I. EUROPEAN GAMES 2015 - Artistic Gymnastics

The Artistic Gymnastics Competitions
at the Baku 2015 European Games will be held from 14-20 June at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku.
A total of 90 male athletes (26 teams and 12 individual) and 89 female athletes (26 teams and 11 individual) may take part in the Artistic Gymnastics Competition. All of them must have a valid FIG license. According to the FIG and UEG age group regulations all male athletes participating in the Artistic Gymnastics event at Baku 2015 must be a minimum of 18 years while female athletes must be a minimum of 16 years during the year of competition.
* Competition schedule:
- Sat, June 13  - Podium training
- Sun, June 14 - Qualification day 1 (CI): men’s floor, pommel horse and rings,;women’s vault and uneven bars, 10.00 to 12.30 and 14.30 to 19.00
- Mo, June 15 - Qualification day 2 (CI): men’s vault, parallel bars; high bar; women’s beam, floor + Team award ceremonies, 10.00 to 12.30 and 14.30 to 19.30
- Thu, June 18 - All-around finals (CII): men & women in alternation, (17.30 to 20.20);
- Sat, June 20 - App. F I N A L S  (CIII): men & women in alternation (16.00 to 20.15)

The European Gymnastics Union (UEG) informed about the competition's profile:
* During qualification (CI) all competitors aim to qualify for the all-around and event finals. Qualification is spread over 2 days with 3 men’s artistic gymnastics (MAG) and 2 women’s artistic gymnastics (WAG) events taking place in parallel per day and the results serve as the team standings (CIV).
* A team consists of 3 gymnasts, all 3 gymnasts can present their routine and the 2 best scores count towards the team total. In the all-around final the top 18 competitors (max. 1 per country) on all events combined will compete for the title.
There will be alternation between men and women. All competitors start from zero in the final.
In event finals the top 6 competitors (max. 1 per country) on each event compete. Men’s floor is followed by women’s vault and men’s pommel horse in alternation, rings together with uneven bars, men’s vault with women’s beam, parallel bars with floor; the finals end with high bar om its own. Scores from qualification don’t carry on to the final. Alternation explained: To make the events easier to follow for spectators both in the hall and at home, 1 gymnast will compete at a time. One male gymnast competes and while he waits for his score, a female gymnast competes. While she waits for her score, the next male gymnast performs. This way there is always a gymnast performing. Men’s and women’s gymnastics will be in alternation during all-around and event finals. During qualifications they will compete in parallel as it would take too long in alternation. Who to watch in
* Women’s Artistic Gymnastics:
The field is headlined by newly-crowned European all-around champion Giulia Steingruber (SUI) and will see the return to competition of Russian stars Aliya Mustafina and Viktoria Komova. Many teams have send new names to these Games, to let them gain experience before the important World Championships in Glasgow (GBR) in October, which serve as the first qualifying step towards the Rio 2016 Olympics. Russia is expected to be strong with Olympics bars Champion Mustafina, 2011 World bars Champion Komova and Youth Olympic Champion Seda Tutkhalian who recently won the 4 Nations Cup in Italy. Mustafina and Komova have been out for a while and have little competition rhythm. Romania is sending Andreea Iridon, Laura Jurca and Silvia Zarzu.
Germany can definitely challenge them, teaming the experienced Elisabeth Seitz up with bars specialist Sophie Scheder and newcomer Leah Griesser. Strong European gymnastics countries like Great Britain and Italy have left their most experienced gymnasts at home so it will be exciting to see how they place.
In the all-around Steingruber looks to strengthen her authority on the European scene, after her historic win at the European Championships in Montpellier last April. She has a good chance to qualify for all event finals as well. Kelly Simm (GBR) will challenge her on vault. On beam also look out for the elegant Vasiliki Millousi (GRE) and Jurkowska-Kowalska (POL). Due to the ‘1 per country’-rule it will be a tough battle within many teams to reach the all-around and event finals. Who to watch in

* Men’s Artistic Gymnastics: Several big names are on the roster! 2015 European Champions Oleg Verniaiev (UKR, all-around and parallel bars), Marijo Moznik (CRO, high bar) and Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE, rings) will compete against Fabian Hambuechen (GER), who opted out of the European Championships to focus on this competition, and Azerbaijan’s medal hope Oleg Stepko.
Russia sends a strong team of all-arounders: 2013 European Champion and 2015 runner-up David Belyavskiy, Nikolay Kuksenkov and Nikita Ignatyev.
Great Britain sends a young and very talented team consisting of junior European Champions Frank Baines, Brinn Bevan and Nile Wilson.
Competing without a team is Israel’s Alexander Shatilov, always a strong challenger on floor and high bar.
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    ... GYMmedia will report from Saturday, June 14 on!