Russia's Nikolai Kuksenkov today became the first man since the legendary Yuri Korolev (1981, 1983) to defend his World University Games all around gold medal, and the first ever to take back-to-back titles for two different countries. He earned his victory thanks to a uniquely calm but consistent competitive ethos, and solid all around ability. Without scoring the highest mark on any single piece of apparatus, he held a faultless line across all six.
There were other gymnasts whose greater risk and difficulty could have beaten Kuksenkov, but they all withered in the heat of a strong competition, victims to their ambition and risk. Japan's Ryohei Kato, a simply beautiful gymnast whose execution gains him an edge, would have won easily but for a fall from the parallel bars (injury?). The dramatically explosive Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine had a disappointing showing on pommel horse but otherwise sizzled through the apparatus for his shared bronze medal. His compatriot, Oleg Stepko, was less lucky. He suffered a shattering series of errors on floor from which he could never recover, despite a blistering parallel bars set, ending up out of the medals.
Russia must be pleased with Kuksenkov; you can see that he has already been accepted into the arms of the national team and with results like this, he looks likely to be a lock for an all around slot in September's World Championships. There, the Chinese, Japanese and others including Britain and Germany, will give Russia a run for their money; but Russia's MAG team is beginning to look stronger and more confident than in an age.
Full results are here.
