Doha (QAT) March 21, 2017: Athens Olympic champion Catalina Ponor said her victories in the floor and balance beam at the FIG Artistic World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday will boost her confidence to win more medals at the FIG Individual Apparatus World Cup in Doha.
The event starts on Wednesday and Ponor will hope to put Romania on the podium in her events.
“I’m really happy with my performance. I was not only my first competition after the Olympics, but the first one with a new coach. I still have a lot of work to do before the European Championship where I should be mentally prepared. I hope to maintain the good show in Doha,” said Ponor.
The Romanian, who had won three gold medals in 2004 Games, is a familiar face in Doha and led her country’s domination at the last year’s event where she won the beam with 14.650 points.
The 29-year-old won the floor with 13.433 points, surpassing Australian Emily Little, 13.400, and Azerbaijan’s Azeri Marina Nekrasova (12.833).
In the balance beam, Ponor bagged 13.833 points followed Greece’s Vasiliki Miloussi 13.633 and Little 13.433.
Ponor had qualified to the finals with the highest scores 13.233 in the floor and 14.233 in the balance beam.