NANJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Home favorite and reigning world champion Wang Zisai placed second in the first qualification round of the men's individual trampoline at the 39th Trampoline & Tumbling World Championships here on Thursday, advancing to Saturday's semifinal.
Wang, 20, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, won the world title in Pamplona last year and swept four consecutive World Cup events this season. Competing early in the first group in Nanjing, he performed two different routines, with difficulty scores of 19.500 and 21.900.
At the end of his second routine, his coach threw a mat to protect his landing, which cost him around two points in execution. Wang still scored 64.500 to advance, behind only two-time Olympic champion Ivan Litvinovich of Belarus, who led the field with 65.280.
According to the rules, trampoline qualification is divided into two rounds: the first (Q1), in which all registered gymnasts compete, and the second (Q2), which serves as the semifinal, with competition groups decided by draw. The draw placed Wang fourth in Group One for Saturday's Q2, while Litvinovich will be the last to perform.
In the women's event, Zhu Xueying, 28, had a mishap in her first routine, sitting on the trampoline bed for at least ten seconds after her feet caught slightly on the edge.
"I was perfectly prepared before I started jumping, but trampoline is a sport that has zero tolerance towards any error," said Zhu, who entered Q2 ranked fifth.
"My feet were too sore to move. But they are OK now. I hope that I can feel better tomorrow morning."
Belarusian athletes Iana Lebedeva and Katsiaryna Yarshova led the women's Q1, with Japan's Kiko Tanaka third.
Men's and women's synchro will be held on Friday, when four world titles will also be decided in men's and women's team tumbling and men's and women's double-mini team. ■
