(PRIMASPORT) ROTTERDAM – Two hundred and thirty-two thousandths of a second. An almost imperceptible gap, yet enough to separate the finish line from reaching it. This is the margin separating the Italian men's national team from the eight-man final of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam. The Italians finished the qualifying rounds in ninth place with 242.495 points, just behind Colombia, eighth with 242.727. It's an outcome that inevitably leaves a hint of bitterness, especially given the performance demonstrated over the course of the six rotations, but it doesn't erase the value of an overall performance that was enhanced by three qualifications to the individual finals.
The group led by coach Giuseppe Cocciaro, featuring Yumin Abbadini, Mario Macchiati, Niccolò Vannucchi, Simone Speranza, and Gabriele Targhetta—as well as reserve Riccardo Villa—entered its fifth division with the ambition of confirming ItaliaGAM's place in the elite Pianetta dei Grandi Attrezzi. This goal was narrowly missed at the end of a hard-fought competition, in which some inaccuracies inevitably impacted the overall score, without compromising the Italian team's ability to react and remain competitive until the final routine.
The final ranking, with the sixth and final subdivision completed, sees Japan dominate the entrance competition with 254,529 points, ahead of Great Britain (251,460) and Russia (249,162). China is fourth with 247,493, followed by the United States (245,961), Switzerland (244,430), the hosts, the Netherlands (242,995), and, of course, Colombia (242,727). These are the eight nations that will compete for the 2026 World Championship title and three direct Olympic spots for Los Angeles 2028. Italy is the first of the excluded, just 0.232 points below the qualifying line and half a point behind the Dutch.
Having finished sixth at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the FGI team arrived in Rotterdam – in the first team match of the new four-year period – with a somewhat rejuvenated squad, with only Yumin Abbadini and Mario Macchiati having appeared in Bercy two years ago, during the French Olympic team's trip to the Olympics. A generational shift that takes time, but one that has already shown encouraging signs.
Rotterdam also provided a qualification for the men's individual all-around. Yumin Abbadini finished the all-around qualifying round in thirteenth place with a personal best of 81.065 points, earning a spot in the 24-man final on Thursday, October 22. Japan's Shinnosuke Oka currently leads the all-around standings with 85.098 points, ahead of his compatriot, defending champion Daiki Hashimoto, in second with 84.632, and Russia's Arsenii Dukhno, in third with 83.866. These two will be the main points of reference in the race for the 2026 title, in a final where, of course, Q1 scores will be reset. (PRIMASPORT)
