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Gymnastics: Britain reach five senior finals at European Champs

May 11, 2012
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The second day of the 2012 women’s artistic gymnastics European Championships saw the seniors take to the arena in the hope of qualification for Saturday’s team final and Sunday’s apparatus finals.

The British girls, led by a sensational near faultless display from Hannah Whelan (57.633 all-around), qualified in third place in the team ranking with a brilliant performance scoring them 169.431 points.

Alongside the team final, Ruby Harrold qualified for the bars final in 4th place, Whelan for the beam (4th) and floor (4th) finals, and Rebecca Tunney (6th) the floor final.

With Whelan leading the way, 15-year-olds Tunney and Harrold, in their first senior major competition, stood out with confident, highly difficult routines. Harrold’s bars score of 14.533 a highlight in the very first routine of the round, and Tunney’s double twisting Yurchenko vault for 14.833 – a super finale in the very last routine.

Harrold said: “It was an amazing competition, a really good atmosphere and we competed really well as a team. We know each other really well having practiced side by side for weeks and it all went to plan.”

Ably supported by Danusia Francis and Jenni Pinches, the team made no major errors in the pressured completion format where every routine counted to the team total.

Having taken the European team silver medal back in 2010, the British team – with notable absentees in Beth Tweddle, Becky Downie and Imogen Cairns – will once again be hoping to make the podium in the final.

The Championships continue with the junior all-around finals today, with Angel Romaeo and Gabrielle Jupp competing for GBR.

Team finalists
Romania – 177.472
Russia – 172.563
Great Britain – 169.431
Italy – 168.005
France – 167.122
Spain- 163.638
Germany – 163.022
Belgium-161.972

Sportsister,
The Women’s Sports Magazine

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