori (Nippon Sports Science University) hit his
routine (wonderful Kovacs+Kolman combination!) to score 9.625 and topped on this
event. Tomita was steady on floor, while the other contenders missed their three
somersault combinations. On vault, Suzuki (Daishokai) showed a Kasamatsu with
one and a half twist (SV=9.9) and made a good landing to lead. On rings, Osada
(NIppon Sports Science University) went ahead of Daishokai's Yamada, a member
of the coming World Championship team.
WOMEN
 The
inter-collegiate champion, Aomori University, challenged the long-time champion,
Asahi Life Insurance Gymnastics Club. Asahi Life Insurance included four of the
Asian Games members. Aomori University's only Asian Games member, Aya Manabe,
was out due to the injury. Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education, second
at the inter-collegiate championships, showed elegance, but the captain, Morishige,
missed her favorite event, uneven bars, and so Tokyo women's College of Physical
Education ended up second and Aomori ended up third.
Asahi Life Insurance G.C. was very steady on the whole, led by Ichikawa. Her solid
performance influenced the younger members' spirits, and the team had only a few
mistakes. Their steady performance was exceptional in a mistake-full meet. Ishizaka
and Oshima tried new skills on vault. Their aggressive attitude to difficulty
will propel Japan toward Olympic qualification at the world championships next
year.
Kyoko Oshima, the NHK Cup Winner in July, scored 35.875 in total, and over 9.0
on three events to lead the qualification for the all-around final. Asahi Life
Insurance G.C. members, Uemura and Ishizaka, got second and third respectively.
Fifth was Ichikawa, so Asahi Life Insurance G.C. sent four of their athletes to
the first group (rank 1-6) at tomorrow's final. The reigning champion, Mizoguchi,
was seventh and would have to compete in the second group (rank7-12). One of four
members of the coming worlds, Sahara (Liberal Gymnastics Club) was fifth. (She
fell on a back layout somersault on beam.)
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