Rhys McClenaghan

The FIG released the roster for the Baku World Cup, to be held later this month as the final of four events in the 2022 FIG world cup series, which serves as a qualifier to this year’s world championships.

Many of the gymnasts expected to attend have been competing throughout the season with worlds on their minds, but while the Baku meet will be the final determiner as to who will qualify, these spots won’t be finalized until the conclusion of the continental championships later this year, as teams and all-arounders qualify this way first, and then anyone who hasn’t qualified this way will make it in through their apparatus cup rankings.

So far, the majority of the WAG competitors at the world cups have been here for the experience, with only a few – like Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan, who must be so thrilled to focus only on vault instead of a full all-around program – aiming for this path to worlds. But on the MAG side, there are tons of specialists from small programs at the top of their field that wouldn’t have any shot at making it to worlds on a team or via the all-around, and we’re going to see a high number of these guys in Baku hoping to seal the deal.

The competition begins with qualifications on March 31 and April 1, and finals will be held the subsequent days. A full list of competitors is below.

Article by Lauren Hopkins