The next in a long line of World Challenge Cups this season happens in Anadia, Portugal beginning next Thursday, May 21.
29 nations are set to compete, including 18 sending WAG athletes. Several Challenge Cup regulars should be in attendance, but we’ll also see a few newbies, including the senior debut of New Zealand’s Millie Williamson. She will compete alongside teammates Courtney McGregor and Charlotte Sullivan, both of whom have recently committed to NCAA programs (McGregor to Boise State, Sullivan to Iowa).
Jessica Lopez of Venezuela is going to be a huge draw for the competition, especially on bars and beam if she competes her full difficulty there. Yamilet Pena of the Dominican Republic is also on the roster; she recently competed on bars, beam, and floor at the Sao Paolo Cup, but it seems she’s hoping to bring vault back at Anadia.
Some other gymternet favorites in attendance include Jasmin Mader of Austria, Sao Paolo bronze vault medalist Franchesca Santi of Chile, Dorina Böczögö of Hungary, Tzuf Feldon of Israel, 2014 Central American & Caribbean Games vault bronze medalist Nicolle Vazquez of Puerto Rico, Slovenians Teja Belak and Tjasa Kysselef, and the 2015 Swedish all-around champion Marcela Torres.
The host team Portugal will send six of its ladies, including international star Filipa Martins, who has also competed at Cottbus and Doha this season. She is joined by teammates Diana Abrantes, Mariana Pitrez, Zoi Lima, 2014 Youth Olympic Games competitor Sara Raposeiro, and Ines Romero.
Azerbaijan sends a large team with Yuliya Inshina, Marina Nekrasova, and Kristina Pravdina, as does Mexico with Miriana Almeida, Alexa Moreno, Karla Retiz, and Amaranta Torres, and Spain with Claudia Colom, Eva Perez, and Natalia Ros.
A full list of MAG and WAG participants is below.
ALGERIA | |
Mohamed Aouicha Mohamed Abdeldjalil Ahmed Anis Maoudj Hellal Metidji Mohamed Reghib |
|
ARGENTINA | |
Andres Alejandro Arean Nicolas Cordoba Osvaldo Martinez Federico Molinari |
|
AUSTRIA | |
Vinzenz Hoeck Fabian Leimlehner Matthias Schwab |
Elisa Hämmerle Jasmin Mader |
AZERBAIJAN | |
Yuliya Inshina Marina Nekrasova Kristina Pravdina |
|
BRAZIL | |
Petrix Stevan Barbosa Francisco Barretto Jr Lucas Bitencourt Caio Souza |
|
CHILE | |
Joel Alvarez Christian Bruno Juan Pablo Gonzalez Bastian Salazar |
Simona Castro Makarena Pinto Franchesca Santi Camila Vilches |
COLOMBIA | |
Jossimar Calvo Moreno Jorge Hugo Giraldo Lopez Jhonny Munoz Perez Carlos Orozco |
Ginna Escobar Bibiana Velez |
CROATIA | |
Matija Baron Andrej Korosteljev Tomislav Markovic Robert Seligman |
|
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | |
Audrys Nin Reyes | Yamilet Pena |
ECUADOR | |
Giulianna Pino | |
FRANCE | |
Guillaume Augugliaro Zachari Hrimeche Mathias Philippe Cyril Tommasone |
|
GERMANY | |
Ivan Bykov Brian Gladow Fabian Lotz Anton Wirt |
|
GREAT BRITAIN | |
Frank Baines Brinn Bevan Ashley Watson Nile Wilson |
|
HUNGARY | |
Dorina Böczögö Luca Diveky Eniko Horvath Eszter Romhanyi |
|
ISRAEL | |
Andrey Medvedev Yair Shechter Michael Sorokine |
Tzuf Feldon Gaya Giladi |
LATVIA | |
Vitalijs Kardasovs Dmitrijs Trefilovs |
Anastasija Dubova |
MEXICO | |
Javier Balboa Javier Cervantes Javier Lopez Adrian Efrain Prieto |
Miriana Almeida Alexa Moreno Karla Retiz Amaranta Torres |
MONGOLIA | |
Erdenebold Ganbat | |
NETHERLANDS | |
Karl Kosztka Frank Rijken Casimir Schmidt Bram Verhofstad |
|
NEW ZEALAND | |
Courtney McGregor Charlotte Sullivan Millie Williamson |
|
NORWAY | |
Marcus Conradi Pietro Giachino Odin Martin Dessard Kalvo |
|
PORTUGAL | |
Bernardo Almeida Simao Almeida Vasco Barata Francisco Fragoso Pedro Guimaraes Diogo Lopes Romero Ricardo Martins Tiago Mendes Barbosa Gustavo Palma Simoes |
Diana Abrantes Zoi Lima Filipa Martins Mariana Pitrez Sara Raposeiro Ines Romero |
PUERTO RICO | |
Tommy Ramos | Paula Mejias Nicolle Vazquez |
SLOVENIA | |
Saso Bertoncelj Alen Dimic Rok Klavora Jure Pavlica Mitja Petkovsek Ziga Silc |
Teja Belak Sasa Golob Ivana Kamnikar Tjasa Kysselef |
SOUTH AFRICA | |
Tylah Lotter Alessandra Thompson |
|
SPAIN | |
Roberto Alvarez Andres Martin Alberto Tallon Borja Torregrosa Kevin Traid Adria Vera |
Claudia Colom Eva Perez Natalia Ros |
SWEDEN | |
Lovisa Estberg Emma Larsson Marcela Torres |
|
SWITZERLAND | |
Michael Meier Taha Serhani Eddy Yusof |
|
VENEZUELA | |
Jostyn Fuenmayor Junior Rojo |
Eliana Gonzalez Jessica Lopez Ivet Rojas |