European Gymnastics proudly launches the fourth edition of its ‘Gymnast of the Year’ election!

You can vote for your favourites of the year 2023 on our website.

For this edition, our Executive Committee chose the following 5 categories: Male, Female, Team, Outstanding Performance and Coach.

Nominations for the long list were made by our Technical Committees, Authorities, staff, and the 50 European member Federations. A selection committee featuring European Gymnastics Vice-President Michel Boutard, Executive Committee members Paolo Frising, Natalja Inno and Solveig Jonsdottir, General Director Lisa Worthmann and Head of Media Tina Gerets, had the difficult task to choose 5 nominees in each category.

The nominees are listed alphabetically by surname per category. Discover the nominees!

 

Male Gymnast of the Year 2023 - Nominees

Gabriel Albuquerque (POR) – Trampoline Gymnastics

In his first year as a senior gymnast, at just 17 years old, Portugal’s Gabriel Albuquerque certainly made a name for himself, producing the best European result in Men’s Individual Trampoline at the 2023 World Championships, reaching the final in three World Cups (including two Olympic qualifiers) and clinching the silver medal in Synchro at the World Cup in Varna. His future definitely looks bright!

 

Lukas Dauser (GER) – Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Lukas Dauser is an extremely focused gymnast who always has to finish his training with a good feeling. He only leaves the apparatus when he has performed the element he is working on well. Known for his incredible parallel bars skills, Dauser missed the European Championships due to a bad shoulder injury. He managed to come back stronger and win the World title in Antwerp. Dauser is the athletes’ representative of the Men's Artistic Gymnastics Team, and a reliable contact person for athletes, coaches and management alike.

 

Jake Jarman (GBR) – Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

In 2023, Jake Jarman won three medals at the European Championships, including his first major all-around medal, taking his European medal tally to six in just two events. He then went on to make history by becoming Great Britain’s first ever vault World Champion in Antwerp. Jarman also cemented his name in the gymnastics history books by becoming the first gymnast to perform a 3.5 twisting double layout on floor, thus getting the skill named after him in the FIG Code of Points. Jarman’s personality captured audiences worldwide and, without doubt, has become an inspiration to young gymnasts and a positive impact for Men’s Artistic Gymnastics.

 

Mikhail Malkin (AZE) - Tumbling

Crowned European Champion in 2018, Mikhail Malkin struggled afterwards due to injury which prevented him from realising his dream. Against all odds, Malkin managed to recover, showcasing his unique ability at the 2023 World Championships in Birmingham. First, Malkin led his teammates to a historic team title for Azerbaijan. Later, Malkin managed to tumble to gold in the individual tumbling title as well. A World Champion for the first time in history of the Azerbaijani Tumbling!

 

Rhys Mcclenaghan (IRL) – Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

There’s no stopping Rhys McClenaghan’s entries in the history books. At the Europeans, he secured his second title on Pommel Horse. With the expectations of the entire nation on his shoulders to retain his World title, McClenaghan was a consummate professional and worked extremely hard on this single focus. His efforts paid off, he can now call himself a double European and World Champion! This strength of character and resilience continues to set him apart as a fantastic role model and ambassador for gymnastics. At the end of the year, he was awarded ‘RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year 2023’, a testament to his record winning achievements and his well-deserved notoriety in Ireland.

 

Vote here: https://take.quiz-maker.com/QBNBIFS3L

 

 

Female Gymnast of the Year 2023 - Nominees

Boryana Kaleyn (BUL) – Rhythmic Gymnastics

After two silver medals, Boryana Kaleyn seized her opportunity to shine outright at the 2023 Rhythmic Europeans. In the all-around final, the 22-year-old impressed with her signature exquisite pivot technique, sealing the deal with a fabulous clubs routine that scored 32.900. Her total score of 131.000 gave her a comfortable lead to end Bulgaria’s all-around title drought, as Kaleyn brings the gold back to Bulgaria for the first time in 29 years when the legendary Maria Petrova won!

Viktoriia Onopriienko (UKR) – Rhythmic Gymnastics

Energised by her team’s silver medal, Viktoriia Onopriienko slayed her hoop routine in the apparatus finals of the Rhythmic Europeans with the best execution score to take the gold medal. The last time a Ukrainian gymnast won apparatus gold was in 2005 when Natalia Godunko won ribbon. At the World Championships, Onopriienko claimed bronze with clubs, and pocketed a ticket to 2024 Olympics in Paris. Onopriienko continues to impress the audience with her determination and skills. Known as kind, shy, and smart, and at the same time strong in spirit, a true fighter to the end. 

 

Bryony Page (GBR) – Trampoline Gymnastics

At the 2023 World Championships in Birmingham (GBR), Bryony Page wowed the home crowd to become Champion of the World for a second time individually, as well as taking the bronze medal in Synchro, and helping the British team to all-around bronze. In the World Cup competition, she was equally dominant winning gold and silver in successive events. Page not only has outstanding athletic and technical abilities but also an unwavering determination and resilience. Page’s attitude, sportsmanship, and dedication to giving back to the trampoline community makes her a positive role model.

 

Darja Varfolomeev (GER) – Rhythmic Gymnastics

Wat a year 2023 was for Darja Varfolomeev! At the European Championships, her delightful ribbon exercise earned both the highest difficulty and execution scores, clinching her first European title. And not only her first European title, in fact it was Germany’s first ever too! At the World Championships, she swept the individual titles, returning home as the absolute star of Valencia, and one of the names to watch at the upcoming Olympic Games.

 

Sanne Wevers (NED) – Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

At the Europeans in Antalya, her first international competition since the Tokyo Olympics, Sanne Wevers showed why she’s the Queen on the Beam. The 2016 Olympic Champion pirouetted her way to gold, showcasing nerves of steel on her signature event. It’s the second European title for the Dutch star on beam while she helped her team to bronze, a story similar to Glasgow 2018! Having turned 32 in September, Wevers shows that age is definitely not a limitation.

 

Vote here: https://take.quiz-maker.com/QGUXUXWAS

 

 

Team of the Year 2023 - Nominees

Belgium’s Women’s Group – Acrobatic Gymnastics

Truly in a league of their own, Sofie Jaeken, Mirte Vercauteren and Lauren Verbrugghe, outclassed the entire field at the 2023 Acro Europeans. The trio showed by far the highest difficulty, in addition to the highest artistry and execution score to clinch their first title, in the Dynamic final. And there was no stopping them. A brilliantly choreographed combined exercise amassed a grand total of 86.780, over 5 points more than their nearest rivals, for the All-Around gold. On the last day, the Belgians confirmed their ‘leaders of the pack’ status, returning home with not 1, not 2 but all 3 European titles!

 

France – Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

The French women gave the best of themselves in the team final of the World Championships in Artistic Gymnastics. The combined efforts of Marine Boyer, Lorette Charpy, Melanie de Jesus dos Santos, Coline Devillard, Djenna Laroui and Morgane Osyssek-Reimer resulted in the bronze medal, France’s first team medal since … 1950!

 

Great Britain – Tumbling

The British tumbling teams won medals across the board in 2023, topped by a fabulous performance on home soil in Birmingham at the World Championships where the British women clinched the title,  with the men winning silver. To compete at the highest level for such a long time is no small feat, and to do so with both senior teams is awe-inspiring!

 

Israel’s Group -  Rhythmic Gymnastics

Simply spectacular, whenever Israel’s Rhythmic group performs, the crowd watches in awe. At the European Championships, Shani Bakanov, Eliza Banchuk, Adar Friedmann, Romi Paritzki, Ofir Shaham and Diana Svertsov produced a phenomenal 5 hoops routine for victory in that final, in addition to silver for their mixed apparatus exercise, in the all-around and bronze with the team. And the icing on the cake came in Valencia where these ladies were crowned All-Around and Mixed Apparatus World Champions!

 

Türkiye – Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Ferhat Arıcan, Ahmet Onder, Adem Asil, Mehmet Ayberk Kosak and Kerem Sener, also known as Türkiye’s Men’s Artistic Gymnastics team coached by Yilmaz Göktekin, won silver on home soil at the Europeans in Antalya. The team also earned a quota to participate in the Olympics as a team, for the first time in Turkish Gymnastics history!

 

Vote here: https://take.quiz-maker.com/QLXASZ6AN

 

 

Outstanding Performance 2023 - Nominees

Daria Atamanov (ISR) – Rhythmic Gymnastics

Crowned 2022 European All-Around Champion, Daria Atamanov suffered a major injury shortly after, sidelining her for nearly a year. Her long-awaited comeback took place at the World Championships where Atamanov showed her worth, earning a quota place for the Olympics and storming to an amazing bronze medal in All-Around final!

 

Jessica Gadirova (GBR) – Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

In 2023, Jessica Gadirova won an incredible three European gold medals, including a remarkable third European floor title in a row, becoming the first female gymnast to ever accomplish this feat. Alongside her floor gold she also took the prestigious all-around title and helped lead the British team to their first ever European title. At the 2023 World Championships, Gadirova qualified for the All-Around, vault, beam and floor finals but unfortunately got injured. Her rehabilitation and sharing of this on social media has demonstrated incredible determination and resilience, and with an openness to share her story to show when things don’t go so well. Gadirova’s character and commitment to gymnastics makes her an exemplary role model across the globe.

 

Camille Lund Rasmussen (DEN) – Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Camille Lund Rasmussen is the most accomplished female artistic gymnast in Danish history. An incident with her bib at the 2023 World Championships before her warm-up vault, cost her the chance on Olympic qualification. As a result, she had to work through a loss of motivation and extreme disappointment. However, she picked herself back up, continued training daily, and laid a new plan to reach her ultimate goal of Olympic participation. In addition to Camille’s outstanding accomplishments as an athlete, Camille is an Anti-Bully Ambassador of the newly crowned Queen Mary’s Foundation, MaryFonden, and a Well-being Ambassador for GymDanmark. Camille embodies all the characteristics and qualities that GymDanmark and MaryFonden are looking for in such a representative: an outgoing, approachable, supportive, and helpful person in all walks of life!

 

Swiss National Performance – Gymnastics for All

The highlight for many at World Gymnaestrada, due to the spectacular and professional way in which the show is prepared, the Swiss National Performance at last World Gymnaestrada’s was themed ‘HOME’. Showcasing the individual, complex and changeable significance of ‘HOME’, this show brilliantly promoted the Gymnastics for All philosophy: a show for all regardless of age, culture and capacity of the gymnasts. In addition to a new stage set-up and an impressive light show, the 15 groups from all over Switzerland provided an unforgettable, emotional, and absolute distinctive Swiss National Performance in 2023!

 

Benny Wizani (AUT) – Trampoline Gymnastics

Rising star Benny Wizani earned many accolades in 2023. At the World Championships, Wizani became the first Austrian to reach an individual trampoline Worlds final, as well as being the first Austrian trampoline gymnast ever to qualify for the Olympic Games, courtesy of the best European result, second place, in the semi-finals. Remember this name!

 

Vote here: https://take.quiz-maker.com/QZUBA5UDE

 

 

 

Coach of the Year 2023 - Nominees

Inga Buczynska (POL) – Rhythmic Gymnastics

Inga Buczynska is the driving force behind the Polish Rhythmic Gymnastics Group, guiding them towards their big dream: the 2024 Olympic Games. Buczynska began 2023 with winning a gold medal at the World Cup in Sofia, stepping into the final competition with a 5th place at the World Championships. Working hard every day with her six gymnasts has been awarded when her routine with the mixed apparatus was selected as one of the best in 2023.

 

Laurent Guelzec (SUI) – Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Coaching in Switzerland for over a decade already, and three years as Head Coach of the Swiss Men’s Artistic National team, Laurent Guelzec has a steady hand in the outstanding results achieved at the 2023 events, including an excellent 4^th place at Europeans, 5^th at Worlds, Olympic qualification and the FIG Fujitsu award at the 2023 World Championships!

 

Adil Huseyn-Zada (AZE) - Tumbling

Building the Azerbaijani tumbling programme from scratch, Adil Huseyn-Zada has been instrumental in the formation of many great tumblers. 2023 turned out to be his best year so far as Mikhail Malkin claimed a historic Individual World title, and the Azerbaijani men earned the team gold medal for the first time too. From novice to World Champions, Huseyn-Zada knows it all!

 

Lucijan Krce (CRO) – Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Lucijan Krce's success is deeply intertwined with that of his athlete, Tin Srbic. Krce has been Tin's coach since the early stages of his career, guiding him from the youngest categories to the senior level and contributing to all of his achievements. Under Krce's guidance, Srbic has achieved remarkable success, notably securing the title of Vice World Champion at the World Championships in Antwerp, which guaranteed him a spot at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Additionally, Tin claimed the European Champion title at the European Championships in Antalya in April. Coach Krce's dedication, expertise, and ability to nurture and develop talent have played a crucial role in Tin Srbic's achievements.

 

Josh and Molly Richardson (GBR) – Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

The brother-sister coaching partnership of Josh and Molly Richardson have enjoyed great success, thanks to their relentless pursuit of excellence, aligned with their dedication and commitment, and unwavering support of the gymnasts they coach. Their coaching style together is the perfect balance of technical expertise and nurturing mentorship. Josh’s understanding of gymnastics techniques and Molly’s keen eye for artistic expression create a comprehensive training environment that helps gymnasts thrive. In 2023, Josh and Molly helped guide Jessica Gadirova and Ondine Achampong to history making performances.

 

Vote here: https://take.quiz-maker.com/QON6XVWOC

 

Start voting now! You have until Monday 12 February 2024 at 12 noon CET!

 

On our social media channels, the categories ‘Male’, ‘Female’ and ‘Team’ will be introduced on Thursday 8 February 2024; ‘Outstanding Performance’ and ‘Coach’ will follow on Friday 9 February 2024. The nominee with the highest amount of votes wins the title!