Day Two In #Rome2015 09/11/2015

The Philippines’ Rhea Marquez and Jun Julius Obero pulled the biggest surprise at the 2015 IPC Wheelchair DanceSport World Championships on Sunday in Rome, ITA. 

The duo were crowned the combi freestyle class 2 world champions, spoiling the gold-medal streak of Russia’s Galina Ryzhkova and Viacheslav Osipov.

“We were shocked when they called us as the World Champions,” Marquez said. “We are speechless. We don’t know what to say. We are full of emotions right now because we are new partners actually,” said Marquez, who along with Obero just missed the podium in Saturday’s combi Latin class 2, which went to the Russians.  

The final day of the World Championships included five more medal events. 

Ryzhkova took three titles of the four she competed in over the two days, including gold in the women’s single freestyle class 2 to add to the European title she won last year. Ukraine’s Olena Chynka took home the silver, just edging Kazakhstan’s Nargiza Akhmetova in the choreography and presentation category.

After taking second at the 2014 European Championships, Sedakov returned to take the men’s single class 2 title. Sedakov was the judges’ favourite in every category (waltz, tango, samba, rumba and jive). Germany’s European champion Erik Machens settled for the silver, and Russia's Sergey Antonov finished with the bronze medal.  

“My coaches gave me re-assurance on what to do for this dance,” Sedakov said. “At times it was hectic, but my coaches helped guide me.” 

After taking silver in Saturday’s combi Latin class 2, Belarus’s Hanna Harchakova and Ihar Kisialiou left Rome with gold in the combi standard class 2. They were the judges favourite in four of the five dances – quickstep, waltz, tango and Viennese waltz. Italians Susanna Spugnoli and Francesco Galuppo put on a silver-medal performance in front of their home crowd. Russia’s Tatiana Skortcova and Stanislav Seshukov came away with the bronze.

In the class 1 equivalent, Slovakia’s Helena Kasicka and Peter Vidasic landed the gold, a gratifying performance after taking silver in Saturday’s combi Latin class 1. South Korea’s Jang Hye-Jeong and Lee Jae Woo sealed the silver, and Belarus’ Veranika Kasach and Aliaksei Zukhtsikau claimed the bronze medal. 

“Our emotions right now are a build up from five years, because we have been working for this event for five years,” Vidasic said. “It is really a pleasure for us to be here, to win this.”

The final gold medal of the World Championships went to Ukraine’s husband-wife duo Nadiia and Ivan Sivak in the duo Latin class 2 event, putting Russia’s Aleksandra Berdnik and Antonov in second; Poland’s Joanna Reda and Pawel Karpinski came away with the bronze medal.