The German gymnasts started with a third place in the team challenge in the traditional DTB Cup in Stuttgart. As expected, victory in the Porsche Arena went to the squad from the USA ahead of the quintet from Italy.
“We wanted to slip into the top six. We managed that without any problems,” said the new head coach Valeri Belenki, who had to do without three of his regular players.
Lukas Dauser, Olympic silver medalist on parallel bars, will not start the new season until May, as will Andreas Toba. Even veteran Marcel Nguyen is not yet back in competitive form after a long injury break.
Belenki was particularly satisfied with Carlo Hörr. The German high bar champion came fourth on the king apparatus. National team debutant Milan Hosseini surprised as sixth on the floor.
The DTB Cup is characterized by numerous cancellations this year. Russia had already decided not to start before the war of aggression against Ukraine, and the top gymnasts from China and Japan canceled the planned trip to Europe because of the coronavirus pandemic. He had also fallen victim to hosting the DTB Cup in the past two years.
Already in the afternoon, the DTB junior squad surprised with a second place behind the USA and ahead of Italy. The DTB Cup continues on Saturday (1:45 p.m.) with the women’s team challenge.