GYMNASTICS: Hungary’s Kovacs wins two to highlight Koper World Challenge Cup

Double winner in Koper: Zsofia Kovacs (HUN)

The third of six World Challenge Cup events was held in Koper (SLO), with Hungary’s Zsofia Kovacs – the 2017 European All-Around silver medalist – the only gymnast to collect two wins, in the Uneven Bars (14.000) and Beam (13.200).

The highest score in the men’s competition was registered by Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan, the 2018 European Champion on the Pommel Horse, who won the event at 15.450. Two-time Pan American Games Floor winner (2007-11) Tomas Gonzalez of Chile won that event at 14.600. Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Frank Baines won the Parallel Bars with a 14.450 score.

Prize money was available to the top eight finishers: CHF 800-600-400-300-250-200-150-100.

This was the last World Challenge Cup until the fall; the series will resume on 6 September in Szombathely (HUN). Summaries from Koper:

FIG Artistic World Challenge Cup
Koper (SRO) ~ 30 May-2 June 2019
(Full results here)

Men

Floor: 1. Tomas Gonzalez (CHI), 14.600; 2. Milad Karimi (KAZ), 14.600; 3. Aurel Benovic (CRO), 14.200.

Pommel Horse: 1. Rhys McClenaghan (IRL), 15.450; 2. Ilyas Azizov (KAZ), 13.950; 3. Alexander Myakinin (ISR), 13.850.

Rings: 1. Nikita Simonov (AZE), 14.450; 2. Ali Zahran (EGY), 14.350; 3. Salvatore Maresca (ITA), 14.200.

Vault: 1. Wai Hung Shek (HKG), 14.675; 2. Yahor Sharamkou (BLR), 14.600; 3. Andrey Medvedev (ISR), 14.475.

Parallel Bars: 1. Frank Baines (GBR), 14.450; 2. Karimi (KAZ), 14.350; 3. Ilias Georgiou (CYP), 14.150.

Horizontal Bar: 1. Umit Samiloglu (TUR), 14.350; 2. Baines (GBR), 14.050; 3. Myakinin (ISR), 13.850.

Women

Vault: 1. Marina Nekrasova (AZE), 14.475; 2. Teja Belak (SLO), 14.375; 3. Franchesca Santi (CHI), 14.000.

Uneven Bars: 1. Zsofia Kovacs (HUN), 14.000; 2. Jasmin Mader (AUT), 12.500; 3. Aliaksandra Varabyova (BLR), 11.950.

Balance Beam: 1. Kovacs (HUN), 13.200; 2. Ilaria Kaeslin (SUI), 13.150; 3. Farah Hussein (EGY), 12.600.

Floor: 1. Kaeslin (SUI), 12.950; 2. Ana-Maria Puiu (ROU), 12.850; 3. Adela Sajn (SLO), 12.500.