2019 in review: May - August

In the second part of our year in review we look back on all the action and news from the gymnastics world between 1 May and 30 August!

May

- Russia’s Aleksandra Soldatova sweeps the gold medals at the World Cup in Rhythmic Gymnastics in Guadalajara (ESP)

- The Flame of Peace is lit in Rome with 2016 Olympic Champion in Trampoline Uladzislau Hancharou being one of the first to carry it. On the way to Minsk for the European Games, the Flame stops in Ljubljana and 2015 European Games pommel horse Champion Saso Bertoncelj is the proud torch bearer. And in Hungary 2012 Olympic Champion pommel horse Krisztian Berki gets the honour.

- Beth Tweddle and her husband Andy welcome daughter Freya Allen into this world.

- Russian superstars Dina and Arina Averina dominated yet another competition, neatly dividing the 4 apparatus titles between them, and helping their team to gold. With three gold medals each at the European Championships in Baku, they battled each other for most successful individual gymnast of the event with Dina overtaking her sister as she also won a silver medal, for her clubs routine.

- The Israeli team suffered a huge loss when their star Linoy Ashram got injured in podium training. Suddenly, the hopes of the nation moved from Ashram to the shoulders of Nicol Zelikman. The 18-year-old handled the added pressure extremely well, qualifying to all 4 apparatus finals, the only gymnast to achieve this feat. In the finals, Zelikman’s efforts were rewarded with a bronze medal for her hoop routine.

- Already having three European individual bronze medals in her pocket, in 2015 with hoop and clubs and last year in the all-around, Belarussian miss popular Katsiaryna Halkina claimed her first silver medal, for her performance with hoop. An excellent reward for the stylish gymnast.

- A fan favourite for a long time already, Boryana Kaleyn has now officially emerged from the shadows of her teammates Katrin Taseva and Neviana Vladinova. Turning 19 in August, the young Bulgarian impressed the audience with beautiful turns and leaps, earning her two bronze medals, with ball and ribbon. More to come from her definitely!

- The Russian junior group showed incredible difficulty and execution in their two routines, first with 5 hoops and then with 5 ribbons. They cruised to victory in the all-around, almost three points ahead of their Belarussian competitors. Add to this also the team gold and the two apparatus titles, and you’ll be looking at the most successful gymnasts of the entire competition!

- Ukraine returned home with two medals, silver for their junior group in the 5 ribbons final, and bronze with clubs for the talented Vlada Nikolchenko. And they secured two all-around spots for participation in next year’s European Championships, to be held in … the Ukrainian capital Kiev!

- Ireland’s pommel horse European Champion Rhys McClenaghan returns to competition after shoulder surgery, winning the silver medal at the Zhaoqing World Cup.

- At the Aerobics Europeans in Baku (AZE), the Russian juniors win all gold medals, except the mixed pairs title which goes to Elisa Marras and Andreea Colnago (ITA).

- In the senior competition, Russia won the team title while Roman Semenov and Ekaterina Pykhtova clinched individual gold. Then, Hungary’s Daniel Bali paired with Fanni Mazacs to claim the mixed pairs crown and Balazs Farkas joined them en route for the trio title. Romania showed their strength in the group final while Azerbaijan ended a wonderful competition on a high note, winning their first Aerobics European medal … gold in Aero Dance!

- The SmartScoring Shooting Star award goes to Austria’s Nicol Ruprecht (RG), Hungary’s Daniel Bali and Italy’s Michela Castoldi (AER).

- At the Osijek World Cup, Croatians Robert Seligman and Ana Derek celebrate home success.

 

June

- The World Cup in Koper (SLO) was hugely successful for European gymnasts, with Hungary’s Zsofia Kovacs becoming the only double winner.

- Greek stars Eleftherios Petrounias and Vasiliki Millousi announce that they are expecting their first child.

- The second edition of the European Games kicked off in the Belarussian capital Minsk. Rhythmic and Acrobatic Gymnastics are first up with Dina Averina (RUS) winning the Rhythmic all-around, hoop and ribbon gold. Israel’s Linoy Ashram wins ball and clubs. In the groups final, Russia won the gold for their 5 balls performance. The Belarussian crowd celebrated home success as their Rhythmic group staged a fantastic return to win the 3 + 2 and all-around title. And both acro mixed pair Volha Melnik & Artur Beliakou and women’s group Karina Sandovich, Veranika Nabokina and Julia Ivonchyk win balance. In the dynamic and all-around final the titles are for Viktoria Aksenova & Kirill Startsev (RUS) and Britt Vanderdonckt, Talia De Troyer and Charlotte Van Royen (BEL).

- Trampoline and Aerobics were next to delight the audience. Lukasz Jaworski and Artur Zakrzewski (POL) and Hanna Hancharova and Maria Makharynskaya (BLR) won the Synchronised Trampoline titles while the individual gold went to France’s Léa Labrousse and Olympic Champion Uladzislau Hancharou (BLR). In Aerobics, Michela Castoldi and Davide Donati (ITA) overcame a disappointing performance at the Europeans to claim gold in the mixed pairs final. Russia won the group title.

- In the Artistic Gymnastics competition, Russians Angelina Melnikova and David Belyavskiy claim the all-around crowns. They go on to win the bars and pommel horse gold, respectively, as well. A nice variety of 8 nations return home with the 10 apparatus gold medals. Apart from Melnikova and Belyavskiy, the winners are Emil Soravuo (FIN, floor), Marco Lodadio (ITA, rings), Artur Davtyan (ARM, vault), Oleg Verniaiev (UKR, parallel bars), Robert Tvorogal (LTU, high bar), Teja Belak (SLKO, vault), Nina Derwael (BEL, beam) and Anastasia Bachynska (UKR, floor).

- The third edition of the European Games will be held in 2023 in Krakow and the Malopolska region in Poland.

- The Executive Committee awards the 2021 Acrobatic Gymnastics European Age Group Competitions and European Championships and the 2021 Aerobic Gymnastics European to Pesaro (ITA).

- Aerobics couple Benjamin Garavel (FRA) and Christina Ioannidou (GRE/FRA) welcome their first kid, a boy named Leonidas!

- At the inaugural Junior World Championships in Gyor (HUN), the Russian girls were on fire, winning all but one gold medal. In the team competition, Viktoria Listunova, Vladislava Urazova and Elena Gerasimova scored a huge 111.654, cruising the victory. Listunova overcame a fall on beam in the first rotation to produce three excellent routines and claim the all-around gold with 55.323. Urazova then went on to win the junior World title on bars. Gerasimova claimed a gold of her own as well as she led the standings on beam while Listunova won her third and final gold medal on floor.

July

- Greek stars Eleftherios Petrounias and Vasiliki Millousi got married.

- Rhythmic Olympic Champion Margarita Mamum (RUS) announced her pregnancy.

- Russia wins all gold medals at the inaugural junior Worlds in Rhythmic Gymnastics.

- Viktoria Listunova (RUS) and Ilia Kovtun (UKR) star at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku (AZE).

- France’s artistic gymnast Axel Augis retires and joins Cirque du Soleil.

 

August

- 2011 European all-around Champion Philipp Boy gets married.

- Sarah Voss and Andreas Toba become the German national Champions.

- By winning the German national title on bars, Eli Seitz gets a record 22^nd title!

- As the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup series picks up, Dina Averina (RUS) and Linoy Ashram (ISR) claim gold in Minsk.

- Dutch artistic gymnast Celine Van Gerner retires. Enjoy her legendary Cats routine at the 2018 Europeans:

- The UEG Development Fund organises a Trampoline national judges’ course in Georgia.

- France’s Juliette Bossu retires.

- All-around World Champion Artur Dalaloyan (RUS) becomes a father, of baby Nicole.

- Linoy Ashram (ISR), Vlada Nikolchenko (UKR) and Ekaterina Selezneva (RUS) pick up titles at the Rhythmic World Cup in Cluj-Napoca.

- The Executive Committee awards the 2021 European Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics to Varna (BUL), the 2021 Congress to Albufeira (POR) and the 2022 European Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics to Tel Aviv (ISR).

 

For the third and final part of the year in review… join us tomorrow!