University of Utah gymnast Daria Bijak has made Germany’s Olympic team after placing fourth in the all-around at the German National Championships on June 7 in Chemnitz. Bijak was notified of her selection to the team on June 11. The first three finishers qualified automatically.
Bijak’s 56.30 all-around score was .30 out of third place. She also placed fourth on beam, bars and vault and was sixth on the floor.
Her next competition will be at the Beijing Olympic Games, which start on August 8. Bijak, who won the German national all-around championship in 2005 and 2006, qualified for Germany’s Olympic team in 2000, but missed the Olympics due to an Achilles injury. Germany did not qualify for the 2004 Olympics.
Bijak becomes the fourth Ute gymnast to make her country’s Olympic gymnastics team, joining Cheryl Weatherstone (Great Britain 1984), Missy Marlowe (USA 1988) and current teammate Gael Mackie (Canada 2004).
She hit all four events in their championships.
Translation: German » English
The DTB nominated for the women’s team Katja Abel (SC Berlin), Daria Bijak (TT Toyota Cologne / University of Utah), Anja Brinker (TV Herkenrath), Oksana Chusovitina (TT Toyota Cologne), Marie-Sophie Hindermann (TSG Tuebingen) and Joeline Möbius (TuS Chemnitz-old village). As the seventh woman will turn Kim Bui (TSG Tuebingen) with travel to Beijing and ready in case of failure.
The German men’s team were Philipp Boy (SC Cottbus), Fabian Hambüchen (TSG Wetzlar-Niedergirmes), Robert Juckel (SC Cottbus), Marcel Nguyen (TSV Unterhaching), Eugen Spiridonov (TV Bous) and Thomas Andergassen (KTV Stuttgart) nominated. As an additional Turner will Helge Liebrich (TSV sweetening) and Robert Weber (TSV Ehmen) with direct competition to prepare to travel to Japan.
On last Thursday (05.06.08) were the two trampoline Turner Anna Dogonadze (MTV Bad Kreuznach) and Henrik Stehlik (TGJ Salzgitter) nominated by the DTB.
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