Worlds 2015: All you need to know

We’ve tried to cram as much into one post as is possible to give you all you need to know for the 2015 World Championships. Of course not every bit of information you are looking for may not be here (we can’t possibly give television information for every country!) but based on past experience with these popular posts, we have included the information that is generally the most sought after.

The 46th edition of the World Championships (WCh’s) will take place at the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, September 23rd – November 1st. To date, 594 gymnasts are registered to compete from 87 countries.

Schedule

• Friday 23rd October –  WAG Qualification & Opening Ceremony 8.50am – 3.35pm, 4.05pm – 10.45pm
• Saturday 24th October – WAG Qualification 8.50am – 3.35pm, 4.05pm – 10.45pm
• Sunday 25th October –  MAG Qualification 8.50am – 3.50pm, 4.25pm – 11pm
• Monday 26th October –  MAG Qualification 8.50am – 3.35pm, 4.05pm – 10.40pm
• Tuesday 27th October –  WAG Team Final 5.50pm – 9.15pm
• Wednesday 28th October – MAG Team Final  5.25pm – 9.10pm
• Thursday 29th October – WAG All Around Final 6.10pm – 9.15pm
• Friday 30th October –  MAG All Around Final  5.40pm – 9.20pm
• Saturday 31st October –  MAG  PH, SR, VT / WAG FX & BB finals 12.50pm – 5.20pm
• Sunday 1st November –  MAG HB, PB, FX / WAG UB & VT finals & Closing ceremony 1pm – 5pm

Who is competing and when?

A list of the nominative register of entrants can be found here – however this can be updated as close to 24 hours ahead of competition.  The top 24 ranking teams from the 2014 WCh’s have been invited, they are as follows:

• MAG: CHN, JPN, USA, GBR, RUS, GER, BRA, SUI, UKR, KOR, FRA, ROU, ITA, CAN, BLR, ESP, COL, NED, BEL, HUN, PUR, GRE, MEX, TPE
• WAG: USA, CHN, RUS, GBR, ITA, JPN, ROU, AUS, GER, NED, BEL, CAN, FRA, MEX, ESP, BRA, POL, KOR, SUI, HUN, SWE, AUT, PRK, GRE

As per the directives, the age of eligibility is minimum 18 for MAG (born 1997) or older and 16 for WAG (born 1999) or older.

In terms of qualification the breakdown is below. If you are unsure of any of the Olympic abbreviations you can view the full explanation here. MAG mixed group information here, WAG mixed group information here.

• Friday 23rd October –  WAG Qualification & Opening Ceremony
  • 8.50am – 3.35pm:
    • Subdivision 1 ESP, ROU, MXG 21 (UZB, KAZ), MXG 23 (NOR,PAN,CYP)
    • Subdivision 2 JAP, AUT, MXG 1 (ISR, SVK, ECU, MGL), MXG 22 (GEO, UKR)
    • Subdivision 3 CAN, SWE, MXG 20 (BOL, SRB, LYU), MXG 17 (ARG, NZL)
  • 4.05pm – 10.45pm:
    • Subdivision 4: MXG 13 (PHI, TTO, URU), MXG 5 (VEN, FIN), GBR, BRA
    • Subdivision 5: ITA, RUS, MXG 9 (ISL, MAR), MXG 10 (POR,PUR)
    • Subdivision 6: POL, GER, MXG 2 (COL, BAH, ALG), MXG 8 (CRO, SLO)
• Saturday 24th October – WAG Qualification
  • 8.50am – 3.35pm:
    • Subdivision 7: PRK, CHN, MXG 19 (MON, DOM, KAY), MXG 18 (SIN, CHI,GUA)
    • Subdivision 8: KOR, BEL, MXG 12 (AZE, VIE, INA), MXG (TUR, MLT)
    • Subdivision 9:  FRA, AUS, MXG 4 (CUB, BLR, TPE), MXG 7 (PER, BUL)
  • 4.05 – 10.45pm:
  • • Subdivision 10: NED, USA, MXG 11 (IRL, LAT), MXG 3 (IND)
    • Subdivision 11: GRE, MEX, MXG 24 (DEN, EGY), MXG 6 (MAS, NAM)
    • Subdivision 12: HUN, SUI, MXG 14 (CZE, HON, ARM), MXG 16 (JAM, RSA)
• Sunday 25th October – MAG Qualification
  • 8.50am – 3.50pm:
    • Subdivision 1: PUR, BRA, GBR, MXG 5 (CHI, NZL, SYR), MXG 21 (LTU, ALG, GUA), MXG 1 (RSA, CZE, PHI)
    • Subdivision 2: GER, RUS, SUI, MXG 7 (PRK, CYP), MXG 13 (JOR, KUW, HKG), MXG 3 (POR, SRB)
  • 3.25pm – 11.00pm:
    • Subdivision 3: CHN, JPN, BEL, MXG 20 (SLO, EGY, POL), MXG 10 (DEN, IRL) MXG 16 (VEN, MAS, BAH)
    • Subdivision 4: GRE, COL, KOR, MXG 22 (AZE, UZB), MXG 8 (JAM, ISR, DOM), MXG 15 (AUT, SVK)
• Monday 26th October – MAG Qualification
  • 8.50am – 3.35pm:
    • Subdivision 5: FRA, UKR, HUN, MXG 24 (IND, TUR), MXG 19 (AUS, ISL), MXG 23 (SIN,CRO)
    • Subdivision 6: CAN, MEX, ESP, MXG 18 (BUL, CUB, QAT), MXG 2 (CRC, ARM, IRQ), MXG 9 (THA, MAR)
  • 4.05pm- 10.40pm:
    • Subdivision 7: NED, BLR, USA, MXG 17 (FIN, LAT, TTO), MXG 14 (KAZ, PER, ECU), MXG 4 (VIE, ARG, MON)
    • Subdivision 8: ITA, ROU, TPE, MXG 6 (BOL, ANG, URU), MXG 11 (MGL, SWE), MXG 12 (NOR, GEO)

What’s at stake?

This is the most important World Championships of the quad. It’s features a Team, All Around and Individual Apparatus competition, so plenty of titles and medals up for grabs.

As well as this, the opportunity for Olympic qualification is at stake. The top 8 teams qualified through to the team final have secured their nations team spot at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The teams placed 9th – 16th will have the opportunity to try once again at the Olympic Test Event, 16th – 24th April 2016, where the top 4 ranking teams will secure their Olympic spot. Those who win Individual Apparatus medals will also secure their place at the 2016 Olympics, provided they come from a country that has not already qualified a team. The teams ranked 17th-24th at the 2015 Worlds will be allowed to send two individual gymnasts to the 2016 Test Event, while other nations with a gymnast who participates in AA qualification at the WCh’s will earn the right to send one gymnast to the Test Event based on the gymnasts ranking. 40 male and 40 female gymnasts will qualify to the Test Event through Worlds in Glasgow.

If you are interested in learning more, in a lot of detail, the Gymternet have gone to a great effort to give as much information as possible – read that here.

What is the format?

A question that is so commonly asked. The format for this World Championships qualification stage  is 6-5-4, meaning 6 on a team, 5 can compete and only 4 scores count towards the team score. In the Team final, it is three up, three scores count.

The rules for the All Around competition are as normal, the top 24 gymnasts qualify to the AA final with a 2 per country rule applying, meaning if three gymnasts from the same country place within the top 24, only 2 can advance to the AA final.

In regards to the Individual Apparatus final, the top 8 ranking gymnasts from qualification will go through, with the 2 per country rule also being applied here.

Current Title Holders

• MAG All Around: Kohei Uchimura JPN
• WAG All Around: Simone Biles USA
• MAG Team: China
• WAG Team: USA
• WAG Beam: Simone Biles USA
• WAG Floor: Simone Biles USA
• WAG Bars:  Yao Jinnan CHN
• WAG Vault: Hong Un Jong PRK
• MAG Pommel Horse: Krisztian Berki HUN
• MAG High Bar: Epke Zonderland NED
• MAG Still Rings: Liu Yang CHN
• MAG Vault: Ri Se Gwang PRK
• MAG Parallel Bars: Oleg Verniaiev UKR
• MAG Floor: Denis Abliazin RUS

Where can I watch?

Another commonly asked question. We are a blog working mainly from Ireland so focus on watching from the UK / Ireland. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts where we post any information we find on live streaming.  The below will be updated should more information becomes available.

• Tuesday 27th October: BBC2 7pm WAG Team final
• Wednesday 28th October: BBC2 7pm MAG Team final
• Thursday 29th October: BBC2 7pm WAG AA final
• Friday 30th October: BBC2 7pm MAG AA final
• Saturday 31st October: BBC1 1.30pm MAG  PH, SR, VT / WAG FX & BB finals
• Sunday 1st November: BBC1 1.30pm MAG HB, PB, FX / WAG UB & VT finals

If you live in the USA, is how you can watch (via USAG)

You can also use the Longines live scoring app to view up to the minute scores . (To install CIS, the user must have an administrator access on the computer and Java must be installed on the computer – does not tend to work on iPads and Tablets.)