Individual, Women

The rules for this event were changed to a rather unusual qualifying method. The top six overall in qualifying advanced to the final, as did the top 12 with each implement. Thus the final consisted of 12 gymnasts with each implement (ball, club, hoop, ribbon), and 17 overall, but only eight of the finalists competed with all four implements. Thus only they could win the all-around title. The favorite was Ukrainian Oleksandra Timoshenko, the 1989 World Champion and runner-up in 1991 to her countrywoman, Oksana Skaldina. Timoshenko performed well and won quite easily over Spain’s Carolina Pascual, who had little international reputation. Skaldina refused to acknowledge Pascual on the medal podium, feeling that she deserved the silver medal and that Pascual had only defeated her because the competition was in Spain. Skaldina was fortunate to be competing as she had placed only fifth at the 1992 European Championships, and it was not certain she would be on the team. That event was won by Maria Petrova (BUL), who placed fifth in Barcelona. The 1992 World Championships were held in November and won by young Russian Oksana Kostina, who was killed in a car accident in February 1993.