Highlights of #EYOFMaribor2023

The Slovenian city Maribor welcomed 2419 athletes from 48 countries for the European Youth Olympic Festival -affectionately known as EYOF. On the programme, 11 sports including Artistic Gymnastics which welcomed 180 participants from 40 countries.

As the only major multisport event created directly for the best young athletes in Europe, EYOF provides an excellent opportunity to savour the unique multi-sports environment and gain valuable competition experience.

Thank you to our Slovenian hosts for the excellent organisation!

 

Kevric confirms

Last year’s sensation, Helen Kevric confirmed she well and truly is the leading junior of her generation. Aged 15, the German starlet posted a massive total score of 53.900, easily retaining her all-around title. After silver with the team and in the mixed team final, paired with Mert Oeztuerk, Kevric went on to dominate in apparatus finals. First, she collected the silver on vault. Then, she claimed the top spot in all three remaining finals: bars, beam and floor.

4 gold medals and 3 silver medals, what an extraordinary achievement by the young German!

One to watch

Not a new name by all means for fans, Tommaso Brugnami added to his star status in Maribor. The junior World Champion on vault lead his team to silver while clinching the gold medal in the all-around. He added gold in the mixed pairs final to his collection and finished on a high note in apparatus finals where Italy’s rising star won floor and vault, in addition to pocketing the silver on rings.

Remember this name!

Exciting Mixed teams battle

The best 16 pairs qualified to the Mixed Pairs final, bringing Women’s and Men’s Artistic gymnasts together in competition. Each gymnast performed 2 routines in the first rounds with the top 4 pairs advancing to the semi-final.

The battle for the silverware ensued between Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland. Italians Sara Caputo and Tommaso Brugnami advanced to the final together with German duo Helen Kevric and Mert Oeztuerk while Lilou Vaillat and Nael Sakouhi (FRA) and Kea Luna Walser and Carlo Mario Riesco (SUI) battled for the bronze medal.

Going head-to-head, Sakouhi chose to perform on parallel bars while Riesco competed on floor, scoring 13.166 – 13.033 respectively. Both Vaillat and Walser vaulted, with the latter posting a slightly better score: 12.783 compared to 12.749. It couldn’t be much tighter! Less than a tenth to decide the bronze medal winner … France!

And onto the gold medal fight … Recently crowned all-around Champion Tommaso Brugnami delivered a top notch floor routine, for 13.533 while Mert Oeztuerk conquered the horizontal bar for 13.033. Again, both ladies vaulted. Two-time EYOF all-around Champion Kevric made up some ground with a 13.549, compared to Caputo’s 13.283. Silver again for Germany while Caputo and Brugnami step into the footsteps of compatriots Arianna Grillo and Riccardo Villa who won the inaugural Mixed Team final last year.

Brits set the standard

In the first of 3 subdivisions, the British team featuring Alex Niscoveanu, Jonas Rushworth and Sol Scott set a high standard, scoring over 25 points on each event, with the top two scores counting towards the team total. With 159.250, the British lads proved unbeatable, taking the team gold home with them ahead of defending Champions Italy who found hard to catch up. Rushworth and Niscoveanu earned the silver and bronze medals respectively in the all-around.

Armenia on the rise

Already well-known throughout the world for its strength, Armenia’s men’s programme looks to be further on the rise, judging by the quality of their juniors. Mamikon Khachatryan, Hamlet Manukyan and Robert Gyulumyan combined efforts to beat France by just one tenth for the bronze medal in the team competition. All three gymnasts earned individual accolades as well. Khachatryan won the pommel horse final, Manukyan posted the highest note on rings and Gyulumyan grabbed bronze on floor.

Great news in the run-up to Armenia hosting its first European Championships in Artistic Gymnastics in the capital Yerevan in 2027.

Sara’s here

Leading Italy to the team title, Sara Caputo certainly made a name for herself in Maribor. Her efforts in the qualification rounds also earned her the all-around silver. Her shining moment came in the Mixed team final where she captured gold with compatriot Tommaso Brugnami. And that’s not all! Caputo won the vault title and silver on bars.in apparatus finals. 

Czech this out

The apparatus finals proved highly successful for the Czech gymnastics team. Their prodigy Vanesa Masova claimed two bronze medals: on vault and on bars, followed by Jonas Danek scoring 14.066 on vault to secure the silver.

August 7, 2023

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