The field for this year’s FIG World Challenge Cup in Cottbus, Germany – also known as Turnier der Meister – is now set.
This will mark the return of Romania’s Diana Bulimar, who will join teammates Larisa Iordache and Stefania Stanila with performances on bars, beam, and floor for the first time after injuring her knee last summer. Iordache will compete the same events as Bulimar while Stanila will stick to vault.
The competition also includes many senior debuts, including Kim Janas and Antonia Alicke of Germany, Veronika Cenkova of the Czech Republic, Boglarka Devai of Hungary, Tzuf Feldon of Israel, Gaia Nesurini of Switzerland, and Tutya Yilmaz of Turkey, in addition to performances from veterans like Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan, Dorina Böczögö of Hungary, and Marta Pihan-Kulesza of Poland. It will also mark the first performance of former Russian gymnast Kristina Pravdina for her new nation, Azerbaijan.
On the men’s side, Diego Hypolito of Brazil, Jorge Giraldo Lopez of Colombia, Krisztian Berki of Hungary, Kenzo Shirai of Japan, Epke Zonderland of the Netherlands, Tommy Ramos of Puerto Rico, and Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine are just a handful of many familiar names in the lineup.
The full list of competitors is below. The Challenge Cup, featuring qualifications and event finals only, will be held at the Lausitz-Arena from March 19-22.
| ARGENTINA | |
| Andres Alejandro Arean Nicolas Cordoba Osvaldo Martinez Erazun Mauro Martinez |
Maria Belen Stoffel Ayelen Tarabini Ailen Valente |
| AUSTRIA | |
| David Kathan Dirk Kathan Daniel Kopeinik Fabian Leimlehner |
Lisa Ecker Jasmin Mader |
| AZERBAIJAN | |
| Ughur Khalilbayli Eldar Safarov Shakir Shikhaliyev |
Yuliya Inshina Marina Nekrasova Kristina Pravdina |
| BELGIUM | |
| Maxime Gentges Dennis Goossens Florian Landuyt Kristof Schroe Donna-Donny Truyens Siemon Volkaert |
|
| BRAZIL | |
| Henrique Flores Diego Hypolito Pericles Silva Arthur Zanetti |
|
| CHILE | |
| Tomas Gonzalez | |
| CHINA | |
| Wang Bo Zhang Hongtao |
|
| CROATIA | |
| Matija Baron Andrej Korosteljev Robert Seligman Tin Srbic |
|
| CZECH REPUBLIC | |
| Veronika Cenkova Anna-Maria Kanyai |
|
| FINLAND | |
| Petrus Laulumä Jarkko Pekkanen Heikki Saarenketo Tomi Tuuha Marrku Vahtila |
Anna Salmi Monica Sileoni |
| FRANCE | |
| Samir Aït Saïd Kevin Antoniotti Axel Augis Danny Pinheiro Rodrigues Cyril Tommasone Jim Zona |
|
| GEORGIA | |
| Shalva Dalakishvili Nodar Lionidze Paata Nozadze |
Nato Dzidziguri |
| GERMANY | |
| Andreas Bretschneider Lukas Dauser Waldemar Eichorn Matthias Fahrig Sebastian Krimmer Helge Liebrich |
Antonia Alicke Kim Janas Michelle Timm |
| HUNGARY | |
| Krisztian Berki Zoltan Kallai Bence Talas David Vecsernyes |
Dorina Böczögö Boglarka Devai |
| IRELAND | |
| Andrew Smith | Nicole Mawhinney Ellis O’Reilly |
| ISRAEL | |
| Artem Dolgopyat Eyal Glazer Andrey Medvedev Alexander Shatilov Moran Yanuka |
Tzuf Feldon Gaya Giladi Ofir Netzer |
| ITALY | |
| Andrea Cingolani Tommaso De Vecchis Ludovico Edalli Lorenzo Ticchi |
|
| JAPAN | |
| Tomomasa Hasegawa Kohei Kameyama Kenzo Shirai Koji Yamamuro |
|
| LATVIA | |
| Vitalijs Kardasovs Dmitrijs Trefilovs |
Anastasija Dubova Diana Jerofejeva |
| LITHUANIA | |
| Rokas Guscinas Tomas Kuzmickas Robert Tvorogal |
|
| LUXEMBOURG | |
| Sascha Palgen | |
| NETHERLANDS | |
| Boudewijn De Vries Bart Deurloo Anthony van Assche Lambertus van Gelder Jeffrey Wammes Epke Zonderland |
|
| NORWAY | |
| Arian Bedzeti-Olsen Stian Skjerahaug |
Dina Nygaard |
| POLAND | |
| Sebastian Cecot Adam Konrad Kierzkowski Maksim Kowalenko Adam Rzepa |
Claudia Chmielowska Katarzyna Jurkowska-Kowalska Marta Pihan-Kulesza Paula Plichta |
| PORTUGAL | |
| Zoi Lima Filipa Martins |
|
| PUERTO RICO | |
| Rafael Morales Tommy Ramos Angel Jose Ramos Luis Rivera Alexander Rodriguez |
|
| ROMANIA | |
| Diana Bulimar Larisa Iordache Stefania Stanila |
|
| SLOVENIA | |
| Saso Bertoncelj Alen DImic Rok Klavora Peter Lampret Jure Pavlica Ziga Silc |
Teja Belak Tatjana Holeczek Tjasa Kysselef |
| SPAIN | |
| Nestor Abad Roberto Alvarez Fabian Gonzalez Ruben Lopez Alberto Tallon Rayderley Zapata |
Nora Fernandez Ana Perez Paula Raya |
| SWEDEN | |
| Jonna Adlerteg | |
| SWITZERLAND | |
| Christian Baumann Pablo Braegger Claudio Capelli David Fuerst Taha Serhani |
Caterina Barloggio Gaia Nesurini |
| TURKEY | |
| Ferhat Arican Ibrahim Colak Ahmet Önder Umit Samiloglu |
Ekin Morova Tutya Yilmaz |
| UKRAINE | |
| Igor Radivilov Andrii Sienichkin Oleg Verniaiev |
|
| UZBEKISTAN | |
| Anton Fokin Eduard Shaulov |
Dilnoza Abdusalimova Oksana Chusovitina |
Article by Lauren Hopkins
The Gymternet 
Germany announced their competitors on the DTB website. The men’s team consists of Andreas Bretschneider, Lukas Dauser, Matthias Fahrig, Waldemar Eichorn, Sebastian Krimmer and Helge Liebrich. For WAG Michelle Timm, Antonia Alicke and Kim Janas are listed. I’m wondering if Koch will nominate another WAG athlete since Germany is registered for 4 WAG spots.
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Thanks! I’ll add these. I’d imagine they’ll want four since they’re hosting and it’s a big deal for them. Would love to see another new senior take part.
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Yup me too! I’m already super excited to see how Alicke and Janas will do as seniors!
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Me too! I loooooved Alicke at YOGs! SO PRETTY. And obviously Janas, super excited for her senior debut.
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I wish Larisa was competing at the American Cup, but I’m glad we get to see her here-especially with Diana!
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Me too. But I’m looking forward to seeing Didi’s return and Lari here!
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Happy to see Adlerteg on the list
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Agreed. Love her elegance.
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