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While Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates rest this weekend between matches at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Portugal will play host to a top group of gymnasts at its first FIG World Cup.

Four-time Portuguese national champion Zoi Lima

Approximately 100 gymnasts are expected to compete at the 1st Portugal World Cup, June 18-20 in São João da Madeira. Admission to the event at Travessas Sports Hall is free to the public.

Among the international stars expected are Olympic champion Chen Yibing (China) and world champion Diego Hypolito (Brazil).

New Chinese national champion Feng Zhe is also on the men's roster, as are World Cup medalists Flavius Koczi (Romania), Samuel Piasecky (Slovakia), Ali Al-Asi (Jordan), Alexander Shatilov (Israel), Yevgeny Sapronenko (Latvia, Filip Yanev (Bulgaria), Wajdi Bouallegue (Tunisia), Regulo Carmona (Venezuela), and Isaac Botella and Rafael Martinez (Spain).

Portugal's entrants include top all-arounders Manuel Campos, 15th at the 2009 Worlds in London, and Gustavo Simoes, the bronze medalist at the 2008 Junior Europeans in Lausanne.

World bronze medalist Sui Lu of China headlines a smaller female lineup, which also includes three-time Brazilian Olympian Daniele Hypolito. Venezuelan Olympian Jessica Lopez, third on uneven bars at the 2010 Moscow World Cup, and Slovenia's Teja Belak, first on vault at the 2010 Maribor World Cup, will be in contention for more hardware in Portugal.

Other 2008 Olympians in the women's field are Tina Erceg (Croatia), Hannah Whelan (Great Britain) and Do Thi Ngan Thuong (Vietnam).

The host team women's lineup includes four-time national champion Zoi Lima — the silver medalist on floor exercise at the 2009 Osijek World Cup — and Russian-born Ekaterina Kislinskaya, 16.

Neighbor Spain is sending four first-year seniors: Marta Cuesto, Sara Cuso, Claudia Vila and Elena Zaldivar.

Following the event in Portugal, the FIG series will take a three-month hiatus. World Cup action will return in September with events in Ghent (Sept. 11-12), Kiev (Sept. 18-19) and Ostrava (Sept. 22-Oct. 2).

External Link: Official Event Website

1st Portugal World Cup
June 18-20, 2010, São João da Madeira

Men's Roster Mauro Martinez Juan Manuel Lompizano Juan Sebastian Melchiori Nicolas Busso Orozco Alexander Leidlmair Fabian Leimlehner Marco Baldauf Matthias Schwab Donna-Donny Truyens Jonas Toeback Mosiah Rodrigues Arthur Zanetti Sergio Eras Diego Hypolito Filip Yanev Alexander Batinkov Liao Junlin Tong Yingjie Chen Yibing Guo Weiyang Feng Zhe Jorge Hugo Giraldo Juan Guillermo Escobar Javier Sandoval Didier Lugo Panagiotis Aristotelous Irodotos Georgallas Georgios Georgiou Giannos Parpas Georgios Spanos Rafael Martinez Arkaitz Garcia Isaac Botella Perez Fabian Gonzalez Ivan San Miguel Juho Kanerva Yevgen Gryshchenko Ruslan Panteleymonov Theo Seager Steve Woitalla Thomas Taranu Jian Zhong Wai Hung Shek Alexander Shatilov Ali Al-Asi Jad Mazahreh Yevgeny Sapronenko Sascha Palgen Javier Balboa Santiago Lopez Viana Miguel Monreal Simao Almeida Manuel Campos Gustavo Simoes Bernardo Graca Flavius Koczi Ovidiu Buidoso Ziga Silc Alen Dimic Gregor Saksida Samuel Piasecky Wajdi Bouallegue Jose Luis Fuentes Regulo Carmona Johny Parra Cuong Hoang Pham Phuoc Hung Nam Dang

Women's Roster Kathrin Nussbacher Stephanie Dittert Simone Penker Daniele Hypolito Kristin Klarenbach Sui Lu Zhang Yujiao Melba Yurany Avendano Gabriela Maria Gomez Nathalia Sanchez Tina Erceg Claudia Vila Elena Zaldivar Sara Cuso Marta Cuesta Ida Laisi Laura Edwards Hannah Whelan Hiu Ying Angel Wong Monika Frandofert Marta Damasio Alexandra Choon Ekaterina Kislinskaya Zoi Lima Fiona Novak Teja Belak Alenka Dolnicar Ivana Kamnikar Lina Sjoeberg Jessica Lopez Phan Thi Ha Thanh Do Thi Ngan Thuong

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