The second day of the meet would decide who would go to the Athens Olympics. The top four all around gymnasts would go... and then there would be 2 spaces for people who weren't so good in the all around, but had a chance for a medal as specialists. Among such people, Kashima, World Champion on pommel horse and horizontal bar would have the advantage. But who would fill that other slot?

My own favorite for one of those spots was Daisuke Nakano, who had the most original routines... but had ended up twelfth after the first day after disasters on rings and pommel horse. Nakano could be depended on to go all out on that last day, and do stunts which would set the gym on fire... but could he avoid the disasters of the previous day?

Floor Exercise
Tomita, Yoneda and Tsukahara did double backs with double full. Tsukahara did two of them... but fell on both of them. Murata , Mizutori and Nakano did Thomas... (back with one and a half twist to forward roll.) Nakano was, by far, the highest. Nakano also did a back with a one and a half twist to front with full twist to tucked one and a half front sommie to roll out. Sano did a back sommie with one half twist to a forward roll. Kajima did two sets of circles on the floor... No surprise there!

Rings
Saito and Tsukahara both did German uprises to "L" cross... Sano did a very clean, if unsurprising routine. Nakano repeated his piked Guzhogy and triple back sommie dismount from the previous day.... and this time landed on his feet.

Vault
Adachi and Sano both did Roches... Sano landed his perfectly. Sano, too, wanted one of those spots to Athens... and was willing to take a risk to get there! Nakano did a Yurchenko with double twist, which only has a start value of 9.7...

Parallel bars
Both Nakase and Sano had very nice piked Morisues. Hayashi had a very clean Morisue from arm support to arm support. Saito hit a very clean routine... the peachbaskets went to HANDSTAND, not 30 degrees below a handstand. Nakano did the same routine he had done the previous day... but this time finished off with a double back with full twist! It was this effort that got him to Athens... on the previous day, he finished off with a very beautiful piked double.... and scored 9.4. This dismount must have been responsible for his 9.7.

Horizontal bar
Mizutori did a laid out Kovacs, a tucked Kovacs and a Kohlman. Kashima did a full twist to el-grip and instand el-grip Endo to hop out to reverse grip and full twist on one arm to el-grip again. Nakasato did a stoop in and shoot out with full twist to reverse grip and piked front sommie regrasp. He also did a laid out front with full twist to regrasp. He also did (in warm up) a shoot to elgrip and immediate hop to reverse grip. Nakano did a very clean Kohlman (regrasping the bar well after the twist was completed) to a one and a half twisting hop... and later another very clean Jaeger.

So the final results were that Yoneda, Tomita, Tsukahara and Mizutori got the first four spots... and the last two were earned by Kashima and...Nakano!

The Japanese are going to be sending a very strong team to Athens... and this meet was one of the more exciting I have sat through.

SELECTION PROCEDURE for Men

• Top 4 gymnasts after the four days of trials will go to the Olympics automatically.
• The other two spots will be determined among the gymnasts ranked 5-8 after
  the four days of trials.
• The gymnasts ranked 5-8 will get points for each event according to a
  point system as follows:
  • The first ranked gymnast on every event except floor and vault
    on each day of the four days of trials, among the top 8 gymnasts in
    the all-around after the four days of the trials, will get 3
    points. The second and the third will get 2 points and 1 point,
    respectively.
  • On floor and vault, the weak events every time for Japan, the first ranked
    gymnast will get 4 points, and the second and the third gymnast will get 3
    and 2, respectively.
  
  According to this procedure, Kashima ranked first, and Nakano ranked second among the gymnasts ranked 5-8. Both of them qualified for the Olympics and will make the Olympic team!

Men's Olympic Roster

Isao Yoneda
Hiroyuki Tomita
Hisashi Mizutori
Naoya Tsukahara
Takehiro Kashima
Daisuke Nakano

<<BACK   NEXT>>