Preview of the 2021 Artistic Gymnastics season

Welcome to this very exciting Olympic year, take 2!

The uncertainty weights heavy with just 129 days to go until the postponed Tokyo Olympics but it seems like there are at least some competitions going ahead in preparation, including our European Championships in Basel (SUI) from 21 to 25 April.

While the majority of the Olympic tickets have been distributed, gymnasts still have a couple more opportunities to earn their right to participate in Tokyo 2020: by winning the World Cup series on one apparatus and by placing in the top 2 all-around (not already qualified) during qualifications at the 2021 European Championships.

In the Apparatus World Cup series there is only 1 event left to go …. At the moment, Epke Zonderland (NED) leads on high bar and Vladyslav Poliashov (RUS) on parallel bars. Italians Lara Mori and Vanessa Ferrari are in the running for the spot on floor as leader Jade Carey has secured her place on vault. However, the remaining event, in Doha, has been postponed without a new date given. It will need to be rescheduled before the 29^th June as that’s the deadline for nominating the Olympic participants.

The first European Gymnastics event of 2021 will be held in the Swiss city of Basel, at the St Jakobshalle. Both men and women will fight for the all-around and individual apparatus titles. Big names like 2019 European all-around Champion Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (FRA), 2020 European Champions Zsofia Kovacs (HUN) and Larisa Iordache (ROU), 2019 European Games Champion Angelina Melnikova, World all-around Champions Artur Dalaloyan and Nikita Nagornyy (RUS) and many others will be keen to test their shape and routines and set the standard of expectations for Tokyo.

From 23 July onwards, the sporting world’s attention will be on Tokyo as the Japanese capital hosts the Olympic Games. In the men’s artistic gymnastics competition, we’ll see the teams of Russia, China, Japan, Ukraine, Great Britain, Switzerland, USA, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Brazil, Spain and Germany. For the women, we’ll see the teams of USA, China, Russia, France, Canada, Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Japan and Spain. Many individual gymnasts earned their spot as well and will be vying for the medals. Ones to watch, representing our 50 European member federations, are Nikita Nagornyy, Artur Dalaloyan, Angelina Melnikova (RUS), Max Whitlock, Ellie & Becky Downie (GBR), Melanie de Jesus dos Santos and Samir Ait Said (FRA), Nina Derwael (BEL), Ibrahim Colak & Ahmet Onder (TUR), Rhys Mcclenaghan (IRL), Roxana Popa (ESP), among many others! Of course, American superstar Simone Biles will be the one to beat as she aims to cement her status as Greatest Of All Time.

Calendar 2021

TBC	Apparatus World Cup	Doha (QAT)
21 – 25 April	European Championships	Basel (SUI)
27 – 30 May	World Challenge Cup	Varna (BUL)
3 – 6 June	World Challenge Cup	Cairo (EGY)
10 – 13 June	World Challenge Cup	Osijek (CRO)
17 – 20 June	World Challenge Cup	Mersin (TUR)
23 July – 8 August	Games of the XXXII Olympiad	Tokyo (JPN)
2 – 5 September	World Challenge Cup	Koper (SLO)
18 – 24 October	World Championships	Kitakyushu (JPN)