Grillo and Villa earn gold for Italy in first ever Mixed Pairs final!

The best 16 pairs qualified to today’s Mixed Pairs final, a novel concept at the 2022 European Youth Olympic Festival!

Bringing Women’s and Men’s Artistic gymnasts together, each gymnast performed 2 routines in the first round with the top 4 pairs advancing to the semi-final. The battle for the silverware ensued between Italy, Germany, Romania and Ukraine. Italians Arianna Grillo and Riccardo Villa advanced to the final together with German duo Helen Kevric and Jukka Nissinen while Romanians Amalia Puflea and David Puicea and Ukraine’s Anna Lashchevska and Radomyr Stelmakh battled for the bronze medal.

Choosing to compete on beam, Lashchevska saw her risk rewarded as she nailed a beautiful routine for 12.800. Compatriot Stelmakh, the all-around Champion here at Banska Bystrica, performed comfortably on floor for 13.600, holding off the challenge presented by two good vaults of Puflea and a decent floor by Puicea. Bronze for Ukraine!

And onto the gold medal fight … Kevric vaulted a Yurchenko full and a Yurchenko for an average of 13.000. Nissinen hit his high bar routine for 13.033, putting the pressure on the shoulders of the Italians. Grillo competed the same vaults as Kevric, scoring slightly lower. It was Riccardo Villa who sealed the deal with an excellent floor routine earning him 13.366.

Italy enters the history books as the first ever winner of the Mixed Pairs final!

 

Medallists

Mixed Pairs

GOLD Arianna Grillo & Riccardo Villa (ITA)

SILVER Helen Kevric & Jukka Nissinen (GER)

BRONZE Anna Lashchevska & Radomyr Stelmakh (UKR)

Congratulations!