Ukrainian dancers open season strong in Cujik

Ukrainian dancers left Cujik, the Netherlands, with wins in 11 events at the Para Dance Sport International Competition between 14-16 April, as the World Championships season got underway.

European champions Olena Chynka and Oleksandr Onishchenko waltzed their way to the top of the podium in the duo standard class 2. Their top marks from all judges in the waltz and Viennese Waltz helped them to their first win of the season.

Poland’s Joanna Reda and Pawel Karpinski were rewarded with top three scores from all judges in the quickstep to take second.

Vienna-based Brigitte Kroell and Werner Kaiser took a satisfying third place for Austria after the rest of their team had to pull out of the event. Their bus from Salzburg caught fire in Frankfurt, Germany, on the way to the competition; fortunately no one was seriously injured. Kroell and Kaiser were able to compete because they were travelling separately.

Chynka and Onishchenko followed up their standard win with another win in the duo Latin class 2.

The duo standard class 1 saw Ukraine shine once again. European title holders Illona Slugovyna and Valeriy Bevzyuk were nearly flawless. The judges agreed and awarded them first place in all five dances, including two perfect scores in the waltz and Viennese waltz. Slugovyna and Bevzyuk also took to the floor in the duo Latin class 1, gracing the top step again.

Nataliya Kolesova and Andrii Tovstyi grabbed another first place for Ukraine in the combi standard class 2, and went on to win the combi freestyle class 2.

Chynka, Slugovyna and Kolsesova dominated in the women’s singles and singles freestyle events and Ivan Sivak claimed the men’s singles to bring Ukraine’s gold medal count to 11. That included two wins for Chynka.

In the combi Latin class 1, Finland’s Tuuli Harju and Timo Pyykkonen impressed the judges most with their cha cha. The pairing received top marks from all but one adjudicator to take the top prize.

Great Britain’s Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness were second followed by Dutch couple Denise and Sjuul Walboomers.

Harju and Pyykkonen also danced their way to the top of the combi standard class 1. They were handed perfect scores in the waltz, tango and quickstep.

Poland’s Nadine Kinczel and Karpinski looked in good form ahead of October’s World Championships in the combi Latin class 2. Their two best dances were the rumba and cha cha.

Their teammates Katarzyna Bloch and Marek Zaborowski were a close second, showing their potential to challenge for gold. Germany’s Vanessa Zellman and Stefan Kuhne completed the top three.

Bloch and Zaborowski led the combi freestyle class 1, which also included a great result for Cape Verde. Miriam Medina partnered with former swimmer Goncalves Declanisangelo to take second in only their second international competition. The Netherlands’ Kim Roovers-Bezemer and Robert Roovers were third.

One of Belgium’s most successful Para dancers, Sander Deckx, claimed the men’s singles class 2 win. He will be a face to watch at his home World Championships in Malle later in 2017.

The 2017 World Championships, the world’s biggest gathering of Para dancers, will be held between 21-22 October.

Around 150 athletes from 25 countries are expected for the competition which is being hosted at the Provincial Education Centre. It follows on from other successful competitions held in the country in previous years.

Full results are available at World Para Dance Sport’s website.