KOPER, SLOVENIA — South African Olympians Caitlin Rooskrantz and Naveen Daries have qualified for the uneven bars final at the 2026 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Koper, Slovenia.
Competing in the opening qualification rounds, both gymnasts delivered solid performances to place within the top eight and move through to the weekend’s medal rounds.
Rooskrantz qualified in second place with a score of 13.766, putting her in a strong position ahead of the final. Daries secured her spot in fifth place with a score of 13.133. The score marks a personal milestone for Daries, registering her first mark above 13.000 on this apparatus in an international FIG competition.
Both gymnasts train at JGC Gymnastics under coach Ilse Pelser, who is currently with the team in Slovenia.
The field for Saturday’s final includes top qualifier Sanna Veerman of the Netherlands and third-place qualifier Diana Lobok of Ukraine. They will be joined by Zsofia Kovacs (Hungary), Ariana Cotu (Romania), Carolyne Pedro (Brazil), and Almong Leizerovich (Israel).
South Africa’s Jessica Rautenbach and Karma Visagie also opened their campaigns on the vault against a highly competitive international field, placing 15th and 19th respectively.
Upcoming Schedule
All four South African gymnasts return to the arena today for the remaining apparatus qualifications, targeting additional spots in Sunday’s finals:
- Balance Beam (Rooskrantz and Daries): 14:00 – 17:00
- Floor Exercise (Visagie and Rautenbach): 17:15 – 20:05
The top eight athletes from today’s sessions will advance to Sunday’s apparatus finals for these respective events. Meanwhile, the uneven bars final featuring Rooskrantz and Daries will take place tomorrow (Saturday) between 11:20 and 14:15.
The event is unfortunately not available for local fans in South Africa, and is only streamed live on Eurovision Sport. Sport South Africa will keep you updated.
