PREVIEW
As long as he hangs around,
Chen Yibing (above) will be
tough to beat on rings, but
Ukraine’s Alexander Vorobyov
(above right) and Bulgaria’s
Jordan Jovtchev (right) can at
least make Chen earn it.
2008 OLYMPIC CHAMPION
Chen Yibing (China)
2007 WORLD CHAMPION
Chen Yibing (China)
UNTIL someone beats him, China’s Chen Yibing is the heavy favorite on rings. Winner
of the last two world titles and the
gold in Beijing, Chen, 24, has faced
little pressure from those in his
wake. That includes Bulgaria’s
Jordan Jovtchev, who is also the
new president of his federation, and
2008 World Cup Final victor
Alexander Vorobyov of Ukraine.
Yuri van Gelder had perhaps the
best chance to win until he tested
positive for cocaine at the Dutch
championships in June and was
suspended. Others to watch include
past rings finalists such as Italy’s
Matteo Morandi and Matteo
Angioletti, Danny Rodrigues
(France), Konstantin Pluzhnikov
(Russia), Irodotos Georgallas
(Cyprus) and Regulo Carmona
(Venezuela).
2008 OLYMPIC CHAMPION
Leszek Blanik (Poland)
2007 WORLD CHAMPION
Leszek Blanik (Poland)
Beijing silver medalist Thomas Bouhail (above) may be favored, but Ri Se Gwang (top left) and Marian Dragulescu (left) could make things difficult for the Frenchman.
WITH Leszek Blanik retired, Thomas Bouhail (France) has to feel good about his chances
in London. The Frenchman matched
Blanik’s score in Beijing but was
bumped to second through a tie-breaker. Since the Olympics, he’s
won vault at the 2008 World Cup
Final in December and the 2009
Europeans in April. Bouhail boasts
two 7.0-vaults (Dragulescu, Tsuka-hara-double pike), which is virtually
a requirement these days to win the
event. But North Korea’s Ri Se
Gwang could spoil Bouhail’s party,
since he also has a pair of 7.0-
vaults, plus a third vault worth even
more: Kasamatsu-back. He may not
need it, though, since he vaults a
piked Dragulescu and Tsuk-double
pike. As always, Marian Dragulescu
will need to land two clean vaults to
have a chance, and that rarely happens for the veteran Romanian.
