Barcelona – Jessica López (Venezuela) and Mykola Kuksenkov (Ukraine) won the Blume Memorial All Around competition this Saturday. The event, which was part of the World Cup circuit last year, returned to its origins with an All Around competition. Being so close to World Championships, the participation was small with very few top gymnasts. In fact, only a total of 16 gymnasts started the competition, of which 2 had to withdraw due to injuries before it finished. Mélodie Pulgarín (Spain) had a bad landing on vault and had to scratch the rest of the competition; while Venezuelan José Luis Fuentes had problems on his Parallel Bars routine that made him withdraw after the event.

The women’s competition suffered from lack of depth, with only four gymnasts fighting for the podium. Mistakes were made by all major contenders but López, who finally took one of the biggest victories in her career. Jessica is a former Denver University gymnast and she competed NCAA while studying in United States. European Gold medallist on beam, Yana Demyanchuk from Ukraine, fell on that event, in an otherwise consistent competition compared to her performance in London, where Ukraine had its worst Championships ever. Little Demyanchuk finished on vault with a decent full twisting Yurchenko with uncontrolled landing that gave her the silver medal. Third in the competition was Romanian Diana Chelaru, who underrotated her whip – 3/1 on floor but showed a good flic – Shishova and flic – flic – double pike off from beam. Two gymnasts tied for the fourth place, Anna Serra (Spain) and Ramila Musina (Russia). Serra participated in her first World Championships last week in London where she performed more secure than at home. In the Blume Memorial she fell on her front tuck mount on beam, showing imprecise landings and insecurities through the routine, but performed a clean floor set. Musina, a new member of the Russian team, fell on her speciality, floor. She tumbled a double layout, Tsukahara, 1 ½ through 2/1 (she was very unstable after the 1 ½ and arrived short on the 2/1 to fell forward) and double pike dismount. On vault, she did a gorgeous nearly stuck full twisting Yurchenko, with room to add another twist on it. Mexican juniors Ástrid Casares and Fernanda Ibarra also competed, but their skills’ level was not international calibre yet.

The men competition was more open. Nearly all the 8 competitors had options of podium before the last subdivision. Finally, young Ukranian Mykola Kuksenkov claimed the victory with only one tenth of advantage from Russian Sergei Khorokhordin. Kuksenkov didn’t perform full difficulty like he did in London but his clean lines and good form help him take the victory. He shone in his best event, high bar, where he performed a good kovacs and full twisting double layout dismount. Khorokhordin, otherwise, had troubles on one of his specialities, Parallel Bars, where he had problems on a handstand after a Healy, nearly sat down the front 5/4 straddle salto and put the hands down on an easy double back dismount. On high bar, he did a koleman, layout Tkatchev and full twisting double layout. His vault was a not so good double twisting Tsukahara. Khorokhordin was still mourning the death of his teammate and friend Yuri Ryazanov. The event made a silent minute in Ryazanov’s honour just before the meet.  The bronze medal went to home country boy, Javier Gómez, who has had a busy 2009 with participation at Europeans and Worlds. Gómez went clean on his two best events, Parallel Bars and High Bar, and had a mistake on floor after the 1 ½ - 1/1 tumbling but opened with a good double double. In fourth position ended British up and comer gymnast Daniel Purvis who had a bad fall on High Bar after his hand slipped off and landed on his back, after that, he stuck a beautiful full twisting double layout dismount. Romanian Flavius Buidoso came next, with untypical Romanian strength, high bar and parallel bars (where he fell). His high bar included a good layout kovacs, kovacs and double double off. Spaniard Rubén López, who just turned 18, landed a Roche on vault but fell on a layout kovacs too close to the bar on high bar. French man Yann Ryapin came last with several falls during the meet, including two on floor (2 ½ and front 2/1).

Blume Memorial honoured best Spanish gymnast ever, double Olympic gold medallist on vault Gervasio Deferr and his coach, Alfredo Hueto, after the competition. Deferr told the press that he was ready to start training for 2010 European and World Championships, and that retirement is not in his mind yet.

WAG AA

1.Jessica López 54.750
2.Yana Demanchuk 54.350
3.Diana Chelaru 53.650
4.Ramila Musina 51.900
4.Anna Serra 51.900
5.Fernanda Ibarra 42.600
6.Astrid Casares 41.600

MAG AA

1.Mykola Kuksenkov 87.700
2.Sergei Khorokhordin 87.600
3.Javier Gómez 86.850
4.Daniel Purvis 85.000
5.Flavius Buidoso
6.Rubén López
7.Yann Raypin