Three-time Olympic champion Catalina Ponor, on a comeback trail, scooped the gold medal in the women’s beam event at the 9th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series here yesterday.
The Romanian made her much-awaited return to international competition at the Aspire Dome this week, since retiring from gymnastics following the 2012 London Games.
Ponor had returned to training a year ago with an eye on this year’s Rio Olympics but received a setback as she had to undergo surgery on an Achilles tendon, during which time she also missed Glasgow World Championships.
Ponor was the most decorated gymnast at the Athens 2004 Olympics, winning gold in the team event, floor and beam. She had also bagged silver on floor and bronze with the team in London.
Now back to full fitness, Ponor showed her class yesterday. The 28-year-old had made it to the final with the highest score in the event and she carried on that form to take the top spot after accumulating 14.650 points The silver medal went to Brazil’s Thauany Lee de Araujo (14.150 points), and the bronze to Portugal’s Filipa Martins (13,900).
