Nakamura Haruka
The second world cup of the season will take place in Baku this weekend, once again featuring a relatively small but strong roster of athletes.
Recent Cottbus champions Teja Belak of Slovenia and Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan are both on the list of those expected to compete, as are 2024 Olympians Kishi Rina and Nakamura Haruka of Japan, both of whom should have podium potential. They’re joined by MAG teammates Chiba Kenta and Matsumi Kazuki, while China is also sending a solid team with Huang Mingqi, Lu Chongcan, and Meng Zhiwei on the men’s side and Chu Yiming and Li Rongjinyi on the women’s.
The United States is making its first appearance of the season featuring Brandon Dang, Alex Diab, and Patrick Hoopes, as is Belarus, which is sending four approved neutral athletes, including Mikita Parfianovich, Yahor Sharamkou, Kira Maharevich, and bars standout Alena Tsitavets. Also notable is U.S. level 10 gymnast Natalia Jacoby, who trains at Buckeye, representing Serbia. A first-year senior elite competitor, Jacoby received Serbian citizenship last year and is making her international debut here after testing out her routines at a few elite qualifiers over the past couple of months.
The action in Baku will begin with qualifications tomorrow and Friday at 12 pm local time both days, while finals will be held Saturday and Sunday also at 12 pm. Live scores are available via SmartScoring, and you can stream both qualifications and finals via CanliTV.
A full list of athletes expected to compete is below.
| AZERBAIJAN | |
| Murad Agharzayev Rasul Ahmadzada Ramin Damirov Mansum Safarov Nikita Simonov Ivan Tikhonov |
Daniz Aliyeva |
| BELARUS | |
| Mikita Parfianovich Yahor Sharamkou |
Kira Maharevich Alena Tsitavets |
| BELGIUM | |
| Noah Kuavita Kilan van der Aa |
|
| BULGARIA | |
| Dimitar Dimitrov David Ivanov Eddie Penev |
|
| CHINA | |
| Huang Mingqi Lu Chongcan Meng Zhiwei |
Chu Yiming Li Rongjinyi |
| CROATIA | |
| Marko Sambolec Mateo Zugec |
Sofia Mester Antea Sikic Kaucic Sara Sulekic |
| GEORGIA | |
| Ioane Jimsheleishvili Levan Skhiladze |
Ani Gobadze |
| HONG KONG | |
| Wong Yuk Lam | Charlie Chan Cheuk Lam Angel Wong Hiu Ying |
| HUNGARY | |
| Greta Mayer Sara Peter Bianka Schermann Emese Szij |
|
| INDIA | |
| Tapeswaranath Das Harikrishnan Jayan Sandhya Jatin Kumar Kanojiya Tapan Mohanty Uday Chandrashekar Naidu |
Nishka Agarwal Ritu Das Protistha Samanta Shatakshi Rakesh Takke |
| JAPAN | |
| Chiba Kenta Matsumi Kazuki |
Kishi Rina Nakamura Haruka Tokutsugi Ayu |
| KAZAKHSTAN | |
| Ilyas Azizov Zeinolla Idrissov Milad Karimi Dmitriy Patanin |
Arina Lebedeva Evelina Yezhova |
| LATVIA | |
| Ricards Plate | Anastasija Ananjeva Katrina Jurevica |
| SERBIA | |
| Petar Vefic | Natalia Jacoby Nina Sabic Tara Stefanovic Andjela Zivanov |
| SLOVENIA | |
| Luka Bojanc Beno Kunst Gregor Rakovic |
Teja Belak Lucija Hribar Tjasa Kysselef Vita Prijanovic |
| TÜRKIYE | |
| Altan Dogan Yunus Gündogdu Metehan Kartin |
Nazli Savranbasi Bengisu Yildiz |
| UKRAINE | |
| Nazar Chepurnyi Vladyslav Hryko Mykyta Melnykov Yurii Yemelianov |
|
| UNITED STATES | |
| Brandon Dang Alex Diab Patrick Hoopes |
|
| UZBEKISTAN | |
| Oksana Chusovitina | |
Article by Lauren Hopkins