Iranian artistic gymnast Saeed-Reza Keikha added two new elements to the Men’s Code Point of the sport in pommel horse division on March 17.
Keikha, who had two elements named after him, now has added two more new moves in pommel horse category at the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique World Cup 2018 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to be called by his name.
Previously, he was honored to have two elements, Keikha-1 (The Keikha) and Keikha-2 to be named after him and now he has added Keikha-3 and Keikha-4 to the elements.
It is for the first time in the history of the sport that an individual introduces four new moves that are named after him in Men’s Code of Points book; the Iranian prodigy now has got a name in it.
Keikha performed his first move at the 2017 Baku World Cup to be the first Iranian gymnast to have an element named after him in the Men’s Code of Points.
The Tehran native made history for his country in March when his first unique element, also done on pommel horse, was named “The Keikha” in his honor.
The pommel horse, also side horse, is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. Traditionally, it is used by only male gymnasts.
Originally made of a metal frame with a wooden body and a leather cover, modern pommel horses have a metal body covered with foam rubber and leather, with plastic handles or pommels.
Later on, the FIG Men’s Technical Committee approved a second new pommel horse element to be named for Iranian standout Keikha.
The element, a variation on the traditional flair commonly done on pommel horse, is known as Keikha-2.
It was performed successfully at May’s Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, 2017.
Gymnasts with original skills named for them in the Code of Points achieve a kind of immortality in the sport, assuring that their names will live on years after they have taken their final bows on the international stage.
He won the bronze medal at the 2017 Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Bangkok last May.
He had also claimed a bronze medal at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan Republic, in February 2017.
Milli Gimnastika Arenası (National Gymnastics Arena) is hosting the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup on March 15-18.
A total of 102 athletes from 25 countries are participating in the cup organized in Baku for the third consecutive year.
Men’s and women’s artistic gymnasts tested their strength in the qualifications within the first three days of the tournament and compete for the medals in the apparatus finals within the final day.
