France Names World Team

Reigning French national all-around champions Katheleen Lindor and Dmitry Karbanenko will lead their country's team at the World Championships, Sept. 1-9 in Stuttgart.

Lindor and Karbanenko were among 16 gymnasts named to the French squad in a recent announcement by the French Gymnastics Federation.

Lindor, who placed 20th all-around at the 2006 World Championships, will be joined by Emilie Le Pennec, the 2004 Olympic uneven bars champion; Marine Petit, the 2007 French champion on balance beam and floor exercise; Cassy Vericel, who placed 13th all-around at the 2007 European Championships; Laetitia Dugain, who placed fourth all-around at the 2007 French Championships; and Pauline Morel, who placed seventh all-around at the 2007 French Championships.

The alternates are Erika Morel, a member of France's 10th-place team at the 2006 Worlds, and two-time Olympian Isabelle Severino, who finished 11th all-around at the 2006 World Championships.

A native of Russia, 34-year-old Karbanenko placed 15th all-around at both the 2006 Worlds and 2007 Europeans. He will be joined in Stuttgart by 2004 Olympian Pierre-Yves Beny, the 2007 French all-around silver medalist; Benoit Caranobe, who finished 17th all-around at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games; Yann Cucherat, the 2005 Worlds bronze medalist on parallel bars; Gael Da Silva, a member of France's 10th-place team at the 2006 Worlds; and Hamilton Sabot, the 2007 French all-around bronze medalist.

The alternates are Arnaud Willig, a member of France's sixth-place team at the 2006 Europeans; and Yann Rayepin, a member of France's 10th-place team at the 2006 Worlds.

The top 12 women's and men's teams in Stuttgart will qualify for next summer's Beijing Olympic Games. At the 2006 Worlds, in Aarhus, Denmark, the French women and the French men both placed 10th.

International Gymnast magazine will be on hand in Stuttgart, so look for complete coverage of the 2007 World Championships in a future issue.

IG Magazine Related Features
2006 World Championships special issue (December 2006)
"A La Mode" - Le Pennec profile (August/September 2004)
Severino on cover (August/September 2005)
"10-Month Comeback" - short Severino profile (November 2004)
"Taking Success In Stride" - Caranobe profile (May 2004)
"Karbanenko Makes It Count" - profile (February 2003)
"C'est La Vie" - Karbanenko cover story (May 1998)

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