Gymnast Félix Dolci took advantage of his very first final at a Senior World Championships to climb into the top 5 in the floor exercise on Saturday in Belgium. This is the first time since 2006 that a Canadian has placed among the top five in a men’s world event.
A week after helping the Canadian team qualify for the Paris Olympic Games, the Laval resident reached the final thanks to a fifth place in qualifying. Third to start, his routine with a difficulty level of 6.000, the lowest of the finalists, earned him 14.400 points.
When he learned of his score, Félix Dolci suspected that his day would not end on the podium, despite a satisfactory performance. He ultimately ranked fifth in the world.
“I think the rating I received is adequate. Knowing the other competitors, I told myself that it wasn’t going to be enough for a podium, he confided in an interview with Sportcom. I am very happy with my performance! A first senior final remains a great accomplishment. I wasn’t very far [from a medal], but as I guessed, it wasn’t enough. »
In 2006, Albertan Kyle Shewfelt took third place on the podium in the floor exercise.
On Saturday, just 0.200 points separated Dolci from bronze medalist Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan and 0.466 points from world champion Artem Dolgopyat of Israel. The one who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics beat Japan’s Kazuki Manimi by 0.200 points.
The Quebecer, silver medalist on floor at the 2019 Junior World Championships, lost a few points in landing his jumps. He said better landing stability from his second and third jumps “would have made all the difference.”
“There were some big bounces and I think I lost a few tenths that could have easily put me on the podium. It can’t always be perfect and the rest was pretty neat! » explained the 21-year-old athlete, who is perfecting a more challenging routine in training.
“I had confidence in myself and I wanted to make a podium. This is my intention every time I take part in a final. The fact remains that when we arrive in an individual final, it is always very close, all the competitors are very, very good at their equipment! »
Dolci will return to the Antwerp Sports Palace on Sunday to compete in the high bar final.
Author of a score of 14.133 good for eighth place in qualifying last weekend, he plans to add a degree of difficulty to his program in order to maximize his chances of a podium finish.
“My routine will be slightly different. We’re talking about a few centimeters that can change everything in my catches. I want to leave it all! Once again, I find myself against such talented gymnasts, including Olympic champion Daiki Hashimoto. If I don’t give my 100%, or even my 120%, my chances of a podium finish are minimal. I prefer to go all out. »
