At the Rotterdam Ahoy venue during the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, the German women’s gymnastics team opened the qualification rounds with 158.661 points, putting them in a strong position behind the United States as competition continued late into Monday evening.welt.de reported that the squad—comprising Helen Kevric of Stuttgart, along with Karina Schönmaier, Lea Marie Quaas, Emma Malewski of Chemnitz, and Madita Mayr of Jetzendorf—posted that opening-round tally across the first of ten qualification subdivisions. Only the American squad outperformed the German contingent during the early rotation, recording 164.529 points.
Rotterdam Qualification Puts German Women Near the Top
The German delegation finished their subdivision second only to the United States in the preliminary standings. While the preliminary phase spans ten total subdivisions, the early total of 158.661 points left the squad waiting through subsequent rotations to secure an official berth in the team final. Lea Marie Quaas reflected on the performance shortly after their rotation concluded, stating that the group performed exceptionally well as a collective and that they faced a period of waiting and crossed fingers.
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Strong Apparatus Rotations Overshadowed by a Balance Beam and Uneven Bars Success
National head coach Gerben Wiersma praised the discipline and execution of his athletes across multiple apparatuses. Wiersma noted that the team performance was exceptionally strong and stated his belief that they could hardly have executed their routines much better. The Dutch coach singled out their work on the balance beam as magnificent and characterized the routine on the uneven bars as very strong. Helen Kevric anchored that success on the bars, where the European champion earned a standout score of 14.766 points.
Karina Schönmaier Suffers Costly Fall on Vault
Despite the overall success, the qualification session brought disappointment for Karina Schönmaier. The European silver medalist on vault suffered an unexpected fall during her second attempt that kept her out of the apparatus final. Schönmaier explained that she inadvertently executed an extra half-rotation in mid-air, causing her to lose her orientation. Following the withdrawal of reigning world champion Angelina Melnikowa of Russia due to a visa denial, Schönmaier had entered the competition carrying major medal expectations. She admitted that she had set very high personal goals and likely placed too much pressure on herself.
German Men Miss Team Final After Difficult Floor Rotation
In contrast to the women’s promising standing, the German men’s team faced an early exit from the team competition following difficulties during Sunday afternoon’s qualifications. Despite a preparation hampered by various health issues, the men’s team entered the weekend targeting a spot in the team final. However, mistakes on the floor exercise derailed their campaign, as Timo Eder, Radomyr Stelmakh, and Lucas Kochan all suffered falls. The squad ultimately finished 15th out of 24 competing nations with 235.928 points, far behind the leading Japanese team, which posted 254.529 points.
Men’s Head Coach Points to Floor Routine as the Decisive Turning Point
National coach Jens Milbradt pointed directly to the floor apparatus as the turning point that dashed their final aspirations. Milbradt remarked that when a floor routine fails to yield a score higher than 12.0, the team simply loses all chance of advancing. He added that the squad remains far from the global elite of the top six nations and candidly acknowledged that they currently have no business competing in an eight-team final. Nevertheless, Timo Eder salvaged a bright spot for the men’s delegation by qualifying for the individual all-around final scheduled for Thursday.
Decisive Final Qualification Results and Schedule
The definitive cutoff for the women’s team final depends on the completion of all ten qualification subdivisions concluding late Monday evening. Should the early score hold among the top eight nations, the German women will advance to contest the medals. Meanwhile, the men’s team competition concludes with the medal round, while individual competitors prepare for the upcoming apparatus and all-around sessions.
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