The Croatian gymnastics team will have 7 finals at the DOBRO World Cup in Osijek. After yesterday’s fight for medals was won by Aurel Benović, Filip Ude, Robert Seligman and Tijana Korent, today on the second qualifying day they were joined by Tin Srbić and Ana Đerek with two finals.
The biggest star of this competition, the current Olympic silver medalist Tin Srbić, with the best score on the hurdle among 27 exercisers on this device, advanced to Sunday’s finals (14,350).
“I have bit of pressure that I create for myself because I do not want to break a series of finals, so I have created even more here, since this is Osijek and I want to enter the finals with a new exercise. But I managed to calm down, do one of the best of these new exercises and homework that I did at the competition as well. Apart from the Croatian Championship last weekend, this is only the second time I have competed, I am very satisfied. I had a little trepidation, pressure, but I managed to get over it and get into the exercise calmly and end it that way. I’m very proud. “
It will be Tin’s 25th career World Cup final.
“I think I’m on the rise after a collarbone injury. The last two weeks have improved a lot, although it’s not that yet. I am taking small steps to get better, but I expect to be in full form at the European Championships in Munich in August. For the finals, I will intensify the exercise here, I hope that the start will be 6.0, so that we can attack the medal. “
U Osijeku je već osvojio 3 zlata (2017., 2018. i 2021.) i broncu 2016.
“I always have a great desire in Osijek to enter the finals precisely because of the audience that has not been there for a long time due to the pandemic. We haven’t performed for a long time, not only in Osijek, but the audience is what I know will be here. I can not wait. Going out into the gym, when I see full stands and cheering, gives me extra adrenaline to try to perform this exercise even better. Competition? “Australian Tyson Bull, with whom I was in the finals of the Olympic Games, will be a good fight on Sunday.”
Our double Olympian Ana Đerek will have double fights on Sunday. For the third week in a row, it’s thrilling. First, at the World Cup in Varna, she won gold on the beam and bronze on the ground, then last weekend at the PH in Osijek she gilded both devices, and today she secured two finals again. And that on the beam with arguably the best qualifying score (13,600) among as many as 34 girls on the beam. She entered the ground finals second (13,066), and only her namesake from Romania, Ana Barbosu (13,366), was better than Ana. Jerek has reached the number of 31 finals in her career!
“I am overjoyed, very satisfied, too proud. I did both devices literally without a mistake. On the one hand, it went through my head – did I show what I should have saved for the finals, but on the other hand, I’m glad that when I decide in my head to do it and when it’s most important.”
What else can he offer in the final? From Osijek she already has gold on the ground from 2019, and last year it was gold on the ground and bronze on the beam.
“I can’t do better than this right now. I am preparing new, heavier elements at home, but they are not yet ready to show them in the finals. If I were to copy what I have just shown in the finale, I don’t think anyone would be happier than me. But it needs to be realistic. We are in sports, in gymnastics where a lot of mistakes are made. I don’t expect much from myself, but I am aware that I have a good start, that I have a good finish on both devices and that anything is possible, and I will certainly give my best.”
Tina Zelčić missed the finals of the “hair” beam. With ninth place is the first reserve for the finals (11,900). She was literally kicked out of it by the last girl for only a tenth.
“I am not sad, but I am a little disappointed. The last one just got me, I was inside until the last exerciser, but there were a lot of girls and almost all of them fell. The beam is a tricky device and anything is possible. I am not the most satisfied with my performance, there were a lot of mistakes. I made no mistakes, but not clean, the result is great in the end. Nothing, next week I’m going to SK in Koper, I hope it will be better there. “I broke the ice now.”
Turkish star Ibrahim Colak (15,000) was the best in the hoop qualifiers today, and the great Ukrainian Igor Radivilov (14,950) was the best.
Tomorrow, the first final day, which starts at 4 pm with a broadcast on the 2nd program of the Croatian Radio and Television in the Croatian medal hunt, will be Aurel Benović on the ground, Filip Ude and Robert Seligman on a horse with grips, and Tijana Korent on the vault.
Live scores: https://gymscoring.com/live-results/1/1/5/1/3?apparatus_id=1
