Koudinov satisfied with his showing

Mikhail Koudinov was generally satisfied with his performance in the all-round section of the Olympic gymnastics competition today.

Koudinov, though only 30, represented New Zealand as long ago as the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, and used that experience well in Tokyo.

He peeled off performances of 13.433 (floor), 12.466 (pommel), 12.600 (rings), 13.766 (vault) and 14.433 parallel bars, before coming unstuck on his final discipline, the horizontal bar.

A poor landing and an erratic routine meant he recorded only 11.366 and so finished with a total of 78.064, which placed him 15th of the 43 who started in his subdivision.

There are three subdivisions and only the top 24 overall progress to the final, so Koudinov said that realistically his chances of advancing were slight. The winner of his subdivision was Russian Nikita Nagornyy, who totalled 87.897.

“I was pleased overall,” said the New Zealander. “I was quite nervous on the floor, the first event, but I stuck my first tumble, and after that I felt much better.

“For the first five disciplines I feel I did everything I am capable of. The two I can have more trouble are the parallel bar and the high bar.

“On the high bar I suddenly began to feel exhausted partway through. The whole day was catching up with me. I dropped one of my skills and then I had the bad landing, which would have cost me a whole mark.”

He said that with two disciplines remaining he thought he was still in with a chance of making the final, but at an Olympics there is no room for even one bad error.

Koudinov had intended retiring from gymnastics several years ago but, perhaps heartened by his showing in Tokyo, is now thinking of farewelling the sport at the next Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham.