Italy, the new Champions of Europe!

Munich’s Olympiahalle, site of the 1972 Olympic Gymnastics competition, it up today for the women’s team final. The 8 qualified teams gave the best of themselves in an exciting battle for European glory.

Top qualifiers Italy got off to a fabulous start on vault, posting 41.566 to take the lead early on. On bars, they excelled with all three scores about 14 points. By the halfway stage, Giorgia Villa, Angela Andreoli, Alice & Asia D’Amato and Martina Maggio had a comfortable margin of 3 points over Great Britain. Posting the highest team total on beam and floor, the honour went to recently crowned European all-around Champion Asia D’Amato to seal the deal for Italy. With 165.163, Italy earns its first team European gold medal since 2006. After gold in the all-around for Asia and for the junior team, Italy has put itself on the map as the ones to beat in Europe!

Great Britain trailed by just 2 tenths after the first rotation but the gap widened as the final unfolded. Highlighted by Alice Kinsella’s overall performance, Jessica Gadirova’s vault and Ondine Achampong on beam, the ladies together with Jennifer Gadirova and Georgia-Mae Fenton clinched the silver medal.

In front of an enthusiastic home crowd, Sarah Voss, Emma Malewski, Kim Bui, Eli Seitz and Pauline Schaefer-Betz combined efforts in a thrilling team performance. Kim Bui was rewarded for her long years on the German team with a standing ovation while Sarah Voss ended her team’s quest with a superb double-twisting Yurchenko. The ladies waited in anticipation for the last score to show. The eruption of joy when they realised the bronze medal was theirs got the 6000 to their feet. Another standing ovation for a fabulous result!

The Netherlands followed in the unfortunate fourth place, 2 points behind but 1 ahead of neighbours Belgium who held off the French challenge. Hungary and Spain round out the top 8.

 

Medallists

GOLD Italy 165.163

SILVER Great Britain 161.164

BRONZE Germany 158.430

 

Congratulations!

Find the full results on our event website: 2022 European Championships in Artistic Gymnastics | European Gymnastics

These Europeans continue tomorrow with the apparatus finals for juniors and seniors!