Highlights of the Women’s competition at #Rimini2024

A mere 2,5 months before the Paris Olympics, the best of the very best travelled to Italy for a fabulous display by our continent’s top junior and senior gymnasts. The coastal resort Rimini welcomed 154 senior and 128 junior gymnasts from 39 countries who all delighted the enthusiastic audience with their impressive skills.

Here are our 11 highlights … in no particular order!

 

Magic Manila

Rimini became Manila Esposito’s favourite place in the world as she absolutely smashed this competition. During qualifications, she showed her worth on all four apparatuses, for a total score of 55.432 and her first European all-around title! During apparatus finals, she added not one but two gold medals to her fast-growing collection. First, she aced her beam routine. A splendid performance gave her a solid advantage over her competitors. Then, Esposito sealed the deal on floor, showcasing a dramatic and superbly executed routine to clinch her third individual gold medal of these Championships. What a week for the 17-year-old!

Alice = Ace

Watching her twin sister Asia injuring her knee on floor, Alice D’Amato had to keep herself composed as she continued to battle for an all-around medal. Ending on her signature event, uneven bars, the Italian superstar earned 14.633 for a fabulous performance, clinching the silver medal. Going into the bars final as the defending European Champion, D’Amato equaled teammate Elisa Iorio for the highest difficulty, their exercises worth 6.3. As her execution marked higher, D’Amato easily secured her second consecutive bars title, while Iorio found herself on the continental podium for the very first time in her career.

Confidence booster

Great Britain, featuring Abigail Martin, Alice Kinsella, Georgia-Mae Fenton, Rebecca Downie and Ruby Evans, led after the first rotation in the team final, and sealed their deal for silver on floor with 3 magnificent routines. Silver for the defending Champions!

In the all-around, the bronze medal went to 2022 silver medallist Alice Kinsella, courtesy of excellent vault and floor routines, while Georgia-Mae Fenton, delighted with her routine, swooped past former junior stand-out Helen Kevric (GER) for the bronze medal on uneven bars, another career first.

Taking one for the team

Scheduled to perform on 3 events, Angela Andreoli stepped up when Asia D’Amato got injured, effectively competing all-around and finishing in an impressive third place, completing an Italian 1-2-3. For the medals though, the two-per-country rule applied. A few days later, Andreoli grabbed her well-earned individual medal as she finished third on floor.

Teamwork makes the dream work

The best was saved for last as the team final closed the event. Alice D’Amato, Manila Esposito, Elisa Iorio and Angela Andreoli were joined on the competition floor by the injured Asia D’Amato, cheering on loudly. 4500 spectators also showed their appreciation which gave the Italian women wings. After the first rotation, on vault, Italy trailed Great Britain but they made up on bars, with all three scores above 14. On beam, the new European Champion Manila Esposito led her teammates, posting over 40 points. The only team in this final who managed to do so. Ending the night on floor, Manila, Elisa and Angela sparkled in the spotlight, taking in the fabulous atmosphere. With a grand total of 164.162, the Italians won the European team title for the third time in their history. And what better way than doing it in front of a home audience.

Colas, France show potential

In the junior competition, the French girls, led by the talented Elena Colas, excelled on bars and beam, posting the top scores on those apparatuses. Sealing the deal on floor, the cheers went through the roof. First, Colas cruised to victory in the all-around. Then, teammate Maiana Prat earned the bronze medal, followed by the biggest celebration of all … France wins the junior team title!

More honours for France’s juniors in apparatus finals as Elena Colas went head-to-head with Italy’s Giulia Perotti to share the bars title. The bronze medal was shared as well, between France’s Lola Chassat and Belgium’s Sien Ghekiere. On beam, Maiana Prat cruised to victory, controlling her nerves in a dazzling, confident display. On floor, Perla Denechere secured the bronze medal ahead of Colas who won a bronze of her own on vault.

Grande Giulia

Established junior gymnast Guilia Perotti, the 2023 junior World Champion on floor, led the Italian challenge. After earning silver both with her team and in the all-around, the Italian rising star displayed a masterclass on bars, going head-to-head with France’s Elena Colas. Both scored 13.866 thus sharing the gold medal. On beam, Perotti clinched the bronze, even with a fall, courtesy of her high difficulty value. Perotti ended the afternoon on a high, with another gold medal, this time for a superb floor routine which was rewarded with a 8.300 execution score, for a grand total of 13.400.

Coco … again!

On vault, defending Champion and top qualifier Coline Devillard (FRA) showed off her impressive skills, edging Bulgaria’s Valentina Georgieva for the title, her third European vault gold medal! Joining them on the podium was Devillard’s teammate Ming Van Eijken who clinched the bronze medal.

It’s in the genes

Sabrina Maneca-Voinea gave it her all in apparatus finals. Her beam performance included a sky-high full twist and her floor was just impressive. The talented Romanian earned two silver medals. Interestingly, she does a double layout punch front tumbling pass. The same pass as her mother and coach Camelia Voinea did, and she also won the silver at Europeans, back in 1987.

Olympic ticket goes to Maellyse Brassart (BEL)

With just one final entry ticket to the Olympic Games available, tension ran high as a handful of Olympic hopefuls battled it out in the qualification rounds. Facing stiff competition from her Swedish competitors Jennifer Williams and Nathalie Westlund, Belgium’s Maellyse Brassart conquered her nerves, putting up a total score of 51.932 which landed her in eleventh place, and earned her a trip to Paris!

The SmartScoring Shooting Star goes to … Filipa Martins (POR)!

For an astonishing 18 years already, since 2006, Filipa Martins has won the national championships, every year, and in all national age categories! Filipa singlehandedly put Portugal on the map as she participated in 3 Olympic Games, 8 World Championships, 12 European Championships, 2 University World Games and 1 European Games. Thanks to her skills and dedicated, warm personality, Filipa became very popular in Portugal. This encouraged many young gymnasts to start training in Artistic Gymnastics.

In 2021, Filipa wrote her name in the Code of Points when she presented a new element “The Martins” on uneven bars at the European Championships in Basel (SUI), which was recognised by FIG as an element with difficulty value ‘F’. She excels also in academics, having finished her graduate in Sports Sciences in 2022. Now finishing her Master in Sports Sciences/High Level Training, Filipa certainly deserves her place in the spotlight. Congratulations Filipa!

The Fiera di Rimini witnessed a marvellous week of the best Women’s Artistic Gymnastics action possible. The Italian Gymnastics Federation and the Local Organising Committee made a huge effort to promote this discipline and provide a unique competition setting. Grazie Rimini!