Chinese teenager Li Qi crowned first WCup on balance beam title

Xinhua | Updated: 2019-03-24 11:02

Share - WeChat

Li Qi of China competes during the women's balance beam final of the 12th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Capital of Qatar, on March 23, 2018. Li Qi took the gold medal with 14.333 points. [Photo/Xinhua]

DOHA - Chinese teenager Li Qi collected her first World Cup championship on balance beam here on Saturday.

With the highest difficulty score at 6.0 points, Li put on a clean performance to hit a total of 14.333 points. Belgian world champion Nina Derwael gained silver medal at 13.633 with a far lower difficult score at 5.2. French gymnast Marine Boyer claimed the bronze medal at 13.333.

Li Qi of China poses during the awarding ceremony for the women's balance beam final of the 12th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Capital of Qatar, on March 23, 2018. Li Qi took the gold medal with 14.333 points. [Photo/Xinhua]

"It's my coach Xu Jinglei who helped me find my form. I am really appreciated for that," said Li.

"I was so nervous that I couldn't move on the beam at Baku. I was injured and had to leave the field for a long time," said the 17-year-old starlet, who ranked fifth one week ago at Baku World Cup in the same apparatus.

Gold medalist Li Qi (C) of China, silver medalist Nina Derwael (L) of Belgium and bronze medalist Marine Boyer of France poses during the awarding ceremony for the women's balance beam final of the 12th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Capital of Qatar, on March 23, 2018. Li Qi took the gold medal with 14.333 points. [Photo/Xinhua]

Zou Jingyuan, a Chinese promising star for Tokyo 2020, snatched the gold medal on parallel bars with clear point advantage, with Russian Vladislav Poliashov and Australian Mitchell Morgans behind him with silver and bronze respectively.

Croatian horizontal bar specialist Tin Srbic edged off Miyachi Hidetaka from Japan by 0.100 while Cuban Rio Olympic competitor Randy Leru won the bronze.

With sky-high strong jumps on the floor, American Jade Carey stepped onto the top of the podium with the second victory here after the vault, scoring a total of 14.466. Italian duo Lara Mori and Vanessa Ferrari succumbed at 13.433 and 13.300.

The top-ranking gymnast on each apparatus at the end of the world cup series will earn an individual spot at Tokyo 2020. Doha marks the halfway of the eight-competition series, which will also concludes in the Qatari capital in March 2020.

Photos