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Great European success at Aerobics Worlds
May 31, 2021News
Two years after the conclusion of the 2019 European Championships in Aerobic Gymnastics, the Aerobics community gathered in Baku again for the first major international event since then. Postponed from May 2020, these World Championships attracted 22 participating countries, of which 10 returned home with medals. And all but 1 from Europe!
Three gymnasts scored 21.850 in the Individual Women’s final so the tie was broken by comparing the execution scores. using each gymnast’s Execution score. Turkey’s star Ayse Begum Onbasi’s 9.000 sealed the deal, earning her first World title, and Turkey’s first in this discipline, ahead of Darina Pashova (BUL) and Daria Tikhonova (RUS).
It’s absolutely an amazing thing. I have been practicing mental training, and it really helped me. When I am on stage, I feel super excited and super confident, and when I do Aerobic I feel like I’m flying.
Three years after his triumph at the World Age Group competitions, eighteen-year-old Miquel Mane (ESP) became the new world champion in Individual Men. Mane dazzled with an exercise packed with character and an eponymous skill that paid homage to his Spanish roots and brought in a superb 9.450 score for Artistry:
I actually did not expect anything like this. I just did my exercise and hoped that I would win. Of course [in my wildest dream I] was winning, but I was not expecting that because it is my first year as a senior, and there are competitors that are older than me, they have more experience, and I am kind of new here.
Reigning European Champion Roman Semenov placed second.
The Mixed Pair to beat in Baku, Michela Castoldi and Davide Donati (ITA), are known for their storytelling. Their golden performance to James Blunt’s ‘Goodbye My Lover, Goodbye My Friend’ summed up their feelings toward Aerobics in the twilight of their competitive careers:
We just enjoyed that moment, our last moment on the floor. It was really magical. It was our way to say goodbye to Aerobics, our work, to give some of us to the audience, some of our story.
With superior artistry and execution scores, the Italian duo claimed their third consecutive World title ahead of European Champions Daniel Bali and Fanni Mazacs (HUN).
Top qualifiers Antonio Papazov, Darina Pashova and Tihomir Barotev (BUL) posted the highest score in the finals as well, triumphing in the Trio final and beating the reigning European Champions Daniel Bali, Fanni Mazacs and Balazs Farkas (HUN). Third place went to Romanians Teodora Cucu, Daniel Tavoc and David Gavrilovici who were joined in the group final by Gabriel Bocser and Mihai Popa. These 5 performed in best Romanian tradition, reclaiming the World title ahead of Hungary.
The Russian Gymnastics Federation’s Aero Step team brought the 1950s back to life with an Elvis Presley-themed routine that cast Aleksei Germanov as the king of rock-’n-roll. The veteran of the Group at 26, Germanov said he felt perfectly comfortable portraying Elvis - in a white jumpsuit no less - as he led the team to become World Aerobic Step champions.
Friday was Republic Day in Azerbaijan, and the nation’s Aerobic Dance team felt the best way to mark it would be to give the nation its first World medal in Aerobic. That it was a gold one, ahead of RGF and Hungary, made the occasion even more special. The team warmed up for Worlds by capturing the European title two years ago. Bringing things to the next level was always the goal, Akif Karimli said:
We didn’t think about finishing first, second, or third. Our aim was to perform very well and to be proud of our performance. When we were first in qualification, we just felt proud we were in first place but it didn’t mean we could relax: it meant we had to work harder to do the same in the final, which is what we did. We performed not only with our hearts, but with all our strength.
The Russian gymnasts captured the team title ahead of Romania and Hungary.
Congratulations to all medallists!
Individual Men
1. Miquel Mane (ESP) 22.350
2. Roman Semenov (RGF) 22.200
3. Lucas Barbosa (BRA) 22.150
Individual Women
1. Ayse Onbasi (TUR) 21.850
2. Darina Pashova (BUL) 21.850
3. Daria Tikhonova (RGF) 21.850
Mixed Pairs
1. Michela Castoldi & Davide Donati (ITA) 22.400
2. Daniel Bali & Fanni Mazacs (HUN) 22.100
3. Tatyana Konakova & Grigorii Shikhaleev (RGF) 22.050
Trios
1. Antonio Papazov, Darina Pashova & Tihomir Barotev (BUL) 22.877
2. Daniel Bali, Fanni Mazacs & Balazs Farkas (HUN) 22.616
3. Teodora Cucu, Daniel Tavoc & David Gavrilovici (ROU) 22.427
Groups
1. Romania 22.583
2. Hungary 22.516
3. Italy 22.100
Aero Step
1. Russian Gymnastics Federation 17.700
2. Ukraine 17.200
3. Italy 17.100
Aero Dance
1. Azerbaijan 18.400
2. Russian Gymnastics Federation 18.000
3. Hungary 17.800
Team
1. Russian Gymnastics Federation
2. Romania
3. Hungary
Find the full results on the FIG website: https://www.gymnastics.sport/site/events/searchresults.php
Photos: FIG
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