World Cup Begins in Tianjin

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The Tianjin World Cup began Wednesday under solemn circumstances, with officials and gymnasts expressing condolences for the victims of Monday's tragic earthquake in Sichuan.

"We were shocked when we heard the news on Monday," world and Olympic champion Li Xiaopeng said.

The 7.8 quake, which struck Monday afternoon in southwest China, has reportedly killed more than 14,000 people, with the deathtoll expected to rise.

During Tuesday's training in Tianjin, the Chinese athletes participating in the World Cup lined up in a solemn ceremony to donate money to the victims.

"We want to win gold medals here in Tianjin to show our courage in front of the devastating quake in Sichuan," said Huang Yubin, head coach of the Chinese men's team. "My athletes and I were shocked after watching the news on television. I cannot tell you how depressed we are knowing our fellow countrymen are dying and suffering from life-threatening injuries.

"Chinese people have supported us for many, many years. They cheer for us and we are treated like heroes in all the places we have ever been. Now it's time for us to give back to them."

Gao Jian, director of the Chinese Gymnastics Administration Center, said the center and the Chinese Gymnastics Association donated 1 million yuan ($143,000 USD) to the earthquake victims.

The Chinese gymnasts, who on Sunday concluded their national championships at the Tianjin Sports Center, dominated as expected in Wednesday's qualifications.

The Chinese led the standings on nine of the 10 events, despite the absence of world champion Yang Wei, who withdrew with a sore shoulder.

Three-time world vault champion Cheng Fei led on both women's vault and floor exercise. Bars superstar He Kexin hit a new international record, with a 17.300 on uneven bars. Teammate Yang Yilin scored 17.100. Xiao Sha led women's beam over Cheng.

Zou Kai was the top gymnast on men's floor exercise and high bar, and Xiao Qin (16.300) was untouchable on pommel horse. Chen Yibing tied Russia's Konstantin Pluzhnikov for first on rings.

No Chinese entered the men's vault event, where North Korea's Ri Se Gwang was the top scorer.

On parallel bars, Huang Xu topped Li Xiaopeng (peach-Diamidov at the end of the bars), who was also second on high bar to Zou.

A journalist asked Coach Huang why Zou's score on high bar was lower Wednesday than at the national championships, though the later routine appeared better.

"The judging is not the same at international competition and domestic competition," Huang said. "Two scores cannot be directly compared. The key is to instead look at how well the gymnast competes."

The competition concludes Thursday with all 10 event finals.

Source: Sina.com.cn

External Link: 2008 Tianjin World Cup

Click here to download complete results.

2008 Tianjin World Cup Qualification
May 14, Tianjin, China

Women's Vault
1. Cheng Fei CHN 15.300
2. Ksenia Afanasyeva RUS 14.150
3. Kristina Goryunova RUS 13.850
4. Nansy Damianova CAN 13.825
5. Dorina Boczogo HUN 13.750
6. Kang Yong Mi PRK 13.725
7. Wong Hiu Ying Angel HKG 13.725
8. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs CAN 13.625
R1 Phan Thi Ha Thanh VIE 13.375
R2 Tina Erceg CRO 13.350

Uneven Bars
1. He Kexin CHN 17.200
2. Yang Yilin CHN 17.100
3. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs CAN 15.650
4. Kristina Vaculik CAN 15.550
5. Svetlana Klyukina RUS 15.200
6. Ksenia Afanasyeva RUS 14.900
7. Koko Tsurumi JPN 14.900
8. Marta Pihan POL 14.300
R1 Daiane Dos Santos BRA 13.500
R2 Boczogo Dorina HUN 13.400

Balance Beam
1. Xiao Sha CHN 16.300
2. Cheng Fei CHN 15.800
3. Ksenia Afanasyeva RUS 15.650
4. Kristina Goryunova RUS 15.600
5. Koko Tsurumi JPN 15.200
6. Sanne Wevers NED 14.950
7. Kristina Vaculik CAN 14.850
8. Irina Krasnyanskaya UKR 14.650
R1 Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs CAN 14.500
R2 Tay Jia Hui SIN 14.300

Women's Floor Exercise
1. Cheng Fei CHN 15.750
2. Kristina Vaculik CAN 14.800
3. Kyoko Oshima JPN 14.600
4. Kristina Goryunova RUS 14.600
5. Yang Yilin CHN 14.450
6. Nansy Damianova CAN 14.400
7. Daiane Dos Santos BRA 14.250
8. Daniele Hypolito BRA 14.200
R1 Pihan Marta POL 14.100
R2 Tina Erceg CRO 14.100

Men's Floor Exercise
1. Zou Kai CHN 16.300
2. Soo Myun Kim KOR 15.850
3. Kohei Uchimura JPN 15.800
4. Wajdi Bouallegue TUN 15.600
5. Ri Se Gwang PRK 15.450
6. Brandon O'Neill CAN 15.350
7. Filip Ude CRO 15.200
8. Gael Da Silva FRA 14.850
R1 Mohammad Ramezanpour IRI 14.750
R2 Ri Jong Song PRK 14.750

Pommel Horse
1. Xiao Qin CHN 16.300
2. Filip Ude CRO 15.800
3. Robert Seligman CRO 15.600
4. Huang Xu CHN 15.450
5. Soo Myun Kim KOR 14.900
6. Alexander Kalabin RUS 14.850
7. Koen van Damme BEL 14.500
8. Hoshi Yosuke JPN 14.100
R1 Jihoon Kim KOR 13.900
R2 Hossein Keshvari IRI 13.750

Still Rings
1. Konstantin Pluzhnikov RUS 16.250
2. Chen Yibing CHN 16.250
3. Ri Se Gwang PRK 16.100
4. Samir Ait Said FRA 15.850
5. Kim Jin Hyok PRK 15.700
6. Alexander Kalabin RUS 15.350
7. Koen Van Damme BEL 15.350
8. Jared Walls CAN 14.400
R1 Hadi Khenarinezhad IRI 14.050
R2 Liu Kam Wah HKG 11.200

Men's Vault
1. Ri Se Gwang PRK 16.500
2. Raphael Wignanitz FRA 16.150
3. Wai Hung Shek HKG 15.900
4. Leszek Blanik POL 15.725
5. Alexander Kalabin RUS 15.575
6. Ha Thanh Nguyen VIE 15.575
7. Trung Linh Hau VIE 15.525
8. Ramezanpour Mohammad IRI 15.350
R1 Brandon O'Neill CAN 15.100
R2 Liu Kam Wah HKG 14.850

Parallel Bars
1. Huang Xu CHN 16.400
2. Li Xiaopeng CHN 16.250
3. Kim Jin Hyok PRK 16.200
4. Soo Myun Kim KOR 15.250
5. Pham Phuoc Hung VIE 15.100
6. Yosuke Hoshi JPN 15.000
7. Kim Seung Il KOR 14.900
8. Gael Da Silva FRA 14.850
R1 Ha Thanh Nguyen VIE 14.750
R2 Jared Walls CAN 14.650

High Bar
1. Zou Kai CHN 15.800
2. Li Xiaopeng CHN 15.700
3. Kim Jihoon KOR 15.350
4. Aljaz Pegan SLO 15.200
5. Kohei Uchimura JPN 15.150
6. Kim Seung Il KOR 14.750
7. Yosuke Hoshi JPN 14.700
8. Gael Da Silva FRA 14.600
R1 Raphael Wignanitz FRA 14.450
R2 Brandon O'Neill CAN 14.200