Júlia Soares bags gymnastics gold in traditional Stuttgart event
Brazilian Júlia Soares this Sunday (Mar. 19) snatched the gold medal at the DTB-Pokal, a traditional artistic gymnastics event held in Stuttgart, Germany. Completing all four stunts, she won the floor competition with a 13.300 score.
Julinha, as she is known, scored the same as US Joscelyn Roberson but put on a better execution (8.000 to 7.700). The Brazilian also reached the final of the balance beam and finished in fourth, with 12.633 points.
Among the guys, Yuri Guimarães secured silver in the vault. Averaging 14.416 after two attempts, he was second only to British Harry Hepworth (14.866). In the floor decision, the Brazilian athlete ranked sixth, with 13.066 points.
The tournament in Stuttgart served as training for this year’s world championships, to take place in Antwerp, Belgium, from September 30 to October 8. The competition offers spots in next year’s Paris Olympics.
The delegation in the DTB-Pokal did not include Brazil’s highest-ranking names in artistic gymnastics, but boasted new, young stars.
Bronze in rhythmic gymnastics
On Saturday (18), the Brazilian ensemble squad won their first bronze in the overall event at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Athens. The country had stood on the podium in previous editions—in 2013 and last year—but never in the overall.
The team formed by Giovana Silva, Maria Eduarda Arakaki, Nicole Pírcio, Sofia Madeira, and Victória Borges totaled 63.850 points, with 35.000 in the five-arch performance Friday (17) and 28.850 in the mixed series (two balls and three ribbons). It was the first time a team from outside Europe and Asia won an overall medal in a World Cup event. Israel (65.450) clinched the gold and Bulgaria (64.700) bagged silver.
