Double victory for host nation Israel in first finals of #ACRO2019

The first three finals of the 2019 European Age Group Competitions attracted a good crowd to Holon’s Toto Arena today. With flags and loud cheering, the audience supported their favourite athletes as they fought for continental glory.

In the 11 – 16 finals, the competitors need to perform one of their exercises again, with the scores starting anew.  The men’s pairs and the men’s groups showed their balance routine and the mixed pairs the dynamic.

It was a great day for yesterday’s top qualifiers as all of them retained that top spot. Although Russia’s men’s pair Matvei Chernykh and Ivan Derendiaev saw their British competitors George Paget and Harry Hole come very close. In fact, they had the same total score of 27.600 but this tie was broken and the highest execution determined the winner. Gold for Russia, silver for Great Britain. The French duo Finlay Colley and Bastien Vidal-Nicolas claimed the bronze.

Host nation Israel celebrated victory twice in just over half an hour. First, their mixed pair Yonatan Fridman and Amy Lev Refaeli delivered another stunning routine, cruising to victory over Portugal’s Rita Rebelo and Luis Ferreira and Great Britain’s Lucy Hodgson and Samuel Yarnall. Shortly after, Gidron Odem, Or Abraham, Or Strohmayer and Maor Nekave excelled in the men’s group final:

In reverse order from qualifications, the British boys Rex Booth, Alexander Lofnes, Louis Alexander and Jackson Birch outscored Russians Maksim Korshunov, Artem Logvinov, Ivan Mikulin and Ilia Bocherov for the silver medal.

 

Medallists 11 - 16

Men’s pairs

1.            Matvei CHERNYKH & Ivan DERENDIAEV (RUS) 27.600
2.            George PAGET & Harry HOLE (GBR) 27.600
3.            Finlay COLLEY & Bastien VIDAL-NICOLAS (FRA) 26.800

Men’s groups

1.            Gidron ODEM, Or ABRAHAM, Or STROHMAYER & Maor NEKAVE (ISR) 28.100
2.            Rex BOOTH, Alexander LOFNES, Louis ALEXANDER & Jackson BIRCH (GBR) 27.550
3.            Maksim KORSHUNOV, Artem LOGVINOV, Ivan MIKULIN & Ilia BOCHEROV (RUS) 27.300

Mixed pairs

1.            Amy Lev REFAELI & Yonatan FRIDMAN (ISR) 28.100
2.            Rita REBELO & Luis FERREIRA (POR) 27.350
3.            Lucy HODGSON & Samuel YARNALL (GBR) 27.200

 

Find the full results on our website: https://www.ueg.org/event/2019-european-age-group-competitions-acrobatic-gymnastics/results

The European Age Group Competitions conclude tomorrow with all remaining finals!