Vanessa Ferrari
Encyclopedia
Vanessa Ferrari is a World Champion Gymnast from Italy. Her mother, Galya, is Bulgaria
n and her father, Giovanni, is Italian
.
Ferrari first rose to prominence as a thirteen year old at the 2004 Junior European Championships where she won the silver medal in the All Around competition with a score of 36.525. She also won two bronze medals with the Italian Team and on the Balance Beam with a score of 9.175.
Still in the Junior ranks for 2005, Ferrari turned in more fine performances at the European Youth Olympics in Italy and the 2005 Mediterranean Games
in Almería
, Spain, winning the All Around Gold Medal at both competitions as well. She also won Vault, Beam and Floor at the latter as well as the Silver Medal on the Uneven Bars.
In 2006, Ferrari qualified as a Senior Gymnast. She anchored the Italian team a surprise Gold Medal at the Senior European Championships, edging out defending champions Romania
by just one tenth of a point. Although no All Around competition was held, Ferrari's combined score was the highest of any gymnast at the competition. She also won a Silver Medal on the Floor, scoring 15.450 to finish ahead of Olympic Champion Cătălina Ponor
. Falls from bars and beam prevented further success there.
Ferrari won the Gold Medal in the All Around competition at the 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
with a combined score of 61.025. This win was highly controversial as Ferrari fell from the balance beam while attempting a difficult full twisting back somersault in the third of four rotations. This placed her out of the medals after the third rotation, but she fought back on the floor, sticking her tumbling passes and clinching the gold medal. She finished ahead of several athletes who, unlike her, did not fall, notably the rest of the top 5: Jana Bieger
, Sandra Izbaşa
, Steliana Nistor
and Daria Joura
.
Ferrari was the first woman ever to win a world championship with a fall under the 'new life' system (prior to 1989, scores from the team competition counted towards the all-around title, therefore gymnasts were assessed on twelve routines rather than four, making the deduction for a fall easier to absorb). Nicolae Forminte, the coach of the Romanian athletes in third and fourth, lashed out at the result, declaring Bieger the rightful winner and presumably his own athletes the silver and bronze medalists. Consequently, the new code came under fire from experts and fans alike. However, Grandi has said the new code needs no changes.
Ferrari went on to win two more medals at the Championships - a bronze on the uneven bars and bronze on the floor exercise. Another beam fall lost her a chance to medal there too, and a disappointing showing from Italy in the qualification round meant they were unable to repeat their triumph at Europeans.
Ferrari has continued her dominance in 2007, winning golds in the all-around and on floor at the European Championships in Amsterdam
. Once again, falls on bars and beam in finals prevented medals there, but Italy dominated the competition for the second year running, thanks to both Ferrari's success and Carlotta Giovannini
winning vault.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n and her father, Giovanni, is Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
.
Ferrari first rose to prominence as a thirteen year old at the 2004 Junior European Championships where she won the silver medal in the All Around competition with a score of 36.525. She also won two bronze medals with the Italian Team and on the Balance Beam with a score of 9.175.
Still in the Junior ranks for 2005, Ferrari turned in more fine performances at the European Youth Olympics in Italy and the 2005 Mediterranean Games
2005 Mediterranean Games
The XVth Mediterranean Games Almería 2005, commonly known as the 2005 Mediterranean Games were the 15th Mediterranean Games. The Games were held in Almería, Spain over 10 days, from 24 June to 3 July 2005, where 3,214 athletes from 21 countries participated...
in Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
, Spain, winning the All Around Gold Medal at both competitions as well. She also won Vault, Beam and Floor at the latter as well as the Silver Medal on the Uneven Bars.
In 2006, Ferrari qualified as a Senior Gymnast. She anchored the Italian team a surprise Gold Medal at the Senior European Championships, edging out defending champions Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
by just one tenth of a point. Although no All Around competition was held, Ferrari's combined score was the highest of any gymnast at the competition. She also won a Silver Medal on the Floor, scoring 15.450 to finish ahead of Olympic Champion Cătălina Ponor
Catalina Ponor
Cătălina Ponor is a gymnast from Constanţa, Romania. After beginning training with the national team in 2002, Ponor won several medals with the Romanian team, along with individual balance beam and floor exercise medals. Almost unknown until late 2003, Ponor has made several important...
. Falls from bars and beam prevented further success there.
Ferrari won the Gold Medal in the All Around competition at the 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
39th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Aarhus, Denmark from October 13 to October 21, 2006 in NRGi Arena.It was the first time the World Gymnastics Championships was organized by a Danish city...
with a combined score of 61.025. This win was highly controversial as Ferrari fell from the balance beam while attempting a difficult full twisting back somersault in the third of four rotations. This placed her out of the medals after the third rotation, but she fought back on the floor, sticking her tumbling passes and clinching the gold medal. She finished ahead of several athletes who, unlike her, did not fall, notably the rest of the top 5: Jana Bieger
Jana Bieger
Jana Lyn Bieger is an American gymnast of German descent. Raised in the U.S. and a citizen, Bieger has competed only for the U.S. At the 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, she won three silver medals...
, Sandra Izbaşa
Sandra Izbasa
Sandra Raluca Izbaşa is a Romanian artistic gymnast. Her best event is the floor exercise on which she is an Olympic champion and a three-time European Champion. She also won medals on balance beam, vault, all around, and with the team...
, Steliana Nistor
Steliana Nistor
Steliana Nistor is a Romanian gymnast. She is an Olympic and a world bronze medalist with the team. Individually, she is a world all around and beam silver medalist and a multiple European medalist on beam and uneven bars. Her best events were the uneven bars, the beam and the all around...
and Daria Joura
Daria Joura
Daria "Dasha" Joura is an Australian gymnast. She is a triple Australian senior all around champion and competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2006 and 2007.-Personal life:Daria Joura was born in Russia...
.
Ferrari was the first woman ever to win a world championship with a fall under the 'new life' system (prior to 1989, scores from the team competition counted towards the all-around title, therefore gymnasts were assessed on twelve routines rather than four, making the deduction for a fall easier to absorb). Nicolae Forminte, the coach of the Romanian athletes in third and fourth, lashed out at the result, declaring Bieger the rightful winner and presumably his own athletes the silver and bronze medalists. Consequently, the new code came under fire from experts and fans alike. However, Grandi has said the new code needs no changes.
Ferrari went on to win two more medals at the Championships - a bronze on the uneven bars and bronze on the floor exercise. Another beam fall lost her a chance to medal there too, and a disappointing showing from Italy in the qualification round meant they were unable to repeat their triumph at Europeans.
Ferrari has continued her dominance in 2007, winning golds in the all-around and on floor at the European Championships in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Once again, falls on bars and beam in finals prevented medals there, but Italy dominated the competition for the second year running, thanks to both Ferrari's success and Carlotta Giovannini
Carlotta Giovannini
Carlotta Giovannini is an Italian artistic gymnast who competed at her first international competition in 2003....
winning vault.