Noe Seifert, Luca Giubellini, Taha Serhani, Matteo Giubellini, and Florian Langenegger
The beginning lists for the lads’s {qualifications} on the 2024 Olympic Video games have been launched, and we’re going to speak by means of every staff and notable people based mostly on what we’re anticipating to see in every subdivision, together with any surprises and who can have one of the best alternatives for finals.
TEAM NOTES
The Italians have made such an impression on the game this quad, it appears really unreal that they didn’t qualify a full staff in both 2016 or 2020. However with historic performances over the previous few years – together with staff medals at Euros in each 2022 and 2023 and a fourth-place end at worlds in 2022, this system’s finest since 1950 – I’m taking a look at them to make the staff remaining, which might be their first look since 1992.
Mario Macchiati, Yumin Abbadini, and Lorenzo Casali will fill all-around roles right here, whereas Nicola Bartolini will carry the ability and sweetness on ground, rings, vault, and parallel bars, and Carlo Macchini will spherical them out on pommel horse and excessive bar. It was a little bit of a contented shock for me to see them take Macchini in lieu of a rings specialist, which is a little more of a secure resolution than going for a excessive bar man, however I’m excited for Macchini’s power and to see how this younger staff of first-time Olympians will fare beneath stress.
Talking of first-time Olympians, with almost the entire 2016 and 2020 Olympians now retired – except Christian Baumann, who returned to the game and is now an alternate – the Swiss staff can also be made up of newcomers, together with Florian Langenegger, Matteo Giubellini, and Noe Seifert within the all-around, Luca Giubellini on ground, pommel horse, rings, and vault, and Taha Serhani on parallel bars and excessive bar. As with the Italians, it’s an exhilarating group of younger athletes who carry out superbly throughout the board, and I’m anticipating to see them as a powerful contender for the staff remaining.
The Turkish males didn’t qualify for the ultimate at worlds final 12 months, ending in tenth place with just a few apparatuses – pommel horse, parallel bars, excessive bar – less than par with lots of the high groups. I do assume their potential is larger than just a few groups that did make the ultimate, and consider that just a few little enhancements this time round ought to get them in, and with Ibrahim Colak again from harm to compete on 4 occasions – together with rings, his standout – we should always see this first-ever full staff to qualify for the Video games proceed to make historical past.
Along with Colak, we’ll see Ahmet Önder and Emre Dodanli within the all-around, Adem Asil on each equipment besides parallel bars, and Ferhat Arican on pommel horse, vault, and parallel bars. The selection to go together with Colak over Asil on parallel bars is an odd one, because it takes Asil out of the all-around competitors and Asel usually scores higher than Colak there, so my guess is Asil is both coping with an harm of kinds or they don’t need to put the all-around stress on him when the staff competitors is probably going the aim.
Lastly, Spain will see Nicolau Mir, Nestor Abad, and Joel Plata within the all-around, Thierno Diallo on pommel horse, parallel bars, and excessive bar, and Rayderley Zapata on ground, rings, and vault. I like this steadiness for the staff, with Zapata taking the energy occasions and Diallo filling out on the remaining, and assume each athletes – together with the all-arounders – are well-suited to what they’ll be doing. I don’t see the staff remaining as probably for this staff, however that is largely as a result of they’re dealing with a ton of competitors. Earlier this month they dropped a pleasant competitors to Switzerland by almost 4 factors, and this actual squad missed the ultimate at worlds final 12 months with a good increased rating, so I feel it’ll take quite a bit for them to rise and defeat traditionally stronger applications.
ALL-AROUND NOTES
The highest all-arounders from the squads listed below are in all probability Seifert and Giubellini, Abad, and the three Italian males – Macchiati, Abbadini, and Casali – however I truthfully really feel like virtually any of the fellows doing the all-around for his or her groups can have a shot on the remaining? Önder has been a bit weak this 12 months usually, however I feel if he’s at his full potential he has a shot.
Outdoors of the staff rivals, we’ll see Lee Junho of South Korea, Kevin Penev of Bulgaria, Abdulla Azimov and Khabibullo Ergashev of Uzbekistan, and Luka van den Keybus of Belgium contending for the ultimate. Ergashev, Lee, and van den Keybus certified to the all-around remaining at worlds final 12 months, however barely, and all had been at scores within the 80-81 vary, which I don’t consider any have hit but in 2024. I feel on the Olympics we’ll see 81-82 as roughly the cutoff level for qualifying into the ultimate, which Azimov managed on the Asian Championships to qualify for Paris, however to this point everybody else has fallen wanting that vary.
FLOOR NOTES
Bartolini is my favourite for Italy to make this remaining, whereas I feel each Asil and Dodanli may get in for Türkiye, after which in fact, Zapata is the one to observe for Spain, although he hasn’t had any exceedingly excessive scores there this 12 months so it’ll be attention-grabbing to see how he stacks up, particularly with Mir and Abad prone to get shut.
Although not fairly on the identical issue degree as a number of the knockout ground staff, each Langenegger and Seifert for Switzerland have beautiful type and I feel may additionally make waves with their potential. The specialist to control on this session is Ryu Sunghyun of South Korea, who has competed six routines internationally this 12 months and has scored above a 14.0 on all of them. He generally is a bit scrappy at occasions, however his issue may carry him, placing him on the bubble for remaining contenders right here.
POMMEL HORSE NOTES
After making the ultimate at Euros this 12 months, I’ve actually excessive hopes for Matteo Giubellini and would like to see him attain an Olympic remaining at his younger age. I completely love the extension and sweetness from Abbadini on this equipment, although his issue holds him again a bit in comparison with one of the best on the earth right here, and don’t assume Italy will earn a spot on this remaining, and the identical goes for Türkiye and Spain not having any contenders.
Specialists would be the stars of this occasion within the third subdivision, with Rhys McClenaghan of Eire the reigning world and European champion, whereas Hur Woong of South Korea made his mark on the worldwide pommels scene this 12 months with some wonderful world cup routines. My solely concern right here is that he’s becoming a member of the sphere a bit late, after teammate Kim Hansol was pressured to withdraw attributable to harm, however it’s going to have been about 10 days between the swap and {qualifications} so hopefully he’s had time to regulate and put together!
RINGS NOTES
Each Colak and Asil needs to be excessive on the listing of potential finals qualifiers for this equipment, however not one of the different groups on this subdivision actually have any high-powered rings athletes, so I don’t see Italy, Switzerland, or Spain getting anybody in, nor do I feel any of the all-arounders on this session have the scores to make it occur.
The one rings specialist in subdivision three is Glen Cuyle of Belgium, who was named as Belgium’s non-nominative athlete final month. He’ll solely compete on this one occasion, and he’s able to a mid-14 so the potential is there, however I do assume with the highest contenders within the 14.8+ vary, he is perhaps too far again to sneak in.
VAULT NOTES
Asil has one of many high issue mixtures on the earth on this equipment, and although he’s typically hit and miss with both one or each of his vaults, the drama normally comes within the remaining and never in {qualifications}. In that case, stepping into the ultimate gained’t be the problem, however medaling – or just not falling – may very well be. We’ll additionally see Zapata trying two vaults right here, one thing he hasn’t completed in competitors but this season, although he matches Asil in issue and with hits I feel he may very well be on the bubble.
That is an equipment the place I count on to see two all-arounders shine, as each Lee and Penev – who certified to the Olympics because of his efficiency on vault at worlds final 12 months that earned him a spot within the remaining – have a strong mixture of issue and powerful execution that might see them get shut.
PARALLEL BARS NOTES
The Swiss are historically standouts right here, with Seifert the staff’s finest and the more than likely to get in, however I really feel like every of the fellows competing right here may shock for the ultimate? Serhani is actually on the staff for what he can do right here and on excessive bar, whereas Matteo Giubellini and Langenegger have all landed within the mid-14s, which could not be sufficient, however you by no means know.
Türkiye shall be hoping for one more remaining – and one other medal – from 2020 bronze winner Ferhat Arican, although he hasn’t been at one hundred percent on this equipment over the previous couple of years, whereas Diallo is my favourite for Spain and Macchiati for Italy, although I’m undecided both shall be fairly as much as par with the highest parallel bars staff.
The specialists on this subdivision are Rasuljon Abdurakhimov of Uzbekistan, who completely has finals potential after profitable bronze on the Asian Championships and secured his Olympics spot on this equipment by way of the world cups, and Noah Kuavita of Belgium, who certified on this occasion at worlds final 12 months, although received type of “fortunate” within the sense that the highest of the sphere included a number of athletes and groups that had already earned Olympic berths, leaving him the highest eligible athlete in twenty third place. He has a pleasant set, don’t get me mistaken, however I haven’t seen him rating excessive sufficient this 12 months to place him within the combine.
HIGH BAR NOTES
One in every of my favourite excessive bar staff within the area, Macchini, needs to be one of many high standouts of this session and if he does what he’s able to – which is attractive, clear, trendy gymnastics – I feel he’ll be a shoo-in for the ultimate, with teammate Abbadini additionally exhibiting potential, although maybe not full readiness right here. Seifert and Serhani needs to be the highest contenders for the Swiss, although could be on the bubble if something, whereas Plata may very well be a contented shock for Spain.
One other of my favourite excessive bar staff within the area is Tang Chia-Hung of Taiwan, who earned a world cup spot on this equipment and really deservedly so. He’s in all probability the cleanest man within the competitors whereas additionally doing a number of the wildest issue – he’s maxed out at a 6.8 this 12 months, which solely Angel Barajas of Colombia has matched – so it’s no shock that he has the highest six worldwide scores in 2024, none decrease than a 15.1. He’s completely on my podium, and might be the more than likely for gold if all goes in response to plan.
Kuavita can also be competing on this equipment, and I like his possibilities extra right here than on parallel bars. He’s nonetheless not one of many favorites for the ultimate, however I feel he has the potential to sneak in on day and relying on how others look. Recognized for his triple again pike dismount, he brings pleasure from begin to end and I can’t wait to see how he fares.
Article by Lauren Hopkins
