Kudryavtseva and Mamun tie for gold

YanaKudryavtseva

In a dramatic conclusion to events on day two of competition in Izmir, the Russian pair could not be separated in the finale as both recorded identical scores of 18.433.

Defending champion Mamun went first, posting an imposing score until Kudryavtseva, performing to La Boheme, matched her rival with a superb routine.

With the rest of the field unable to live up to the feats of the leading duo, Belarus' Melitina Staniouta claimed bronze, with 18.000.

Both Ganna Rizatdinova and Neta Rivkin launched difficulty score inquiries, but after consultation amongst the officials, their respective marks of 17.900 and 17.308 stood.

For Kudryavtseva, it was a second gold medal of the day after she had earlier beaten off the challenge of Mamun to clinch glory in the hoop final, going one better than the silver she won in Kiev in 2013.

As the first competitor onto the floor, the 16-year-old set the bar high with a score of 18.816, and Mamun was unable to better her compatriot.

Mamun's 18.450 meant she was forced to settle for the silver medal, to go with the bronze she won 12 months ago.

South Korea's Son Yeon-jae completed the podium with 17.966, while the 17.933 from defending champion Rizatdinova was only good enough for fourth spot.

In qualification for Friday's all-around final, Kudryavtseva and Mamun were also dominant, the former leading the way with 37.183 while Mamun (36.716) was second and their compatriot Aleksandra Soldatova (35.725) was third.

Author(s)