If there is a gymnast on the planet capable of matching neutral gymnasts Ivan Litvinovich, he was not present at the Navarra Arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The double Olympic gold medallist made the most of his 18-second appearance in men\u2019s Trampoline qualification, packing a competition-high 21.300 points worth of difficulty into a mind-blowingly hard exercise that Litvinovich somehow made look basic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this effort he was rewarded with 67.290 points, the highest score in international competition this year, almost a full point above the previous high, set by Litvinovich at a World Cup in Italy in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this is just the first day of the World Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gymnasts are allowed to do two routines in Trampoline qualification, but Litvinovich opted out of his second opportunity to perform. After that opening act nobody really expected him to. The 24-year-old employed the same strategy at the Paris Olympics and went on to win gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anzhela Bladtceva (AIN) also eschewed her second chance to perform after posting 58.590 in her first routine to lead in the first phase of women\u2019s qualification in individual Trampoline. After a brilliant junior career and fifth place at the Paris Olympics, Bladtceva is at her first senior World Championships, and making the most of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iana Lebedeva (AIN) did need a second chance, but the 23-year-old veteran knew how to make the most of it. After bouncing out early in her first qualification exercise, the former Acrobatic gymnast remounted the trampoline and delivered a second routine that practically seethed with determination. This time she succeeded: her 58.160 was the highest score but for Bladtceva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More broadly, it was a good day for Olympic and World champions. Behind Lebedeva came Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Zhu Xueying of China and two-time World champion Mori Hikaru of Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paris silver medallist Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya (AIN), who competed in an early qualification group, finished ninth. Bronze medallist Sophiane Methot of Canada was only 13th. The top 24 advance to the second qualification round Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reigning world champion Yan Langyu of China finished second in the men\u2019s competition after presenting an exercise replete with triple somersaults for 65.520 while managing to hint that he could do even more. Yan\u2019s 21.2 difficulty score was only a tenth behind Litvinovich, and he may have been being conservative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nineteen-year-old Gabriel Albuquerque of Portugal, fourth at the 2023 World Championships and fifth in Paris last summer, was third after amassing 64.490 for his high-flying routine. Olympic silver medallist Wang Zisai of China moved from sixth to fourth with an improved second routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paris Olympic champion Bryony Page of Great Britain overcame a minor mishap in her first routine to finish in 22nd position. Page did not complete her second routine, but is safely through to the second qualification, where previous scores do not carry over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So is reigning Double Mini-trampoline (DMT) champion Ruben Padilla of the USA, who raised the standard with the highest score of the day on his speciality. The 31.100 for his first pass, a triffis pike to half in triple pike front half out, gave Padilla some wiggle room. He then chose to try a triffis pike to full-full-full second pass, attempting to become the first DMT gymnast to land it. He came up just short, but made it through to the second qualification anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll just have to try again,\u201d Padilla said. \u201cI\u2019m here to put on a show.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leading the way in DMT is another American, Trevor Harder, who was rewarded for his triffis tuck to half in front triple pike half out and a brilliant landing on the dismount of his second pass. At the end of the qualification Harder sat atop the world with 60.200, nearly two full points ahead of 11-time World champion Mikhail Zalomin (AIN).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thoroughly impressive in the training sessions, U.S. DMT gymnasts shone in the competition. The leader in the women\u2019s competition was Kennedi Roberts of the USA, a 17-year-old World Championship debutant whose 52.900 was the day\u2019s best total. Roberts finished 0.7 ahead of Briton Kirsty Way and 0.9 over reigning world champion Melania Rodriguez of Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rodriguez took to the DMT after posting a personal best on Trampoline, where she also advanced. After landing a triple pike dismount for bronze at The World Games in August, Rodriguez scaled back her DMT training in favour of individual Trampoline ahead of the World Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had to do more Trampoline, which is quite a bit harder for me, and that\u2019s really the important thing for me at this championship,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cI\u2019ll go with some easy exercises here. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll have to do the triple back here, but I don\u2019t know. We\u2019ll see as we go through the rounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competition resumes today with qualification in Men\u2019s Tumbling and Synchronised Trampoline and team finals in Tumbling and DMT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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