International Gymnastics Federation confirms dates for Doha World Cup
The apparatus final only event is the final in the Olympic qualifying series. Eleftherios Petrounias and Vanessa Ferrari are hoping to book their spot at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Artistic Gymnastics
The International Gymnastics Federation announced Thursday (3 June) that the final event of its apparatus World Cup series will go ahead. The event will take place in Doha, Qatar, from 23-26 June and is the final opportunity for athletes to earn points to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The announcement comes after months of speculation about whether the event would be held, including from Greece’s Eleftherios Petrounias, the reigning still rings Olympic champion.
“I’m wondering what is going on with the Doha World Cup?” he tweeted Wednesday (2 June). “Can anybody explain or answer what’s going on with this weird situation?”
The event is of special interest to Petrounias, who needs to win the event outright to qualify to the Games and have a chance to defend his title.
Doha will also give Italian teammates Vanessa Ferrari and Lara Mori a chance to battle for points on the floor exercise. Currently, the duo is tied at 80 points each. A win on the event here for either woman earns a ticket to Tokyo.
While Petrounias and others need the event to qualify, some spots are mathematically guaranteed like **Jade Carey’**s of the United States on vault, China’s Fan Yilin on the uneven bars, and Japan’s Ashikawa Urara on balance beam.