Highlights of #TraSochi2021

On the eve of the Olympic Trampoline competition, and exactly three months after the start of the event, we look back on the European Championships in Trampoline, Tumbling and Double Mini-Trampoline, held in the Russian city of Sochi.

Here are some of our 8 highlights … in no particular order!

 

Belarus delivers the Championships’ most successful athlete … Aleh Rabtsau!

The national anthem of Belarus sounded three times for Aleh Rabtsau in the Iceberg Arena. He won the individual Trampoline final, claimed gold in synchro with Uladzislau Hancharou and was part of the victorious Belarussian men’s team. He returned home as triple European Champion and as a father to his first baby born while he was in Sochi!

Tachina Peeters tumbles to gold

Belgium’s tumbling star for many years already, Tachina Peeters has won medals at World Cup events in the past, but the 24-year-old finished in the unfortunate fourth place at several major events, including the 2016 and 2018 Europeans, the 2017 World Games and the 2018 Worlds. Sochi provided her the opportunity to shine bright and she took this chance with both hands. Tumbling to a combined score of 70.800, Peeters held of the challenge by Viktoria Danilenko, outscoring her by 0.200 for the European crown. And that was not all for Belgium: together with teammates Evi Milh and Laura Vandevoorde, Peeters earned team bronze.

Russia’s new Trampoline star

After leading her team to victory, Russia’s Iana Lebedeva also secured the individual European title in Trampoline. A new star is born!

Another DMT Maestro

Any of Russia’s four male Double Mini-Trampoline team members could have challenged for gold so it all came down to keeping nerves under control and difficulty and execution up. Aleksandr Odintsov did just that, claiming his first individual European gold, improving from the silver won in 2016.

Mister tumbling Vadim Afanasyev

His daring tumble runs cause quite a stir on social media, engaging people all around the world. In Sochi, Vadim Afanasyev outperformed the entire field showing off great difficulty for the gold medal.

France’s female team tumbles to gold in the lion’s den

 An exciting battle ensued in the women’s team tumbling final between host nation Russia and the French ladies. Candy Briere-Vetillard, Manon Morancais, Maelle Dumitru-Marin and Lucie Tumoine gave it their all, taking the gold with half a point advantage over their rivals.

Turkey’s historic medal

The Turkish Gymnastics Federation celebrates one historic moment after the other in gymnastics. Now that time came in Trampoline as Elif Colak and Sila Karakus won silver in the junior synchro final, while Colak added bronze individually.

Gymnasts representing the Turkish Gymnastics Federation have now won European medals in all disciplines endorsed by the Federation.

Proud home nation

The athletes representing the home nation, the Russian Federation, absolutely killed it in competition. Amassing a grand total of 30 medals, including 19 European titles!

 

We warmly thank the Russian Trampoline Federation for stepping in during these troubled times and pull off a high-level organisation. Thank you to all the gymnasts that gave the best of themselves, the coaches that guide them every day and the judges that invest their free time to these disciplines.

THANK YOU!