Junior Event Finals

From Patras: Nora Schuler (GER); Photos by Massimo Cogliati (ITA)

On vault, juniors competed two different vaults, which could be from the same family, the scores were averaged. All gymnasts are competing in the order they qualified in with the eighth qualifier going up first. Anna Pavlova won this final easily with a good double twisting Yurchenko and also nailed her second vault. Up last, Monica Rosu went into the lead after a dynamic double twisting Yurchenko but sat down her 1 ½ twisting Yurchenko. Team mate Iuliana Chindea only did a full-twisting Yurchenko for her first vault and backed it up with a 1 ½ twisting Yurchenko for silver.

Four gymnasts – Kozich, Mastrogiannopoulou, Teslenko and Bismpikou had ten start values on bars. Both Russians fell off on their Jaeger with Polina Miller clearly missing the bar and landing flat on her stomach and Anna Pavlova actually catching it but then peeling off. The way was clear for Kozich who gave little away -except perhaps on her open legs on her Pak- in a routine that flowed smoothly. Greece had something to celebrate in Maria Mastrogiannopoulou’s silver for a routine that included a combination of two piked stalders (bent arms throughout) to full pirouette to Tkachev. Second Ukrainian Inna Teslenko won the bronze with some of the nicest inverts around, a Tkachev and a crisp double front dismount

Beam finals saw two falls – one from Stefani Bismpikou (side somi) and the other from Italian Michela Merzario (full-twisting tuck jump). Floarea Leonida posted the only ten start value of the final with an action packed routine – ff-full twisting back tuck; front aerial – one armed ff- layout; full-twisting wolf jump. Anna Pavlova was solid – full-twisting ff to Onodi and triple twist dismount – but lost out on start value 9,8. Yelena Anoshina wobbled on her full-twisting ff but nailed her standing Arabian for third place (9,6 SV). The second Romanian Alexandra Eremia mounted with an original side straddle planche and survived her combination of front aerial-ff-layout for fourth place.

The floor final brought Ukraine it’s second gold with Mirabella Akhunu taking the lead and never handing it back for a routine that combined great tumbling (tucked full-in; Arabian double front; two whip through to a 2 ½ twist and a triple twist) with excellent presentation and cheeky choreography. Floarea Leonida also tumbled well – full-in; 2 ½ twist punch front full; double pike and triple twist – and used her funky Turkish to the delight of the rather sparse audience but a step to the side on her second pass cost her. Monica Rosu took the bronze with a display of very clean tumbling. Anna Pavlova was short on her triple twist dismount and fumbled through some of gymnastic elements and Patricia Moreno staggered back on her 2 ½ twist punch front layout combination to miss a medal.