The 9th edition of Doha Artistic Gymnastics Challenge Cup will begin at the Aspire Academy of Sports Excellence from today, with top gymnasts attempting to get into groove ahead of this year’s Olympics in Rio. The Doha event follows the opening of the 2016 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup series on individual apparatus in Baku, Azerbaijan last month.
Organised by the Qatar Gymnastics Federation, the annual event that started in 2008 has attracted more than 100 gymnasts from 33 different countries this year.
The championship features world-class gymnasts in six apparatus events for men - floor exercises, pommel horse, rings, vaults, parallel bars and horizontal bars. Women’s events include vault, uneven bars, balance beam as well as floor exercises. The qualifications will be today, followed by finals tomorrow and Saturday.
Leading the field is Romania’s five-time Olympic medallist Catalina Ponor, who will be making her comeback to international competition in Doha this week. The 28-year-old was the most decorated gymnast at the Athens 2004 Olympics, winning gold in the team event on Floor and on Balance Beam.
The Romanian retired from gymnastics following the London Olympics, where she bagged silver on Floor and bronze with the team. The Qatar Squad includes; Mahmoud Al Saadi, Ahmad Al Dayani and Farah Tariq.
