World Trampoline Championships 2023: China dominates men's and women's semi-finals; New Zealand's defending men's champion is out
People's Republic of China secured the top three spots in the women's individual trampoline semi-finals while Wang Zisai topped the men's. New Zealand's defending champion, Dylan Schmidt, missed out on the final after "one of those days".
Thrills and spills delighted the racucous crowd at the 2023 FIG World Trampoline Gymnastics Championships semi-finals on Saturday (11 November) at the Arena Birmingham as eight men and eight women secured places in Sunday's final.
The field of 24 performed with the added jitters of knowing that by the end of tomorrow's competition, the first quota places for trampoline at Paris 2024 will officially be secured too*.
The Chinese women dominated with a one-two-three as Hu Yicheng came out on top, Olympic champion Zhu Xueying was second, and Fan Xinyi, third. Fan will miss out on the final due to the two-per-country rule, meaning only two from each nation can compete in Sunday's event.
The next six gymnasts, therefore, who will compete for medals are the Brazilian pair of Alice Gomes and Camilla Gomes, the British duo of Isabelle Songhurst and Bryony Page – the 2021 world champion, Canada’s Sophiane Methot, the world bronze medallist from 2017, and Jessica Stevens of USA who hot-footed it from Chile after winning two golds at the Pan American Games just last week.
Defending world champion, Hikaru Mori, came up short, finishing down the field in 14th, with compatriots Tanaka Kiko and Satake Reina, in 15th and 16th respectively, so no Japanese will feature in the women's individual final.
In the men's competition, defending champion Dylan Schmidt chalked up a routine that ended with a skewed sideways landing on the trampoline, and with it, an abrupt halt to the competition he later described as "one of those days".
When asked what happend by Olympics.com afterwards, the New Zealander was succinct, saying with a smile, "I fell off the trampoline".
The 26-year-old continued: "The build up for the competition was one of the best I've ever had. I was feeling really good going into it. Obviously wasn't my day, somethng went wrong. Something didn't click. Trampolining can be unpdredictable when you're jumping that high."
A return home after five months away for a refresh and reset before heading into the Olympic year awaits.
Exciting newcomer Wang Zisai of People's Republic of China topped the men's standings, with a surprise showing from Benny Wizani, from a small village in Austria, performing his best ever routine to finish in second.
"I don't know really what to say right now," said Wizani afterwards. "I'm just overwhelmed with my emotions.
"It was an amazing feeling to walk on the stage, coming out of the warm-up area and seeing all those people cheering for all the athletes. It was a mix of all the emotions that came up," he said of the moment he dropped to the arena floor, after his routine face down, to take a minute to register what he'd just done.
Ryusei Nishioka and Sakai Ryosuke of Japan, Yan Langyu of China, Zak Perzamanos of GBR, and the Portuguese pair of Pedro Ferreira and 17-year-old newcomer, Gabriel Albuquerque, all also qualified for the final.
*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
The top eight women in the 2023 World trampoline individual final, in order of qualification scores, are:
- Hu Yicheng (CHN) 56.220 – qualified for the final
- Zhu Xueying (CHN) 55.180 – qualified for the final
- Fan Xinyi (CHN) 55.530 – misses out on the final as third gymnast for China
- Alice Gomes (BRA) 55.060 – qualified for the final
- Sophiane Methot (CAN) 54.980 – qualified for the final
- Camilla Gomes (BRA) 54.890 – qualified for the final
- Jessica Stevens (USA) 54.700 – qualified for the final
- Isabelle Songhurst (GBR) 54.340 – qualified for the final
- Bryony Page (GBR) 54.290 – qualified for the final
The top eight men in the 2023 World individual trampoline final, in order of qualification scores, are:
1. Wang Zisai (CHN) 60.870 – qualified for the final
2. Benny Wizani (AUT) 60.600 – qualified for the final
3. Ryusei Nishioka (JPN) 60.520 – qualified for the final
4. Yan Langyu (CHN) 60.240 – qualified for the final
5. Zak Perzamanos (GBR) 60.100 – qualified for the final
6. Pedro Ferreira (POR) 59.890 – qualified for the final
7. Gabriel Albuquerque (POR) 59.870 – qualified for the final
8. Sakai Ryosuke (JPN) – 59.670 qualified for the final
World Championships 2023 – women's individual trampoline team final – results
1. People's Republic of China 15 points
2. France 10 points
3. Georgia 7 points
4. Spain 7 points
5. Canada 6 points
World Championships 2023 – men's individual trampoline team final – results
1. France 12 points
2. Spain 9 points
3. GBR 9 points
4. Portugal 8 points
5. USA 7 points