By Vera Atkinson FIG Editor.

Rhythmic Gymnastics Qualifications - Day 1 of 2

Individual event (rope & hoop)

Finishing the two-day Qualification round in the top 10 positions is the target of all the 24 Individuals who opened the Rhythmic Gymnastics tournament at the Beijing University of Technology on Thursday, August 21, 2008.

1995 world champion Olga Kapranova RUS topped the current ranking after the routines with rope and hoop, with 0.275 advance to the recently crowned European Champion Eugenia Kanaeva RUS.

Current World Champion Anna Bessonova UKR is 0.150 behind, followed at 0.175 by Zhukova BLR. These four are the only gymnasts who managed to go beyond the 36points barrier. Followed by Yussupova KAZ, Godunko UKR, Garaeva AZE, Peycheva BUL and Risenson ISR.

Almudena Cid Tostado from Spain who is writing a record for the sport by taking part in her fourth Olympic Games, is currently lying in the key-tenth position, but very close behind her are Risenson ISR, LI Hongyang CHN and Gimatova AZE, all who will challenge her for a place in the Final.

Groups (5 ropes)

The 12 Groups who take part in the Olympic games performed today their exercise with 5 ropes.

Leaders in the current ranking are Belarus (17.525) who competed last of the day, and, surprisingly, scored highest for Difficulty 9.100. China, 9th in the Athens Olympics, applied for a medal with a second place in the current ranking (17.300). Their Execution was praised as high as the Belorussians' - 8.400.

The 2004 Olympic Silver medallists Italy opened the competition, and ended it as the third best team for the day (17.150). The defending champions from Russia dropped into fourth position, having scored highest for Artistry  (9.200), but failing with the quality of their execution (8.200) - 17.000.

Although very much improved since last November (Good Luck Beijing Pre-Olympics), the Bulgarians, Bronze medallists from Athens finished in fifth place (16.825).