Li Zhikai placed 5th in the pommel horse final of the Asian Games. Tang Jiahong affirmed his hard work and hopes to continue to fight side by side.
Quick Look
- Li Zhikai finished fifth in the men's competitive gymnastics pommel horse final of the Nagoya Asian Games and missed the medal.
- He admitted that the next step is still unknown, but teammate Tang Jiahong affirmed his efforts and performance and hoped to continue working hard together.
- Li Zhikai was unable to challenge for the third consecutive championship due to a restriction in his action combination due to rule changes and a mistake in the leg combination in the final.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Li Zhikai once won the pommel horse event for two consecutive years at the Hangzhou Asian Games. However, the World Gymnastics Federation changed the scoring standards and restricted a set of movements to only have a maximum of 4 Thomas pirouettes that he is good at. The rest need to use leg pirouettes or choreograph new movement combinations. This has become the main challenge he has faced in the past two years.
Li Zhikai. (File photo)
[Special Correspondent Wu Mengru/Nagoya Report] Li Zhikai missed the podium in the pommel horse final of the men's competitive gymnastics Nagoya Asian Games and finished fifth. He admitted that the next step is still unknown, but his teammate Tang Jiahong affirmed his performance and hoped that he could continue to fight together.
Li Zhikai won the pommel horse event for the second time in a row at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. However, due to the change of the scoring standards by the World Gymnastics Federation, a set of movements can only have up to four Thomas pirouettes that he is good at. The rest must use leg pirouettes or choreograph new action combinations. This has become the biggest hurdle that has stuck him in the past two years. In the Asian Games pommel horse final yesterday, he failed to challenge for the third consecutive championship because of a mistake in the leg leg movement.
Please read on...
Before yesterday's ring final, Tang Jiahong and other teammates sat in the stands and kept cheering for Li Zhikai, "Stay steady and hold on." He said that he was actually very moved after watching this game, because Li Zhikai tried his best and tried hard to show his best side, but he may still be a little unlucky. Even if the final result is regrettable, he should still be given the greatest encouragement and affirmation. "Seeing him working so hard to chase the 100,000-lap distance, there will be a big gap in execution scores in this cycle. In the future, whether it is planning or training, I hope he can continue to work hard with us, support each other, and achieve major competitions or goals."
Tang Jiahong will make his debut in the horizontal bar final today. He aims to win another gold medal after the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. He is expected to perform a difficult routine with a score of 6.5 points and seek an execution score of more than 9 points. He strives to be stable and, more importantly, to do his best in every link.
Open Questions
- Will Li Zhikai continue to participate in future international gymnastics events?
- What was Tang Jiahong's specific performance in the horizontal bar final?
- Will the gymnastics team adjust its training strategies in response to the rule changes?
