Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak received a major boost ahead of the upcoming Asian Games as the two-time Asian Championships medallist bagged a Bronze medal at the World Challenge Cup in Szombathely, Hungary. The 28-year-old won the Bronze in a single-vault tie-break after she tied for third place with Greece’s Athanasia Mesiri.
Nayak registered a score of 12.966 points, which tied her along with Mesiri. The Indian then scored 13.066 in a tie-break while the Greek star managed 13.000. Notably, Hungary’s Greta Mayer took the Gold with a score of 13.149, whereas Czech Republic’s Alice Vlkova clinched the Silver with a score of 12.999. The 28-year-old Indian performed a backward Tsukahara 720, which is a half turn off the springboard onto the vault table and then a push backwards. She scored 13.066 for her first vault, while she garnered 12.866 for the second one.
The final was a closely fought affair. Mayer’s 13.149 was only 0.383 points more than the score of the eighth-placed Dorien Motten of Georgia. Notably, Nayak qualified for the eight-woman final when she pipped Dipa Karmakar in the qualification round. The 28-year-old finished fifth in the previous round with a score of 12.850, while Karmakar finished ninth.
She will be seen in action in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China which starts on September 23. Pranati is the only gymnast from India to feature in the Games as Karmakar will not be part of the tournament. She looks to hone her skills in the forward handspring 540 routine at the Games.