Huang Zhuofan (right) and her teammate Luo Huan celebrate at the 2024 Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup in Cairo. [Photo/wzrb.com.cn]
At the 2024 Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup in Cairo on Feb 18, Wenzhou athletes, Huang Zhuofan and Luo Huan, clinched the top two spots in the women's uneven bars event, securing gold and silver with scores of 14.233 and 13.966 points, respectively.
This achievement marked a stellar start for the Chinese gymnastics team in the year's premier international competition.
This event serves as the opening of the Gymnastics World Cup series and initiates the qualification process for the Paris Olympics, setting the stage for global gymnastics contests and Olympic aspirations.
Reflecting on her performance, Huang stated, "This competition has been immensely rewarding. It has helped me improve my mastery of new high-difficulty moves and boosted my confidence for upcoming events. I aim to continue enhancing my consistency."
Huang, born in 2007 in Lucheng district, began her gymnastics journey in October 2011. Demonstrating exceptional talent and determination, she found initial success winning gold medals in provincial competitions. In July 2021, at the age of 14, Huang helped the Zhejiang team secure its first gold medal at the 14th National Games of the People's Republic of China. She joined the national team in 2023 and made her World Championships debut last October, securing an Olympic spot.
Luo, born in 2000, began gymnastics at age four. In 2012, she joined the national team and gained prominence in 2014 by winning gold medals in the all-around and uneven bars at the Gymnastics Championships. She also won the gold medal in women's team gymnastics at the 2018 Asian Games.
After announcing her retirement in September 2021, Luo returned to competition in May 2023, leading the Zhejiang team to a second-place finish at the National Gymnastics Championships. Ahead of this World Cup, she trained diligently and unexpectedly emerged as a pillar of the team.
"I'm quite satisfied with my performance in this World Cup competition, despite falling ill before departure, which affected my condition," stated Luo.
