Eager young hopefuls clashed with established stars with mixed results for both as the 2025 FIG Apparatus World Cup series pursued its course 20-23 March in Antalya (TUR).
Giving Pease a chance: U.S. Junior champion is a breakout star
The rising generation was all over the Ibrahim Colak Gymnastics Hall, but nobody was more omnipresent than Claire Pease (USA). In her World Cup debut, the U.S. Junior champion won a medal in every apparatus final in a rare showcase of general supremacy on the World Cup circuit, an official media release said.
The 16-year-old’s highlight was gold on Balance Beam, a surprise since Pease was initially first reserve for the final but called up when Greta Mayer (HUN) withdrew at the last minute. The Hawaii native made the most of the opportunity, competing first in the order and maintaining her composure for 13.266 points in what proved to be a tricky final for everyone else.
Pease also soared to silvers on Vault, Uneven Bars, and Floor Exercise, demonstrating mature skills and a fine attention to detail overall. Her results make her the first female gymnast to win a medal on every apparatus at a World Cup or World Challenge Cup event since Aline Friess (FRA) did it at the World Challenge Cup in Varna (BUL) in 2022.
Yang hangs out a stunning new skill on Uneven Bars
Pease’s performance was hardly the only novelty of the women’s competition. Uneven Bars champion Yang Fanyuwei (CHN) thrilled by becoming the first women to catch a layout Jaeger with a full twist in Thursday’s qualification. Even though she opted to leave the new skill out in the final, Yang had more than enough to win the gold, carrying in 14.800 to Pease’s 14.234.
The other two women’s titles were a celebration of returns. Two-time Olympian Sugihara Aiko (JPN) pranced through a joyful Floor Exercise routine set to Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. As artistic as it was technically solid, her performance was one of the delights of the day, and was crowned with 13.633.
Jayla Hang (USA), fourth All-Around at the 2023 Junior World Championships in Antalya, carried off the Vault title with a strong double-twisting Yurchenko and roundoff, half on, front layout half off.
Newcomer Tian Zhuofan (CHN) demonstrated classic Chinese beauty on Uneven Bars and Balance Beam despite a fall on her roundoff, layout flight series as she established herself among her country’s senior international elite. A name to watch for in the future, Tian left Türkiye with bronze medals for both routines.
Tokyo Olympian Pranati Nayak (IND) landed an unusual double-twisting Tsukahara vault for bronze, edging Oksana Chusovitina (UZB), who ended up off the podium for the first time this year. It was Nayak’s third career World Cup bronze, after medals in Cairo (EGY) in 2023 and Szombathely (HUN) in 2024. Okamura Mana (JPN) added silver on Balance Beam.
New titles for old hands
Olympic medallists and World Championship winners mostly held fourth in the men’s competition. The sole exception was the Floor Exercise gold claimed by Taylor Burkhart (USA), who traveled to Türkiye as a replacement for teammate Asher Hong. The Stanford University student eschewed back handsprings but displayed high-powered tumbling in a routine sprinkled with variety for 13.934, giving the 22-year-old a comfortable victory ahead of Anze Hribar (SLO) and Tanida Masaharu (JPN).
In his first World Cup since earning Kazakhstan’s first Olympic medal last summer, Nariman Kurbanov presented a sharp new routine on Pommel Horse for a huge 14.634, more than 0.3 ahead of countryman Zeinolla Idrissov (KAZ). Two-time World medallist Ahmad Abu Al Soud (JOR) had to content himself with bronze after paving over a few rocky patches in his routine.
2021 World champion Yan Xingyu (CHN) earned the Still Rings title in his first major international since the Asian Championships two years ago. Strong and steady as ever at 27, the Guangxi native scored 14.567, 0.3 ahead of Nikita Simonov (AZE). On the home front, Mehmet Kosak (TUR) thrilled fans with his second consecutive World Cup bronze.
Nobody was able to stop Artur Davtyan (ARM) on Men’s Vault. With his signature excellent form and near-stuck landings for his Dragulescu and Yeo II, the 32-year-old put on a show as he bested Yahor Sharamkou (AIN) 14.650-14.223. Norwegian prodigy Sebastian Sponevik practically scraped the ceiling on his opening Dragulescu vault en route to bronze, his first World Cup medal after silver on Vault at the Varna World Cup two years ago.
Many happy returners
Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Ferhat Arican (TUR) got the biggest reaction from the crowd with a brilliant performance on Parallel Bars. In full control throughout, the 31-year-old from Izmir dismounted with a double front half out and basked in the audience’s adoration. The judges loved it too: 14.466 made him the clear gold-medal winner, ahead of two-time Olympian Rasuljon Abdurakhimov (UZB).
Tokyo Olympic silver finalist Tin Srbic (CRO) continued to add to his title collection on Horizontal Bar, coasting through several release skills to build himself to 14.166. That edged newcomer Liao Jialei (CHN), who was so overcome by making his routine that he kissed the apparatus post after dismounting, by 0.1.
In his first World Cup in five years, Tanaka Yusuke (JPN), the youngest of the Tanaka clan who represented Japan in Olympic Gymnastics in the 2010s, opened a new chapter in his career with bronzes on Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. “A valuable opportunity to test myself,” Tanaka termed this competition . Consider it aced.
The 2025 FIG Apparatus World Cup series continues in Osijek (CRO) April 10-13.
Leave a Reply