Valentina Georgieva

After the conclusion of the FIG’s world cup series in April, apparatus competition is officially back with the start of the world challenge cup, beginning in Varna, Bulgaria this week with two more meets held in Osijek, Croatia and Koper, Slovenia in the coming weeks, and then continuing on with an additional three meets in early autumn.

The challenge cup in Varna will feature many of the same gymnasts who participated in the world cup series, but I can see the numbers ramping up toward the summer as gymnasts are preparing to compete in the continental championships meets that will serve as the team and individual qualifiers for this year’s world championships.

Qualifications begin in Varna on May 26 and continue to May 27, with finals held over the weekend, including women’s vault and beam and men’s floor, pommels, and rings on May 28, and then women’s bars and floor and men’s vault, parallel bars, and high bar on May 29.

A full list of nominative competitors is below.