His pommel gold continues a British legacy in this event with Dan Keatings taking the previous two European titles.
Also a top exercise was celebrated by Ukraine's Oleg VERNIAIEV, who scored 15,966 points for gold on parallel bars.
Olympic and world Champion Epke ZONDERLAND from the Netherlands was unbeatable on high bar (15,866) in front of the two Brits: Sam Oldham taking high bar silver, Kristian Thomas high bar bronze and before already Daniel Purvis taking floor bronze to cap a superb championship for the British men’s team in Sofia.
Unfortunately, the high bar final began with a heavy fall of Germany's Fabian Hambuechen, who had to finish the event prematurely, but fortutsalely had no more serious consequences ....

Sam and Kristian showed all their experience on high bar in a tense competition the British boys showed great composure, skill and determination to take the silver and bronze.
Daniel Purvis' floor was similarly impressive as he produced a confident stylish fault-free routine to claim the European bronze for the second time having also took the same medal in 2010. Elsewhere Max also placed 5th on floor.

... top British ECh Balance!
The results conclude the men’s European Championships with the seniors also taking team silver and the junior boys team gold, all-around gold and bronze and four gold and four silver medals in event finals.
* Max Whitlock summed up his pommel performance saying: “I’m really, really happy. I’ve worked so hard on my routines and am always trying to up my game to stay ahead of the competition. To produce under that level of pressure and expectancy and win ahead of a legend like Kristian Berki feels fantastic. My routine is high on difficulty but I’m never satisfied, from here I’m going to be looking to push on even further, it feels fantastic to have won this medal and I’m determined to go on and win more in the future.”
* Sam Oldham said after: “I’m almost speechless. I didn’t watch the first routines and then once I heard Hambuechan (Germany's hotly tipped high bar worker) had fallen I knew if I focused a medal could be in my reach. I had to lay down a marker for the rest to follow and I did that. To stand on that podium with one of my best friends and my roommate Kris was a very special moment.”
* Kristian Thomas shared Sam’s enthusiasm: “It was a pretty tense close competing so to come out with the bronze medal – my first individual European medal – is fantastic. My routine wasn’t perfect but my experience got me through, we are all so well prepared and know how to fight for the medals and that’s what I did today.”
* Floor bronze medal winner Dan Purvis said “I’m delighted with the bronze. It was very tough field and the routines were a great standard. It was difficult watching the other guy’s performances and going last up but I knew if I went for my routine I was capable of getting a medal. It’s been a long time coming for me to medal on floor since my World and European bronze’s in 2010 and I’m really happy to have proved myself today.”.

* FINAL - P O M M E L   H O R S E
1. WHITLOCK Max        (GBR) (7,3) = 16,166
2. BERKI Krisztian         (HUN) (6,9) = 15,633
3. BERTONCELJ Saso   (SLO) (6,5) = 15,466

4. KUKSENKOV Nikolai  (RUS) (7,1) = 15,333
5. VERNIAIEV Oleg         (UKR) (6,7) = 14,133
6. LIKHOVITSKIY Andrey (BLR) (6,4) = 14,000
7. UDE Filip                   (CRO) (6,4) = 13,766
     ►► Detailed Results

* FINAL  -  V A U L T
1. ABLIAZIN Denis      (RUS) 15,150
2. RADIVILOV Igor     (UKR) 15,050
3. VERNIAIEV Oleg    (UKR) 14,916

4. SCHMIDT Casimir   (NED) 14,833
5. TUUHA Tomi             (FIN) 14,833
6. MEDVEDEV Andrey (ISR) 14,733
7. MEIER Michael        (SUI) 14,233
8. WAMMES Jeffrey    (NED)  6,800
     ►► Detailed Results

* FINALE - P A R A L L E L   B A R S
1. VERNIAIEV Oleg                (UKR) (6,8) = 15,966
2. BELYAVSKIY David            (RUS) (6,6) = 15,566
3. ZONDERLAND Epke           (NED) (6,5) = 15,533

4. BERBECAR Marius Daniel  (ROU) (6,5) = 14,966
5. KUKSENKOV Nikolai          (RUS) (5,8) = 14,200
6. MUNTEAN Andrei Vasile      (ROU) (6,2) = 14,166
7. PETKOVSEK Mitja              (SLO) (4,6) = 12,566
8. TSAREVICH Aliaksandr       (BLR) (4,8) = 12,100
     ►► Detailed Results

* FINAL -   H I G H   B A R
1. ZONDERLAND Epke (NED) (7,3) = 15,866
2. OLDHAM Sam         (GBR) (6,5) = 14,866
3. THOMAS Kristian    (GBR) (6,5) = 14,808
.
4. HEGI Oliver                 (SUI) (6,2) = 14,800
5. SCHROE Kristof          (BEL) (6,3) = 14,766
6. SABOT Hamilton         (FRA) (6,2) = 14,500
7. SEMIANKIV Maksym  (UKR) (5,2) = 11,766
8. HAMBUECHEN Fabian (GER) (2,4) =  5,125
     ►► Detailed Results

The Top Gymnastics Nation UK now turn to position 1 (!) n the ECh country medal standings, with a total of 7 victories and a total of 16 medals, alone among men.
The Russians brought with 5 x Gold indeed powerful today, but remained in the medals table back (10 medals) behind the British.
Adding also the medals of the Women's Europeans nor to the distance between these both European Super gymnastics nations with "the rest" of Europe is even clearer:
Russia: 11 Gold - 6 Silver - 2 Bronze;
UK:      10 Gold - 9 Silver - 5 bronze;
Itself ... the distance to the other top nation Romania, behind (2 / 5 / 2) on third place only in the female area is already surprisingly stunning!

► ECh Medal Sheet