The 17th edition of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup (Taishan) kicks off on Wednesday (April 16) in Doha and runs until April 19, with participation from a distinguished group of the world’s top male and female gymnasts.
The Organising Committee has allocated a total prize pool of $50,000, distributed at a rate of $5,000 per apparatus.
Athletes will compete across 10 apparatus events — 6 for men and 4 for women — with prizes awarded to the top eight athletes in each.
The competition features 95 male gymnasts and 55 female gymnasts, and the contests will be officiated by 35 international judges. The qualifying rounds will take place over the first two days, followed by the finals on the last two days, all at Aspire Dome.
The championship is expected to deliver an exceptional level of performance, given the calibre of the participants. Among the standout names are:
Karbanov (Armenia): Silver medallist on pommel horse at the Paris Olympics
Star gymnast from Kazakhstan: Olympic silver medallist on vault
Tong Hong (Chinese Taipei): Bronze medallist on high bar at the Paris Olympics
Ashaw Yaqian (China): National champion and Olympic silver medallist on balance beam
The Organising Committee, chaired by Ali al-Hitmi, has completed all preparations, with everything now in place for the competition to begin and for fans to enjoy top-level action.
Al-Hitmi: We are ready to deliver another outstanding edition
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, al-Hitmi confirmed that everyone is fully prepared for the start of this important championship.
“We are proud to host this major event for the 17th consecutive time. All organising committees have worked tirelessly to ensure this edition is delivered to the highest standards. We began our preparations early by forming all working committees and meticulously planning every organisational aspect to ensure smooth operations and avoid leaving anything to chance. We have full confidence in the capabilities of every team member across all committees to fulfil their duties and help deliver a world-class event.”
Al-Hitmi concluded: “Through this event and other championships previously hosted by Qatar, we aim to promote the culture of gymnastics. This has been a core mission of the Federation since its establishment in 2001.”
On Tuesday, the Men’s Judges Committee, headed by Ando Tumbas, Chair of the FIG Technical Committee, held its meeting and conducted the draw for apparatus assignments.
A similar draw was conducted by the Women’s Judges Committee, chaired by Donatella Sacchi, who also serves as Chair of the FIG Women’s Technical Committee. All judges confirmed their readiness to officiate the event.
Abeer al-Buainain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Gymnastics Federation and Championship Director, also confirmed that everything is in place for the start of the 17th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup (Taishan).
“The Federation has worked intensively over the past months. All committee members have gone above and beyond to finalise every detail ahead of this big moment — the official launch of the championship,” Abeer said.
“We are proud of the preparations we’ve achieved and have great confidence in all our teams to deliver a world-class event that meets expectations.”
Al-Buainain also highlighted the importance of having Qatari gymnasts Rakan al-Hareth and Salma Nasser compete in this championship:
“It’s a great opportunity for them, as they’ll be competing alongside some of the world’s best gymnasts. This level of exposure is rare and will help significantly in developing their technical skills. We hope they can achieve something special here, especially after their strong performance at the DOBRO Artistic Gymnastics World Cup held in Osijek, Croatia from April 10-13.”
Top-class media servicesThe Organising Committee has ensured a full suite of media services to support local and international journalists covering the event.
A dedicated website has been launched, offering updated information such as athlete lists, schedules, and rankings, with real-time updates. A Facebook page has also been created to publish live results after each competition.
Additionally, the event will be broadcast on Al Kass Sports Channels.
The competition venue has been decorated and fully equipped to host the World Cup. The main arena will host the official competitions, while a separate training hall under the same roof will serve as the warm-up area — offering great convenience for athletes and coaching staff alike.
On Tuesday, the participating teams conducted their final training sessions in preparation for Wednesday’s start.
Abeer al-Buainain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Gymnastics Federation.
