Romania’s Amalia Lica shines with three individual titles at #Budapest2024

After four exciting sets of senior gymnasts competing in the qualification rounds with hoop and ball, Budapest’s Papp Laszlo Arena enjoyed a wonderful display of skills and choreography during the apparatus finals for juniors.

Fresh off the historic team victory yesterday, Amalia Lica showed her talent once again as she emerged as the absolute superstar of this junior competition. Performing in three finals, she aced all her routines, winning not one, not two, but all three European titles. Her hattrick began with hoop, the apparatus she won silver on at last year’s junior World Championships. With clubs she successfully defended her gold won in Tel Aviv in 2022. The finishing touch came with ribbon as she cruised to victory, posting a massive 30.950, over a point ahead of her nearest rivals. 3 individual titles today, and one team gold yesterday, 100% success rate for the young Romanian. Amalia Lica absolutely is the rising star of Budapest.

One other title was up for grabs, with ball. There, Israel’s Meital Maayan Sumkin put on a fabulous display, posting the highest score of these finals: 33.550! Finishing with a whopping 2.300 lead over Italy’s Anna Piergentili, with Bulgaria’s Magdalena Valkova one tenth further down, Sumkin, double junior World Champion with the Israeli group last year, showed her individual worth. Claiming silver with Sumkin in the team competition yesterday, Alona Tal France earned two medals of her own today: silver with hoop and bronze with clubs.

Huge cheers erupted from the crowd when it became clear that Alja Ponikvar made it to the medal podium. And not just any medal came her way: she returns home with the silver medal for an amazing clubs routine. Dara Malinova also secured a silver medal. She brought it back to Bulgaria for an exciting ribbon display.

Bronze with hoop went to Poland’s Olivia Maslov and with ribbon to Georgia’s Barbare Kajaia.

 

Congratulations to the medallists!

Hoop

GOLD Amalia Lica (ROU) 32.850

SILVER Alona Tal Franco (ISR) 32.750

BRONZE Olivia Maslov (POL) 32.250

Ball

GOLD Meital Maayan Sumkin (ISR) 33.550

SILVER Anna Piergentili (ITA) 31.250

BRONZE Magdalena Valkova (BUL) 31.150

Clubs

GOLD Amalia Lica (ROU) 30.800

SILVER Alja Ponikvar (SLO) 30.550

BRONZE Alona Tal Franco (ISR) 30.450

Ribbon

GOLD Amalia Lica (ROU) 30.950

SILVER Dara Malinova (BUL) 29.600

BRONZE Barbare Kajaia (GEO) 29.000

Find the full results on the event website: 2024 Rhythmic Europeans - Budapest (HUN) | European Gymnastics.

These Europeans continue tomorrow with the second part of senior qualifications.