Belarussian home triumph marks day 1 of European Games gymnastics competitions

Competition report of the #rhythmic and #acrobatic gymnastics first competition day at #Minsk2019

After a spectacular Opening Ceremony, the gymnastics competition kicked off today at the Minsk Arena. 12000 enthusiastic fans supported the rhythmic and acrobatic gymnasts competing for the first medals of the Games.

In Rhythmic Gymnastics, 12 individual gymnasts competed for the all-around crown and a place in the four apparatus finals tomorrow.

Russian superstar, the reigning World all-around Champion Dina Averina overcome problems in her hoop and clubs routine to take the all-around gold, following in the footsteps of her compatriot Yana Kudryavtseva who won gold at the inaugural Games four years ago in Baku. Israel’s Linoy Ashram who led the competition going into the last rotation, lost her chance at the gold medal when her ribbon flew out of the floor area, bumping her to second place. Home town hero Katsiaryna Halkina delighted the crowd with her elegant performances en route to the bronze medal, ahead of Italy’s Alexandra Agiurgiuculese.

In Acrobatic Gymnastics, the mixed pairs and women’s groups fought for the medals in the balance and dynamic finals.

The Belarussian team started with a bang as the women’s group featuring Veranika Nabokina, Julia Ivonchyk and Karina Sandovich won the balance final ahead of Belgium and Portugal. The Belgian ladies Talia De Troyer, Britt Vanderdonckt and Charlotte Van Royen got their revenge a bit later when they beat Portugal for the dynamic title. Belarus clinched the bronze.

And the Belarussian success wasn’t over yet. Experienced mixed pair Volha Melnik and Artur Beliakou first finished third in the dynamic final and then triumphed in the balance final beating Russian talents Viktoria Aksenova and Kirill Startsev who had won the first gold medal. Azerbaijan’s Abdulla Al-Mashayki and Ruhidil Gurbanli returned home with a silver for their dynamic exercise and bronze for balance.

 

Congratulations to all medallists:

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Individual all-around final

1. AVERINA Dina (RUS) 87.750

2. ASHRAM Linoy (ISR) 84.700

3. HALKINA Katsiaryna (BLR) 79.300

Acrobatic Gymnastics

Balance final

Mixed Pairs

1. BELIAKOU Artur & MELNIK Volha (BLR) 29.490

2. AKSENOVA Victoria & STARTSEV Kirill (RUS) 29.230

3. AL-MASHAYKHI Abdulla & GURBANLI Ruhidil (AZE) 28.160

Women’s Groups

1. NABOKINA Veranika, IVONCHYK Julia, SANDOVICH Karina (BLR) 29.520

2. DE TROYER Talia, VANDERDONCKT Britt, VAN ROYEN Charlotte (BEL) 29.230

3. DA SILVA SEQUEIRA Barbara, SAMPAIO MAIA Francisca, MAIA Francisca (POR) 28.570

Dynamic final

Mixed Pairs

1. AKSENOVA Victoria & STARTSEV Kirill (RUS) 29.060

2. AL-MASHAYKHI Abdulla & GURBANLI Ruhidil (AZE) 28.830

3. BELIAKOU Artur & MELNIK Volha (BLR) 28.810

Women’s Groups

1. DE TROYER Talia, VANDERDONCKT Britt, VAN ROYEN Charlotte (BEL) 28.830

2. DA SILVA SEQUEIRA Barbara, SAMPAIO MAIA Francisca, MAIA Francisca (POR) 28.740

3. NABOKINA Veranika, IVONCHYK Julia, SANDOVICH Karina (BLR) 28.090

Find the full results, and the qualifiers to tomorrow’s rhythmic apparatus finals, on the UEG website: http://www.ueg.org/event/2019-european-games/results

 

The Rhythmic and Acrobatic Gymnastics competition continues tomorrow!