25. April 2021  
Basel, SUI  
Artistic Gymnastics

42nd WOMEN's EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2021

Russian double victory in women's all-around final

In theall-around final of the 42nd European Women's Gymnastics Championships in Basel (SUI) there was a Russian double success for the third time in this millennium - after Swetlana Chorkina & Jelena Samolodschikowa (2000) and Ksenia Semenova & Ksenia Afanasjewa (2009) this time the junior world champion won from 2019 and current Russian national champion Viktoria LISTUNOWA with 56.731 points from the best in the preliminaries, and third place in the European Championship in 2019, Angelina MELNIKOWA (55.432, who awarded her victory by falling each on bars and bars. Bronze went to the Briton with 55.10 points Jessica GADIROVA.
Behind the second Briton Amelie Morgan, Germany's record champion Elisabeth Seitz was fifth with 53.398 points, her compatriot Kim Bui seventh in her third ECh all-around final! The Swiss local hero Giulia Steingruber had to cancel her start shortly before the competition due to muscular problems in her left thigh ! Romania's veteran Larisa Iordache also had health problems after the preliminary battle, have to seek medical treatment, just as Italy's Vanessa Ferrari refrained from a final start ...:
* These 2021 Women's ECh  started April 21, in the Swiss city of Basel's St. Jakobshalle.
It is the fifth time that Switzerland has hosted the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships: for the men twice in Bern (1975, 2016) and Lausanne (1990, 2008) and for the women for the second time in Bern, at that time together with the men and now for the first time in Basel. In the generally difficult Corona year 2021, 109 female gymnasts from 32 countries arrived, who submit to strict hygiene regulations and have to motivate themselves accordingly, even without a spectator.

MK-Titelverteidigerin Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (FRA)

♦♦ 42nd WOMEN's ECh - P R E V I E W

At the start in Basel are among others the all-around European champions of the last three continental competitions: Giulia Steingruber / SUI (2015) (SUI) and France's 2019 defending champion Melanie de Jesus dos Santos, the strong Russians Angelina Melnikowa, the 2019 junior world champion, Victoria Listunova (RUS) and the Vice-all-around champion of 2017 (Cluj-Napoca) of Hungary's Zsofia Kovacs (HUN) or also of Romania's experienced EC-runner-up from 2013 (Moscow), Larisa Iordache (ROU) and many more. Germany is represented by Kim BUI, Elisabeth SEITZ (27), Emma MALEWSKI (16) and Sarah VOSS.
Host Switzerland, next to Steingruber with Lilli Leanne Habisreitinger, Stefanie Siegenthaler and Anina Wildi.
Jasmin Mader and Marlis Männersdorfer are responsible for Austria's colors.

♦♦  COMPETITIONS  &  RESULTS  (after each competition day)

*  Friday 23 April |
♦ Women’s All-Around Final (WAG)
  LISTUNOVA, Viktoria    (RUS)  - 56,731
  MELNIKOVA, Angelina (RUS)  - 55,432
  GADIROVA, Jessica     (GBR)  - 55,100
         ► Detailed Results

* Saturday 24 April  | 1:30 p.m. to 4:10 p.m.
♦♦ Apparatus Finals - Day 1  (WAG/MAG)
♦ Women’s Vault
Switzerlands’s Giulia Steingruber won her fourth European vault title after taking gold in 2013, 2014 and 2016. An average of 14.824 points for her two vaults helped her to take the gold ahead of 2021 European all-around bronze medallist Jessica Gadirova (GBR), who added a second medal to her tally. Top qualifier Gadirova scored 14.466 points. The Swiss superstar reacted: "For me it is a dream that has come true. It's very special to have taken this title. I was very nervous going into this final today but completely relied on my body and trusted myself that it would work out." 2021 European all-around silver medallist Angelina Melnikova (RUS) won her second medal at Basel 2021 as she grabbed bronze on vault.
► Detailed  Results

♦ Women’s Uneven bars
Angelina Melnikova (RUS) redeemed herself on uneven bars after her fall on the event during yesterday’s all-around final. Melnikova scored 14.500 on uneven bars to clinch the European title.
Melnikova’s teammate Vladislava Urazova took silver (14.333), with Amelie Morgan from Great Britain in third (14.100).
 ► Detailed  Result

*Sunday 25 April  | 1:30 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
♦♦ Apparatus Finals - Day 2   (WAG/MAG)
♦ Women's Balance beam
2019 European all-around champion Melanie de Jesus dos Santos from France has won her first European balance beam title after taking silver on the event in 2019. A good routine, including a full twisting double back dismount, scored her 13.900 points to finish ahead of 2016 Olympic champion Sanne Wevers (NED).
Wevers scored 13.866 points for a flawless routine, including a stunning pirouette series. Ukraine’s Anastasiia Bachynska, who entered the final as the second reserve following withdrawals from top-qualifier Larisa Iordache (ROU) and first reserve Marta Pihan-Kulesza (POL) took home the bronze with 13.333 points.
► Detailed Results

♦ Women's Floor exercise
Jessica Gadirova (GBR) extended her 2021 European Championships medal tally by taking her first-ever European senior title on floor. She now has a full set of medals following after having won silver on vault and bronze in the all-around. Gadirova, who had qualified for the final in third position, scored 13.966 points to outscore 2019 World bronze medallist Angelina Melnikova from Russia (13.900). “I am just speechless. I have already been on the podium twice and gradually getting higher and higher on the podium is just overwhelming. It’s like ‘wow, I’ve done it.’ I am just over the moon, jumping for joy.” 
2007 and 2014 European floor champion Vanessa Ferrari from Italy took home the bronze medal with a score of 13.600 points.
2020 European balance beam champion Larisa Iordache (ROU) had to withdraw from the final because of a kidney infection.
► Detailed Results
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.  ►► 43rd MEN's ECh 2021

* Wednesday 21 April, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
♦♦ Women’s Qualifications (WAG)

2019 European Games champion Angelina Melnikova (RUS) topped the all-around standings at the European Championships in Basel on Wednesday. Melnikova also qualified in first place for the uneven bars and floor final, and in second place to the vault final. Melnikova competed flawlessly to score a total of 55,991 and finished ahead of three-time junior World Champion Viktoria Listunova (55.465) and Vladislava Urazova (55.299). Urazova won’t qualify for the all-around finals due to the two-per-country rule.
2020 European beam and floor champion Larisa Iordache (ROU) finished in fourth place with 54.698 points and with that result she earned a qualification berth to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Iordache came back to the sport last year after injuries kept her out of competing since the 2017 World Championships. The Romanian needed to finish in the top two all-around places among eligible athletes during qualifying and did just that. Listunova’s second-place finished booked Russia an additional quota spot to the Games. The FIG will officially communicate the official Olympic qualifiers shortly.
With Melnikova qualifying first in the all-around, uneven bars and floor, reigning European beam champion Iordache qualified in first for the balance beam final and youngster Jessica Gadirova (GBR) claimed the top spot on vault.
►► All-around qualification
  *Apparatus Results:  ► Vault;                ► Uneven bars; 
                                   ► Balance beam;  ► Floor exercise

 

♦♦ GYMmedia Rückblenden / EM-Geschichte

► Alle Mehrkampf-Europameisterinnen seit 1957
► Alle Europameisterschaften seit 1955 / '57