5 nations golden on day 1 of event finals

Competition report of the first day of event finals at the 2017 Artistic Gymnastics Europeans in Cluj-Napoca (ROU)

On this first day of event finals the best 8 gymnasts per apparatus battled for the medals. In a sold-out Polyvalent Hall, fans from all over Europe gathered to show their support to the gymnasts. Many flags decorated the hall and our partner Spieth provided clapping card to further improve the mood.

Men’s floor

A great mix in the floor final of veterans and up-and-coming talents which resulted in spectacular gymnastics with few big mistakes. Alexander Shatilov put the bar on 14.400 early on, to be overtaken only by crowd favourite Marian Dragulescu. Russia’s Dmitri Lankin tumbled his way onto the podium but couldn’t overtake the Romanian legend. So 17 years after his first European medal, Marian Dragulescu wins the European title on floor.

1.      Marian Dragulescu (ROU) 14.500

2.      Dmitrii Lankin (RUS) 14.466

3.      Alexander Shatilov (ISR) 14.400

4.      Artem Dolgopyat (ISR) 14.333

5.      Dominick Cunningham (GBR) 14.300

6.      Rayderley Zapata (ESP) 14.300

7.      Oleg Verniaiev (UKR) 14.033

8.      Pavel Bulauski (BLR) 13.766

 

Women’s vault

Many of the finalists performed double-twisting Yurchenkos resulting in similar scores, 14.400 seemed to be a popular mark for the first vault!  Ellie Downie and Boglarka Devai vaulted strongly to stay in the top 2 positions until the last gymnast, France’s Coline Devillard, stepped onto the podium. With two high-flying vaults, the 16-year-old claimed her first European title. Slovenia’s Teja Belak celebrated her birthday today so the crowd congratulated her by singing ‘Happy Birthday’.

1.      Coline Devillard (FRA) 14.466

2.      Elissa Downie (GBR) 14.350

3.      Boglarka Devai (HUN) 14.316

4.      Maria Paseka (RUS) 14.283

5.      Tisha Volleman (NED) 14.250

6.      Zsofia Kovacs (HUN) 14.199

7.      Teja Belak (SLO) 14.183

8.      Angelina Melnikova (RUS) 14.000

 

Pommel horse

This star-studded pommel horse final included the 2012 Olympic Champion Krisztian Berki, defending European Champion Harutyun Merdinyan and 2015 European Games Champion Saso Bertoncelj! First up, Merdinyan went all out to retain his title, setting the standard to beat at 14.833. Winner of the silver medal in 2016, Russia’s David Belyavskiy performed a truly excellent routine, scoring 15.100. None of the other competitors came close to beating this, although Krisztian Berki fought hard, missing the title by just 2 tenths after he suffered a 3 tenths deduction for starting his routine too late. All-around champion Oleg Verniaiev was not having the best day, coming off the apparatus and finished 7th.

1.      David Belyavskiy (RUS) 15.100

2.      Krisztian Berki (HUN) 14.900

3.      Harutyun Merdinyan (ARM) 14.833

4.      Robert Seligman (CRO) 14.766

5.      Oliver Hegi (SUI) 14.700

6.      Saso Bertoncelj (SLO) 13.433

7.      Oleg Verniaiev (UKR) 13.200

8.      Ferhat Arican (TUR) 12.966

 

Uneven bars

Europe found a new Champion in Nina Derwael, the joint top qualifier. Showing off difficult and superb transitions the Belgian claimed the first place, winning the first ever European title in gymnastics for her country. Elena Eremina swung to silver almost 4 tenths behind. The bronze went to two gymnasts as they had exactly the same difficulty and execution score, Ellie Downie and Eli Seitz. The last competitor, Becky Downie, the defending Champion, fell and injured herself, which overshadowed this final. We wish her a speedy recovery.

1.      Nina Derwael (BEL) 14.633

2.      Elena Eremina (RUS) 14.300

3.      Ellie Downie (GBR) 14.133

4.      Eli Seitz (GER) 14.133

5.      Kim Bui (GER) 13.900

6.      Zsofia Kovacs (HUN) 13.100

7.      Becky Downie (GBR) 13.000

8.      Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (FRA) 11.700

 

Rings

The only question in this final was: Can anyone beat the Greek Lord of the Rings, Eleftherios Petrounias. The reigning European, World and Olympic Champion easily qualified in the top spot and his fantastic performance today made it impossible for his rivals to dethrone him. A third consecutive European title in his pocket! Great Britain’s Courtney Tulloch improved on his 4th place of last year in Bern by winning the silver medal, just a fraction ahead of Ukraine’s Igor Radivilov.

1.      Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) 15.433

2.      Courtney Tulloch (GBR) 15.066

3.      Igor Radivilov (UKR) 15.033

4.      Vahagn Davtyan (ARM) 14.858

5.      Ibrahim Colak (TUR) 14.833

6.      Konstantinos Konstantinidis (GRE) 14.666

7.      Artur Tovmasyan (ARM) 14.666

8.      Dmitri Lankin (RUS) 14.466

 

The event finals continue tomorrow!