Two Indian gymnasts finish at bottom in vault final, Dipa last hope

Aruna Budda Reddy and Pranati Nayak brought up the rear at seventh and eighth positions respectively in the women's individual vault event final as Indian gymnasts continued their quest for a medal in the 18th Asian Games today.

India was the only country to have two participants in the vault final but both failed to produce their best and ended at the bottom of the eight-woman title round.

Star gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who finished fourth in Rio Olympics in this event, could not qualify for the final as her old knee injury flared up during the qualification round, finishing behind Aruna and Pranati.

Only two gymnasts from a country can qualify for the final round of an individual apparatus.

Aruna was the first to start among the two Indians but she had a fall in her first vault to collect just a score of 12.125. She did reasonably well to secure 13.425 in her second vault. But the average score of 12.775 was just enough for a seventh-place finish.

Aruna had earlier this year become the first Indian to clinch an individual medal at the 2018 Gymnastics World Cup by winning a bronze in Melbourne, Australia. She had scored 13.649 then.

Pranati also did not begin well today as she had a fall in her first vault -- a Tsukahara double. Her average score of 12.650 put her below compatriot Aruna at last spot.

The men's gymnasts have failed to make a mark as none of the four, including Ashish Kumar, could make it to any individual apparatus final. India also failed to qualify for the men's team event final as it finished ninth in the qualification round.

Yesterday, the Indian women's gymnasts competed without Dipa and finished seventh in the team event final.

All eyes will now be on Dipa as she competes in the women's individual balance beam final.

India has won just one medal in gymnastics in the history of Asian Games, with Ashish clinching a bronze in the 2010 Asiad in floor exercise.