RUSSIA's gymnastics group presented with two top combinations of equipment on the first day of the 30^th anniversary of European Championships of Rhythmic Gymnastics as a seemingly invincible and marked with 18.366 points (10 clubs) and with 18,200 (3 balls / 2 bands), the highest all-around score of 36.566 points and won sovereign the all-around gold medal in Baku.
European runners-up were the ITALIAN girls, who received 34.749 points. Bronze went to the group from ISRAEL (34.383), with her second exercise even Bulgaria (34.299) could refer to Rank 4. As the last of the 21 groups of this first decision, the Spaniards displaced to rank 5 (34.091) still hosts Azerbaijan 34.050 to add a touch more on rank 6.
Behind France, Ukraine, Switzerland (32.316) and Greece occupied Germany's  girls the 11^th place (31.741) ...

The All-around decision of Elite
- reporting from Baku: Esther Teijeira / Spain
As expected, Russia took the gold with two flawless routines. Russia came to this European Championships with a renewed and very young group, only the captain, Anastasiya Maximova, remained from last year. Russia that used to have problems at the big events throughout the last years seems to have overcome them and showed strong routines, with ten clubs to Russian folk music and the mixed routine – already preparing the World championships in Izmir in September - to a well-known Turkish pop-song named “Kiss” by Tarkan.

Second came Italy with two flawless routines and third Israel that showed two steady routines and were lucky because their strongest rivals following rankings: Bulgaria, Israel, Spain and Azerbaijan made mistakes.

Belarus had a nightmare of a routine with their mixed composition (3 balls/ 2 ribbons), having three interruptions and scoring only 10.800 points, passing only to the final with ten clubs. The most shocking news is that with their 17^th place in the all-around they are not allowed to compete next year at the first European Games, which will also held here  in Baku in 2015 in the month of June, as only the best 12 groups are qualified.

Between the best 12 qualified Switzerland on 9^th place and Germany on 11^th.
Germany missed a lot their captain Sara Radman who couldn’t travel to Baku because of the final exams at school.

On Saturday, June 14, the junior individual competition will conclude and the 20 seniors that qualified from last year will fight for this year’s all-around title.
* From Baku for GYMmedia: Esther Teijeira, Spain

* You missed the live streaming of the elite's groups all-around competition on Friday...? Nop problem:
   ⇒ Here is the ►► VIDEO on DEMAND (3h; 15 min)