Chinese athletes concluded their impressive run at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday, bringing home three silver and one bronze medals.
Among the four gymnasts representing China, only Huang Mingqi had prior experience in major international competitions. For the other three young talents, the event served as a valuable opportunity to adjust to new rules and gear up for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Meng Zhiwei, 23, delivered a standout performance in the men’s rings. After qualifying with the fourth-best score in the preliminaries, he elevated his routine to secure the silver medal with 13.800 points in the finals. The gold went to local favorite Nikita Simonov, who scored 14.233, while Alex Diab of the United States took bronze.
In the men’s vault, Huang Mingqi topped the qualifiers with a score of 14.300. Despite leading the pack, Huang faced difficulties with his landings in the final round, narrowly missing the gold by just 0.05 points to Nazar Chepurnyi of Ukraine. Yahor Sharamkou of Belarus claimed the bronze.
Fifteen-year-old sensation Chu Yiming captivated the audience in the women’s balance beam final. With a routine holding a difficulty value of 5.7, she earned 13.266 points, securing the silver medal behind Japan’s Haruka Nakamura, who scored 13.433. Hungary’s Greta Mayer finished third.
Chu continued to display her prowess in the women’s floor exercise, adding a bronze medal to China’s tally with a score of 12.766. The event was dominated by Japanese gymnasts Rina Kishi and Ayu Tokutsugi, who took gold and silver respectively.
The achievements in Baku highlight the promising future of China’s gymnastics team as they set their sights on the next Olympic Games.
