The Hindu : Sport / Gymnastics : Ashish Kumar does India proud

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 03, 2006

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Sport - Gymnastics

Ashish Kumar does India proud

Sports Reporter

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

PLEASING PERFORMANCE: India's Ashish Kumar put up a good show to claim the bronze in the men's floor event.

SURAT: India won its first ever medal at the Asian level when Ashish Kumar clinched the bronze in the floor exercises in the third Asian gymnastics championship at the Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday. The 16-year-old Ashish scored 15.000 points to match Syria's Bahlawan Fadi as the capacity crowd erupted into loud cheers to celebrate India's success.

The Allahabad-based gymnast showed good control under pressure to perform better than two Koreans and a Japanese in the eight-player field. Ashish, training under Chinese coach Luo Yupin, was confident going into the apparatus final. He is the only Indian to reach thus far at this championship.

World Cup bronze medallist, Kai Zou of China found his match in North Korea's Ri Jong Song as the two shared points to win gold. Kai, who won back-to-back World Cup bronze medals in 2005 and 2006, scored 15.500 points. Chinese Taipei struck its first medal of the championship when Lin Hsiang-Wei led a 1-2 finish in the pommel horse event. Chen Yibing made sure there was no challenge to his domain as the World Cup rings champion won his favourite event after having taken honours in all-around apparatus on Tuesday. Yibing, however, found the going tough as his score of 16.150 was just about threatened by Hong Kong's Zhong Jian (16.100).

In the women's apparatus final, Ning He had mixed luck as she won gold on uneven bar, but had to settle for bronze on the vaulting table. Ning He second 15.475 points on uneven bar as China took the top two positions.

The results: Artistic gymnastics: Men: Floor exercise: 1. Kai Zou (Chn) 15.500 and Ri Jong Song (PRK) 15.500, 3. Ashish Kumar (Ind) 15.000 and Bahlawan Fadi (Syr) 15.000.

Pommel horse: 1. Lin Hsiang-Wei (Tpe) 15.225, 2. Huang Che-Kuei (Tpe) 15.075, 3. Kim Ji Hoon (Kor) 15.000.

Roman rings: 1. Chen Yibing (Chn) 16.150, 2. Zhong Jian (Hkg) 16.100, 3. Weng Shin-Hang (Tpe) 15.350

Women: Vault: 1. Hong Un Jong (PRK) 14.825, 2. Hong Su Jong (PRK) 14.550, 3. Ning He (Chn) 14.188.

Uneven bars: 1. Ning He (Chn) 15.475, 2. Zhuoru Zhou (Chn) 15.400, 3. Pyon Kwangsun (PRK) 15.275.

Rhythmic gymnastics:

Rope: 1. Aliya Yussupova (Kaz) 16.375, 2. Maiya Zainullina (Kaz) 13.700, 3. Yukari Murata (Jpn) 13.650.

Ball: 1. Aliya Yussupova (Kaz) 15.675, 2. Sin Un Jin (Kor) 14.600, 3. Yukari Murata (Jpn) 14.200.

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