(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Chinese teenager Liu Tingting sizzled on the second day of the 10th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup.
At the Aspire Dome yesterday, the 16-year-old cruised into the final of Balance Beam and Floor Exercise as she topped the standings in both the events.
In a major surprise, Romania's triple Olympic gold medallist Catalina Ponor had a mixed day, where she qualified in one apparatus but failed in another. The finalists were decided yesterday after two days of qualification, with five finals each to be held today and tomorrow.
Tingting, who had made it to the Uneven Bars final on the opening day, was in sublime form yesterday. The Chinese girl had missed out on Rio Olympics participation after suffering a hand injury while training on Parallel Bars. And she seems to making up for that misfortune.
In the Balance Beam, Tingting put on a splendid show accumulating 13.933 points to top the qualification.
The 29-year-old Ponor finished second with 13.766 points, while Australia's emerging star Emily Little was third with a total 13.233 points.
Ponor, who won three gold medals in 2004 Olympics, however will fancy herself to bounce back in the final tomorrow.
After a disappointing Rio Olympics, where she failed to get into the podium, Ponor had begun 2017 in splendid fashion. She won the gold in both the Balance Beam and Floor Exercise in Baku and was hoping to repeat the same this week.
She floundered in Floor Exercise though, finishing 11th, with Tingting once again emerging class above the rest. Tingting topped the scoresheet in the event with 13.566 points, flowed by Emily Little and (12.866) and Goksu Sanli Uctas of Turkey (12.566)
Qatar's Jana Elkeky, competing in her first senior event, finished 18th after a creditable performance where she picked up 8.466 points.
Earlier, Zou Jingyuan who won silver medal in the Melbourne leg of the contest last month continued his fine form to finish the men's parallel bars qualification on top with a sizzling show, that secured him a huge tally 16.166 points.
Pablo Braegger of Switzerland finished second with 15.033 points. Arican Ferhat claimed third spot after securing 14.933 points on a day in which he also qualified for the final of men's vault event.
The 24-year-old Turkish sensation also qualified for the finals of two events floor exercise and pommel horse on the opening day of the event on Wednesday.
In the men's vault qualification, Vietnam's national champion Le Thanh Tung reigned supreme after collecting a total of 14.750 points followed by Armenia's Davtyan Artur who got 14.716 points.
Australia's Christopher Remkes came in third position with a tally of 14.416 points.
A total of five titles will be decided today with the men competing in floor exercise, pommel horse and rings finals.
The female athletes will compete for gold medals in vault and uneven bars.
Stars who will be seen in action in the finals today include Hungary's 2012 London Olympics gold medallist Krisztian Berki and Rio Games bronze medalist Yan Wang of China along with Uzbek veteran Oksana Chusovitina and Emily Little.
Results (Top 3)
Women's
Balance Beam: 1. Liu Tingting (China) 13.933 points; 2. Catalina Ponor (Romania) 13.766; 3. Emily Little (Australia) 13.233
Floor Exercise
1. Liu Tingting (China) 13.566; 2. Emily Little (Australia) 12.866; 3. Goksu Sanli Uctas (Turkey) 12.566
Men's
Parallel Bars: 1. Zou Jingyuan (China) 16.166; 2. Pablo Braegger (Switzerland) 15.033; 3. Ferhat Arican (Turkey) 14.933
Vault: 1. Le Thanh Tung (Vietnam) 14.750; 2. Artur Davtyan (Armenia) 14.716; 3. Christopher Remkes (Australia) 14.416
Horizontal Bar
1. Ruoteng Xiao (China) 14.433; 2. Mitchell Morgans (Australia) 14.100; 3. Tin Srbic (Croatia) 14.100.
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