“I survived. I decided to take a risk. I had no chance with that qualifying exercise. The last time I competed in this exercise was a year ago, and unfortunately because of that Gymnova horse tlly doesn’t suit me, I couldn’t train for the exercise I did today. For the first time now, I raised my hand and tried it. I decided to take a risk; it doesn’t matter, it’s fifth or eighth, it doesn’t matter to me’, Filip said in a breath after the final in which he took a risk with the element of “three Russian rounds between the grips” which significantly increased his starting rating.
Photo: Slobodan Kadić
Before the final he said, “when I come to the last warm-up and try that element, I will know if I will go for it or not.” And it worked great on that “one touch.” “I did it well during practice, too, but it took an awful lot of energy. 30% of my energy is taken away by that element, that’s why in the qualifications I did one that comes easy to me. Well, after the “roller coaster” it was as if someone took away all my energy. I dragged on, I don’t even know how I dragged it to the end. On the jump I thought I would fall on the horse like the Dutchman De Munck, but I shot the jump in the wrong direction. It could have been better, but the maximum I could do with that exercise was fifth because I spread my legs. I’m not going to say ‘if this, if that’…, the Čakovčan, who in his career already won world silver in 2014, was fifth in 2010 and seventh last year on pommel horse, said in all honesty.
What impressed everyone the most with Filip was that he really took risks and that he fought until the end. After a mistake on the jump, he got back on the horse and went for another jump. “Honestly, I don’t know, I have no idea why I even went to do the jump again, because then I made a mistake. I was so exhausted… I don’t know, I wanted to try to do an E jump to at least finish in style, but my hands weren’t mine. Anyway, I’m satisfied, I’m happy.” And he looked happy.
Photo: Slobodan Kadić
“I’m happy that I entered the final at all, considering the problems I had in training with that horse. I have nothing to complain about. Yes, the grade is what it is, but for me this final is like I won a medal, considering everything I went through. I’m in the top 8 in the world, being this old… Look, an Armenian won bronze at 38. I have a few more years for sure, but next year I have to practice more. This time I took a risk, it didn’t pay off, but my time will come.”
The world champion on pommel horse is the Irishman Rhys McClenaghan (15,300), bronze medalist from the 2019 WC and European champion in 2018. The runner-up is Ahmad Abu Al Soud (14,866), who brought Jordan the first medal in the history of the gymnastics WC. The bronze medalist is the oldest finalist here, the 38-year-old Armenian Harutyun Merdinyan (14,733), current European champion and bronze medalist from the WC 2015.
“The boys were better today. Next time I have to prepare better”, said Filip Ude.
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