DATE: November 16, 2003
PLACE: KUMAGAYA DOME, Kumagaya, Saitama
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| Award Ceremony for Men's Horizontal Bar Final |
Takehiro Kashima withdrew from all events that he had qualified for due
to pain in his right shoulder, but we saw a lot of new faces and veterans
who won medals with very exciting performances.
FLOOR
Ryosuke Baba (Waseda Univ): He hit his first pass (two and a half twisting back to tucked punch barani to double twisting back) for 0.5 bonus points, but missed his second pass (he changed the third element of the sequence, but it ended up a tucked punch front which received a deduction for a repeated element).
Tatsuya Yamada (Konami): He could stay in bounds in his first pass, but he he took a big step backward
in his second pass to go out of bounds. He also missed his landing in his
last pass (full-in), stepping forward and losing control.
Takuya Shigemura (Juntendo Univ.): He also went out of bounds in his second pass, and bounced in his dismount
(double tuck). His mistakes were similar to those of Yamada. His third
element, layout arabian 1 3/4 roll was very dynamic.
Daisuke Nakano (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.): He was the defending champion, and hit an excellent combination, including very high and beautiful two and a half twisting back. However, he missed his take off on the third element in his second pass, and he ended up doing a simple tucked punch front to put his hands down.
Suguro Wakayama (Konami): He performed an original pass (one and a half twisting back to layout
punch front to double twisting layout front), but stepped backward. He
also did an excellent Fedrchenko or full-in dismount.
Hidetoshi Mizutori (Saitama Sakae High School): He hit his first pass, two and a half twisting back to layout punch front
to layout rudi. Then he rode the wave to hit his other elements, but his
dismount, full-in back-out, was low and he took a very big step forward
What a shame!
Isao Yoneda (Tokushukai G.C.): He was very strong! His second pass, two and a half twisting back to tucked
punch front to 1 3/4 forward roll was absolutely stunning for the audience.
He almost stuck his tucked double-double dismount to win the event.
Takuya Nakase (Nippon Sports Science Univ.): He was the top qualifier on this event. He stuck his first pass (two and
a half twisting back to tucked barani to double twisting back.) He looked
tight in simple elements such as 360 Russian or Arabian front. He took
steps on his second and the last pass. His composition was as gorgeous
as that of Yoneda, but his execution put him in second place following
Yoneda.
Pommel Horse
Naoya Tsukahara (Asahi L. I. AG G.C.): He hit his routine, including five consecutive high difficulties; Wu Gonyan,
Russian on the end, 3/3 travel backward, E-Flop.
Yoshihiro Saito (Konami): He succeeded in performing the sequence of 360 kehre, Magyar travel,
3/3 travel backward, and E-Flop, but he sat down on the horse before his
scissors after a circle in cross support.
Akihiro Kasamatsu (Chukyo Club): He changed his routine after the world championships, and it became much
more suprising; Magyar, E-Flop, Wu Gonyan, Russian on the end, 3/3 travel
backward and Spindle. His dismount was an excelent handstand with very
beautiful line to win the event.
Atsushi Saito (Junyu Club): He revealed a new travel element, but fell on his E-Flop. His double scissors
was high and beautiful.
Hiroyuki Tomita (Central Sports): He also fell on E-Flop. Missed his double scissors, too.
Isao Yoneda (Tokushukai G.C.): This was a his weak event and he fell on 3/3 travle backward.
Tomoharu Sano (Tokushukai G.C.): He hit his routine from the beginning to E-Flop, but he fell on his circle
in cross support. He had a good chance to win, but he missed the title.
Hisashi Mizutori (Tokushukai G.C.): There was depression because of a lot of mistakes from the last four gymnasts
before him, but he hit his routine including 3/3 travel backward, E-Combination,
Russian on end, and E-Flop with very good speed.
Rings
Tatsuya Yamada (Daishokai G.C.): The only finalist for Japan in the world championsips came as the first
competitor, and his strength elements, such as Maltese and planche, were
amazing with very powerful execution. He stuck his layout double back dismount
to win.
Naoya Tsukahara: He showed kip to maltese, press to planche for the first sequence, but
it looked less powerful, and he stepped backward on his layout full-in
dismount.
Tomoharu Sano: He performed kip to Maltese to Azarian (Stiff armed backward roll) to
cross, but his shoulders were a little higher in his cross than those of
Yamada's cross, and his execution left a poor impression. He also wobbled
on his back uprise to handstand.
Toshiyuki Adachi (Meikei Club): He did Azarian to cross, but did not hold the cross long enough. He immediately
continued with a press to inverted cross (Super E), but each strength element
was not shown well.
Katsuaki Osada (Nippon Sports Science Univ.): He started with layout back roll to Maltese (Super E), and hit his other
strength elements. Very strong routine!
Junichi Miyoshi (Soshukai G.C.): He wobbled his sequence of strength elements, and arched on his back uprise
to handstand.
Norimasa Iwai (Konami): As a veteran gymnast, each strength element was very steady and clean,
but he had a big wobble in his handstand.
Daisuke Sato (Tokushukai G.C.): Uprise to Maltese to layout back roll to Maltese to Azarian to Cross to
Pineda. this sequence is unique in the world!
Vault
Kenzo Yamane (Kanoya National Institute): Kasamatsu full and layout Cuervo full. He stepped backward in each vault.
Yoshiaki Kubota (Meiji Univ.): He had several steps in his landings and went off the mat on his Driggs,
but stuck Yurchenko double full.
Tatsuya Yamada: He sat down in his Driggs, and underrotated his layout Cuervo full.
Yuto Hayami (Nippon Sports Science Univ.): He must have performed Driggs but he did not twist enough for it and put
his hands down. He had bent knees in his layout Cuervo.
Naoya Tsukahara: He tried Yurchenko with two and a half twist, but sat down. He stepped
backward in his Kasamatsu full. Very aggressive challenge for the Olympics!
Eiichi Sekiguchi (Konami): He hit his front handspring double twisting layout front, the first-time
successful performance in the final with high start value (9.9). He tried
another very difficult skill, Driggs, but he lacked 1/4 twist and his landing
was very low. However, he somehow managed to win.
Makoto Okiguchi (Kanzei High School): He hit Lopez (Kasamatsu double full) which had 10 start value, which he
had missed in qualification. The crowd was thrilled! This skill is rare
in the world!! He stuck his layout Cuervo full, but the low start value
of this vault cost him.
Akihiro Kasamatsu: He underrotated round-off, half twist to front handspring layout rudi,
and took big steps on his layout Kasamatsu.
Parallel Bars
Kensuke Murata (Juntendo Univ.): His piked Belle was very nicely done, but he had a wobble in his handstands
after his Peters.
Yasuhiro Ogawa (Tokushukai G.C.): His peach half to handstand was very solid, and he hit it to the handstand.
He arched the handstand on one rail on his Peters, but stuck his double
pike dismount to win. He injured his left foot in the qualification, but
he recovered well!
Hisahi Mizutori: He had a slight balance problem on his handstand from Peach half. Naoya
Tsukahara: He arched in Peach half to handstand and his handstand after
his Peach was short, in contrast.
Tomoharu Sano: He performed a very nice piked Morisue, but he wobbled in his back uprise
to handstand after that skill.
Hiroyuki Tomita (Central Sports): His handstands in his Peach half and Peach sequences were a little short,
but his Morisue and double pike dismount were excellent, and he opened
well at the end of these elements.
Shuhei Nakamura (Amagasaki Senior Gymnastics School): His hand slipped after Healy following Tippelt.
Isao Yoneda: He hit his routine in the all-around final, but he had a rhythm break on
Peach half to Peach, just as in the NHK Cup, and it caused his hand to
slip in his Morisue. He had a balance check even in a simple handstand.
Horizontal Bar
Ryota Suzuki (Konami): His stoop in and shoot out with full twist to Yamawaki was gorgeous and
he stuck his layout double-double dismount.
Yosuke Hoshi (Saitama Sakae High School): Surprisingly, three gymnasts from Saitama Sakae went to the finals, and
Hoshi was the leadoff. He scored well in the International Junior Competition,
too. His Kolman was beautifully executed, and he was very solid in a sequence
which included a full twisting el-grip Endo. On sticking his layout double-double
dismount, he let his emotions out. His good execution and beautiful body
line brought him 9.750 to win!!
Isao Yoneda: In the first part of his routine, he used piked Stalder with full twist
to Rivalko to el-grip giant with full twist. He kept his piked Kovacs in
reserve, but hit a tucked Kovacs.
Koki Sakamoto (Saitama Sakae High School): He was on the wave of Hoshi, his teammate from Saitama Sakae, but he fell
on his Kolman (he was too far away from the bar to regrasp).
Hidetoshi Mizutori: He hit his tucked Kovacs, but his Kolman was too close to the bar to pull
giants out of it. It cost him a higher place.
Naoya Tsukahara: He tried a layout Kolman (Cassina) for the first time but one hand slipped
and he hung on with one hand. This broke his rhythm completely and put
him out of the medals.
Akifumi Sasaki (Junyu Club): He had won this event in the past and he performed with very beautiful
body line, but he hit his feet on the bar on his el-grip piked Endo.
Yoshihiro Saito (Konami): He had won this event when he was at Saitama Sakae High School, and Hoshi
and he had an interesting battle. He upgraded Kovacs from tucked to piked,
which he had kept in reserve for a long time, and was consistent in his
el-grip giant sequence. He stuck his layout doubledouble dismount, and
excited the crowd. However, he lost to Hoshi by a very small margin.
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