17. May 2014  
Sofia, Bulgaria  
EM 2014

ECh 2014: Elite's Apparatus Finals

Maria Kharenkova (RUS): European Champion ih her first elete season!

Went the European title in Brussels two years ago only to the two nation's Romania (4x) and Russia (1x), now, at the 35th European Gymnastics Championships Women 2014 after the at today's final day the new European champion came from 5 (!) different countries!
On vault, the Swiss Giulia STEINGRUBER was again not be beat with the best technique and E-notes. On uneven bars was Great Britain's  Rebecca DOWNIE sovereign (difficult exercise: 6.6) and it seems, she converts already successful in the trace of its British predecessor Beth Tweddle.
Then broke Russia's newcomer Maria KHARENKOVA, which was launched in the previous year at European Youth Olympic Festival in Utrecht yet, the Romanian bar sovereignty and referred there the established Larisa IORDACHE on rank two, but on the floor IORDACHE won the only individual medal at these championships for the European Team Champion Romania, however, but had to share this victory with the Italian "evergreen", Vanessa FERRARI.


British Olympian (Beijing 2008) Becky Downie has taken the European Championship uneven bars title in Sofia. She has often come agonisingly close to the medals, finally broke through to produce an outstanding display in the final and take the gold medal for Great Britain. Becky has always been know for her exceptional and difficult bars routines and in these championships, where the focus has been on the team who won silver on Friday, Becky has looked confident and calm throughout and it was again the case in the final. Becky’s last major individual medal was at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 but she has always been up amongst the best bars workers and continues the golden legacy left by Beth Tweddle who last won this title in 2011. Becky said afterwards: “I still can’t believe it, it hasn’t sunk in I’m just really, really happy. There was a doubt in the back of my mind going for the big routine but I knew if I pulled it off I could win the gold medal. To beat the Olympic champion is unbelievable but I knew it was possible; I’ve worked so, so hard on this. You can see the emotion when is stuck my dismount, I knew it was going to be a medal. Every final I’ve missed I kept having to pick myself up and sometimes you wonder if it will ever come and today it has, it’s worth very moment to have this medal. I can’t believe what I’ve done and what this whole group of girls have achieved this week is absolutely amazing.”
Rebecca Tunney also produced an outstanding performance alongside Downie to finish in 4th place with the same high difficult score of 6.6 like the winner Downie (!) as did debutante Claudia Fragapane placing 6th on the vault.

Russia's star and Olympic champion Aliya Mustafina succeeded this time "only" the runner-up title on the uneven bars and bronze on balance beam.
The German hopes for a medal, especially by Sophie Scheder on uneven bars and Janine Berger on vault were not fulfilled: both arrived each at No. 5 in their finals.
Overall, Russia completed both the elite category (1x Gold /1x Silver / 2 Bronzes) as especially at junior level this continental competitions as a successful nation with a total of 5 gold and each two silver and bronze medals.
Great Britain made a great leap forward and contributed in Sofia 3x in the list of winners!
Even if Romania could not shine with outstanding victories -  but altogether 9 medals, like Russia, too - let everything open looking forward to the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro  .
Similarly, the German girls should go home with the certainty, that a positive development trend here in Sofia was more than obvious, and that nobody needs to be afraid not longer before the balance beam!

* Sunday, May 18
APP.  F I N A L S
________________________________
* S P R U N G / Vault
1. STEINGRUBER, Giulia (SUI)  = 14,466
2. PAVLOVA, Anna          (AZE)  = 14,583
3. IORDACHE, Larisa     (ROU)  = 14,533

4. SOSNITZKAYA, Alla    (RUS)  = 14,449
5. BERGER, Janine        (GER)  = 14,399
6. FRAGAPANE, Claidia  (GBR)  = 14,333
7. BUI, Kim                    (GER)  = 13,916
8. MAKRA, Noemi           (HUN)  = 13,362
    ► Detaillierte Resultate

* U N E V E N  B A R S
1. DOWNIE, Rebecca     (GBR)  (6.6) = 15,500
2. MUSTAFINA, Aliya     (RUS)  (6.3) = 15,266
3. SPIRIDONOVA, Daria (RUS)  (6.4) = 14,966

4. TUNNEY, Rebecca           (GBR)  (6.6) = 14,933
5. SCHEDER, Sophie           (GER)  (6.4) = 14,733
6. IORDACHE, Larisa           (ROU)  (6.0) = 14,533
7. BUI, Kim                         (GER)  (6.0) = 14,400
8. POPA NEDELCU, Roxana (ESP) (6.2) = 14,266
        ► Detaillierte Resultate

* B A L A N C E   B E A M
1. KHARENKOVA, Maria (RUS)  (6.4) = 14,933
2. IORDACHE, Larisa     (ROU)  (6.4) = 14,800
3. MUSTAFINA, Aliya     (RUS)  (6.0) = 14,733

4. DOWNIE, Rebecca        (GBR)  (5.9) = 14,366
5. FERRARI, Vanessa          (ITA)  (5.7) = 14,133
6. PIHAN-KULESZA, Marta (POL)  (5.9) = 13,733
7. MARTIN, Claire              (FRA)  (5.8) = 13,366
8. STEINGRUBER, Giulia (   SUI)  (5.9) = 13,200
    ► Detaillierte Resultate

* F L O O R   E X E R C I S E S
1. IORDACHE, Larissa       (ROU)  (6.1) = 14,800
1. FERRARI, Vanessa          (ITA)  (6.3) = 14,800
3. STEINGRUBER, Giulia     (SUI)  (6.1) = 14,500

4. BULIMAR, Diana               (ROU)  (5.8) = 14,400
4. PIHAN-KULESZA, Marta     (POL) (6.0) = 14,400
6. POPA NEDELCU, Roxana (ESP)  (5.8) = 14,191
7. SOSNITZKAYA, Alla          (RUS)  (5.7) = 14,266
8. FRAGAPANE, Claudia      (GBR)  (6.0) = 14,133
    ► Detaillierte Resultate