Gymnastics World Championships: closest team final for the Italians

The Italian women's team is off to a good start at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam (Holland), obtaining 162,430 points, a haul that fuels their ambitions of qualifying for the eight-man final, while awaiting the other national teams who will complete the program tomorrow. A convincing performance by Manila Esposito, Elisa Iorio, July Marano, Sofia Tonelli and Giulia Perotti, built on solidity on the uneven bars and the beam, with only two errors on the floor exercise and a good closing on the vault.

At the end of the first day of qualifying, the Fates provisionally occupy second position, behind the United States (164.529), just 2.099 points away, and ahead of Japan (161.630).

Encouraging signs also come from the individual general competition, where the two Italian all-arounders are at the top of the rankings: Perotti is fifth, followed by Tonelli, sixth. We will have to wait for the qualifications to be completed to know the final ranking.

Excellent indications also from the provisional specialty rankings, with the Italians protagonists on three of the four apparatus. On beam, Esposito occupies second position, Perotti is fifth. On the asymmetrical stages, Iorio is second and Perotti is in third place. Temporary third place for Manila Esposito on floor exercise.

The national technical director, Enrico Casella, is satisfied: "We couldn't have hoped for better than this. After the first day we are ahead of Japan and behind the United States, without being too far away. We managed to maintain a standard above 160 points, which puts us in a very favorable position to enter the eight. It would also be fundamental because it would mean having already obtained qualification for the World Cup in Chengdu".