Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-16 16:19:39

He Wenna in competition. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

(BEIJING, August 16) — China’s He Wenna and Lu Chunlong led the Women’s and Men’s qualifications respectively at the National Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

Women

He Wenna led the way into the Trampoline finals after two impressive routines (Compulsory and Voluntary) in qualifications, earning 67.20 points.

Fellow Chinese trampolinist Huang Shanshan, the bronze medalist in Athens 2004, failed to advance after falling during her Voluntary routine.

Irina Karavaeva of Russia made the final with the second highest qualification score (66.40), despite a small slip after her Voluntary routine. Karavaeva, gold medalist in the first ever Olympic Women’s Trampoline competition at Sydney 2000, failed to make the final at Athens 2004 after she mistimed one of her routines in the qualifications.

Canadians Rosannagh Maclennan (66.00) and Karen Cockburn (65.60) claimed the next best qualifications scores. Cockburn, who won bronze in Sydney 2000 and silver in Athens 2004, impressed the judges with her high degree of difficulty.

Anna Dogonadze of Germany earned the chance to defend her Athens 2004 gold medal as she advanced to the final with high execution scores on her Voluntary routine.

Men

Chinese duo Lu Chunlong and Dong Dong dominated qualifications and earned the top two spots for the final, raising hopes of a first Men’s medal for China in an Olympic Trampoline competition.

Lu, who held a slim lead after the Compulsory round, maintained first place by scoring 41.20 as the final competitor in the Voluntary round. His two-routine total of 72.40 gave him an advantage of 0.70 over his teammate.

Dong, the 2007 world championships silver medalist, was less successful in his Voluntary routine but retained second place with 71.70 points.