Ageless Oksana Chusovitina takes vault crown at Baku Apparatus World Cup finale
Uzbek 46-year-old claims victory by narrowest of margins with Israel's Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat and Ukraine's Illia Kovtun also among the winners.
Artistic Gymnastics
Oksana Chusovitina continued to defy her advancing years in Baku on Saturday (2 April) with victory in the vault at the Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup.
The 46-year-old Uzbek gymnast was only third in qualification on Thursday, but a two-vault average of 13.266 saw the eight-time Olympian come out on top in the closing World Cup event to take the series title.
The win also saw her book her spot at the World Championships in Liverpool starting on 29 October.
Hungary's Csenge Bacskay also averaged 13.266 and not even the first tiebreaker - highest execution score over the two vaults - could separate them with both women recording 8.800 for their second vaults.
It came down to the highest difficulty mark with Chusovitina's 5.0 for her first vault - against Bacskay's 4.6 - proving decisive.
Teja Belak of Slovenia took third with 12.933, but it was competition to forget for Bulgaria's top qualifier Valentina Georgieva who finished down in seventh place.
Artem Dolgopyat underlines floor superiority
Israel's reigning Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat was the first winner on the opening day of finals in Baku.
The 24-year-old scored 14.700 to take victory ahead of Kazakhstan's Tokyo 2020 finalist Milad Karimi (14.300) and clinch the World Cup floor title.
Eamon Montgomery of Ireland (14.066) edged out Ukraine's Illia Kovtun (14.000) for the last spot on the podium.
Kovtun came back to claim gold in the parallel bars with a 15.333 ahead of Turkey's Olympic bronze medallist Ferhat Arican (14.900).
That was Kovtun's fourth win out of four in the discipline this season, as Britain's Joe Fraser took third with 14.700.
Italy's world bronze medallist Salvatore Maresca won the rings with a 14.800, just ahead of 2019 world champion Ibrahim Colak (14.766).
Nikita Simonov of Azerbaijan rounded out the podium (14.500) with Colak taking the World Cup series crown.
And in the second women's apparatus final of the France's Lorette Charpy scored 13.866 to take the spoils on uneven bars .
Naomi Visser was far and away the best qualifier, but the Dutchwoman fell on her first catch in the final and had to settle for silver with 13.100. Teammate Vera van Pol took third (12.966).
The series title went to Ukraine's Daniela Batrona who, at 15, is 31 years younger than Chusovitina.
The remainder of the Apparatus World Cup finals take place on Sunday.
Baku Apparatus World Cup results - Saturday
Men's floor
1. Artem Dolgopyat (ISR) 14.700
2. Milad Karimi (KAZ) 14.300
3. Eamon Montgomery (IRL) 14.066
Men's rings
1. Salvatore Maresca (ITA) 14.800
2. Ibrahim Colak (TUR) 14.766
3. Nikita Simonov (AZE) 14.500
Men's parallel bars
1. Illia Kovtun (UKR) 14.000
2. Ferhat Arican (TUR) 14.900
3. Joe Fraser (GBR) 14.700
Women's vault
1. Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) 13.266
2. Csenge Bacskay (HUN) 13.266
3. Teja Belak (SLO) 12.933
Women's uneven bars
1. Lorette Charpy (FRA) 13.866
2. Naomi Visser (NED) 13.100
3. Vera van Pol (NED) 12.966