Pauline Schäfer had tears in her eyes shortly after her appearance. On Sunday in Montreal, Chemnitzer won first gold medal for athletes of German Gymnast Confederation (DTB) in History of World championships.
With her performance, she came to 13.533 points in front of 10 000 spectators in sold-out Olympic Stadium and ended up in front of remaining competition. 30 years ago, last title for Germans had brought Berliner Dörte Thümmler at stage ingot, n still for GDR. At Schwebalken, Maxi Gnauck 1981 had brought last World Championship title to date.
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“What shall I say? I miss words, “said Pauline Schäfer after triumph. Toger with her friend Andreas Bretschneider, she later also had a few tears in mixed-zone. “I am glad that everything has taken such a good end,” she said.
Marcel Nguyen arrives at Ingot at seventh place
The Tabea old from Ludwigsburg, favored by best values in preliminary battle and all finals, was most difficult exercise (initial value 5.7), but it did have smaller Wackler. Neverless, 17-year-old was very happy about bronze in her World Cup debut: “I have not experienced anything like this. The inturn was not optimal, but I knew: I am a good beam gymnast. And I did my thing, “she said.
Schäfer bribed most of all with perfection of her exercise. After acknowledging in difficulty an element that judges had still negated in qualification, it reached initial value of two tenths more and finally also a higher final rating than in qualification.
Already two years ago in Glasgow, she had won World Cup bronze at former German torpedo machine. She still gave no thought to gold. “Finally a successful experience,” she said when entering finals modestly. After all, two final places were already a result that had never been achieved in DTB history.
Compared to achievements of ladies, appearance of Marcel Nguyen, who was only one of German men, had reached final. At ingot, second Olympic was ranked seventh (14.70 points). “I had some problems with grooming of device and had to omit an element. That was a little silly, but it was of course cool to turn in this atmosphere, “he said after first World Cup final of his career. The victory went to superior Chinese Zou Jingyan (15.90).
