A trend has been going on for quite some time, and this year’s Vaulting World Championships, which took place in Bern (SUI) at the PostFinance Arena from July 16th to the 21st, was no exception. The arena in which the competitions took place was excellent, at least for the public: large stands from which you could see the competition field very well, excellent lighting and audio. During the final rounds the stands were full of fans. The only drawback was the excessive cost of parking: although it is true that the city of Bern is very well served by public transport, many people’s accommodations were not in the city, yet in neighboring areas, and the time it would have taken to reach the arena by public transport would have been too long.
Trend of the last few years, we were saying. Two teams, two different visions on vaulting. The world scene continues to be dominated by the two leading schools, the French and the German. The German one is solid and rigorous, while the transalpine one is imaginative and innovative. So many individual talents emerge every year from France, while in Germany vaulting seems to be more and more of a team work. Though, are so many good individualities enough to build a great team? Sometimes they do, but not always.
The first world medal awarded was in the teams competition, a three-way matter among Germany, France and Switzerland, ranked in this order. Germany has been in the lead since the compulsory round, but the conclusion was not obvious at all. All three teams performed an excellent free test, although each of them having their own style. Starting with the Swiss team Lütisburg (Monika Winkler-Bischofberger, Acadi van de Kapel), the only actually competitive all-female team. Thanks to the presence of technically very good, strong and solid athletes, the Swiss girls performed a “high” exercise, with a good diversification of positions, well harmonized and dynamic. A freestyle choreographically very well done, pity only for some smudges. It was a “yes, you can!”, you can be great even if the team lacks the male elements that are traditionally the ones allowing the highest and most complex moves. It is a squad, the Swiss one, where the team spirit is evident, where the group is born and has developed within the same club, and for this reason expresses a choral vaulting, although there are certainly great individualities. The same can be said of the German team Norka (Alexandra Knauf, Ecuador 28), gold medal winner, whose performance was simply exemplary. A splendid test, without any mistakes, with many difficulties, a true classic of team vaulting.
France’s test on the other hand deserves a different speech. Silver medalist, the French team (Yannik Kersulec, Orlof de Conde) is, according to its own tradition and in absolute countertrend compared to the whole vaulting world, composed of five boys and only one girl. Its freestyle had to be necessarily different: without any three components block, since even the only girl present is not a flyer. Although the routine was performed masterfully, it cannot be said that it is an actual “team” freestyle. Even if choreographically pleasing, it was a union of small pas de deux pieces linked together by individual passages: rather static moves, with little movement on the croup – if one does not take into account the continuous ups and downs from the horse – and also a bit repetitive in the positions, generally not high. I understand the legitimate and sacrosanct desire to safeguard the welfare of the horse, but the exercise was lacking of the fundamental and peculiar feature of the team test, the technical distinction from individual and pas de deux, that is to say the three-way moves. The FEI no longer considers three components-blocks to be mandatory, but if they are not banned, then – in my opinion – their lack should be taken more into consideration.
Great twist in the Pas de Deux. Immediately out of the game the Italian pair Rebecca Greggio and Davide Zanella (Claudia Petersohn, Orlando Tancredi), one of the favorites, as they fell during a particularly challenging movement. With the most fearsome competitors out, there was no competition any more, Diana Harwardt and Peter Künne (GER, Andrea Harwardt, DSP Sir Laulau) triumphed thanks to two absolutely brilliant tests, especially the second one, performed with great ease and in harmony with the horse. Great satisfaction for the pair Zoe Maruccio/Syra Schmid (SUI, Michael Heuer, Latino V. Forst CH), probably the longest-lived pas de deux of international vaulting. The two Swiss girls really outdid themselves, especially in the second round. In the first one, the third placed, Gisa Sternberg and Linda Otten (GER, Cornelia Ammermann, Espresso 23), were judged better. Both exercises are along the same line of Nagiller/Hinter and even before Eccles/Eccles, exercises built on the characteristics of girls, original in components, performed smoothly, with continuous changes of position for both vaulters and with the presence of some high moves as well. Routines that if well executed can compete with those of the best male/female pairs.
The women’s individual competition result was far from being written, made even more uncertain from the beginning by the unexpected retirement of the current European champion Kathryn Mayer (GER). At least six contestants competed for the title: Eva Nagiller (AUT, Tomasz Ogonowski, Bastion), Alina Roß (GER, Volker Roß, Baron 7), Alice Layher (GER, Helen Layher, Lambic van Strokeleken), Ilona Hannich (SUI, Monika Winkler-Bischofberger, Rayo de la Luz), Kimberly Palmer (USA, Laura Carnabuci, Rosenstolz 99), Nadja Büttiker (SUI, Monika Winkler-Bischofberger, Rayo de la Luz). This is the final order. None so superior to the others in all tests – compulsories, technical, or freestyle – to seal immediately the result, all of the highest level, with scores practically always over 8. Eva Nagiller made it! At the end of the first round, the distance between her and Alina Roß was only of 8 thousandths, and Nadja Büttiker was just two hundredths behind! The free test decided everything. Nadja Büttiker didn’t perform at her best and slipped into sixth position, while Alice Layher climbed up one place reaching the podium. Alina Roß was really good, but Eva Nagiller was supreme, she really seemed a natural extension of the horse – which I’d like to remind you, was not her usual horse-, not an uncertainty, not an indecision. The title is more than deserved.
Great protagonists in the male class as well. The scores gained by the competitors are very high, the quality of their tests is excellent, especially the freestyle, where nine tests were scored higher than 8.5, and five competitors also beat this score in total. In the individual class, the French athletes are once again unbeatable. Technique and interpretation are masterfully combined to create performances that not only keep you in suspense because of difficulties, but are also beautiful to watch. This year’s greatest surprise is Theo Gardies’ (FRA, Sebastien Langlois, Sir Sensation) gold medal over the current European champion Quentin Jabet (FRA, Andrea Boe, Ronaldo 200 NRW). Very few would have bet on it, although it was clear that Gardies was in great shape. At the end of the first round Gardies was second after his teammate by only a tenth, but once again the freestyle, where all the French excel most, turned tables. Jabet’s performance was excellent as usual, but Gardies’one was judged even better.
Gardies presented a particularly “high” exercise, relying a lot on standing moves that favored the interpretation of the music, all topped with a great research in the choreographic details, including the outfit in countertrend: an open gray blazer on a white tank top, with sleeves rolled up, and the touch of the golden painted forearms and hands matching the belt. Completely different style was brought by Jabet, who performed a moving and extremely difficult excersise on the notes of a very stylistically different song from all of his contestants, leaving everyone in awe, yet for the judges, it wasn’t enough to secure the first medal.
If the attention was monopolized by Gardies and Jabet, we can not forget the other athletes, like the veteran Thomas Brüsewitz (GER, Maik Husmann, William II Z), in excellent shape, and Philip Clement (AUT, Melanie Neubauer, Enjoy the Moment), who made his 3* debut.
The event ends with the Nations Team competition, which sees the French team win for the second time in a row. Les Blues definitely dominated in all three tests, not only in the individual ones, whose results were garanted, but also in the squad segment, that was awarded even more than in the previous performance. Germany and Switzerland can only bow, although both teams have no reason to complain about their performance.
Complete World Championship Results
