2014 YOG Continental Qualification - Europe By: Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor Eight places are already reserved for the forthcoming Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, to be held later this year in August; those positions were secured at the Youth Olympic Games World Qualification Tournament staged in the Portuguese city of Vila Nova de Gaia in January. On Tuesday 11th February, a further eight names will be added to the list, four boys and four girls, following the conclusion of the three day European Youth Olympic Games Qualification Tournament in Hodonin, Czech Republic. Eligibility A total of 21 boys and 18 girls will be on duty, a maximum of one boy and one girl per National Olympic Committee being eligible; furthermore, National Olympic Committees with players already qualified may not submit further nominations. Only one boy and one girl per National Olympic Committee may compete in the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games. Girls’ Singles event it is a different scenario. Croatia’s Lea Rakovac, listed at no.19 on the Under 18 World Junior Rankings, is the top seed and she has a special affinity towards Hodonin. In 2013 she won the Junior Girls’ Singles event at the Czech Junior and Cadet Open to add to the title won in Italy in 2012. Next on List Next in the order of merit in the Girls’ Singles event in Hodonin is Russia’s Maria Malanina, followed by Poland’s Natalia Bajor and Great Britain’s Charlotte Carey. Maria Malanina presently stands at no.41 on the Under 18 Girls’ World Rankings; whilst Natalia Bajor is at no.45 and Carlotte Carey one place below at no.46. All have proved themselves worthy competitors on the ITTF Junior Circuit with Charlotte Carey being the member of the trio to have struck gold. She won the Junior Girls’ Singles title in 2013 in Malta; the best for Maria Malanina is a semi-final finish in Funchal in 2012 and 2013, for Natalia Bajor it is a quarter-final conclusion in Funchal in 2012 and in Sweden in 2013. Prominent Names Kristyna Stefcova (Czech Republic), Kim Vermaas (Netherlands), Nicole Trosman (Israel) and Nathalie Marchetti (Belgium) complete the leading eight names in the Girls’ Singles event.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Feb 2014 20:38:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015