Yearly the European Championships supplies a extremely anticipated matchup that includes Europe’s prime gymnasts within the early portion of the season. In 2023 the European Championships have been no completely different. Jessica Gadirova turned the most recent breakout star to win the extremely coveted All-Round whereas capping off a 3-year win streak on ground. Then got here the arrival of the following era because the high-school aged Manila Esposito and Sabrina Voinea gained the primary medals of their younger careers.
Becky Downie (age 31), Sanne Wevers (age 31) and Elisabeth Seitz (age 29) created success on the other finish of the age spectrum. As soon as once more proving that the seat of energy in girls’s gymnastics is each bit as a lot managed by grownup girls as it’s by teenaged ladies. The success of Downie was particularly fulfilling because it appeared to revitalize the profession of a preferred fan favourite who had been affected by misfortune in recent times.
Italy and Nice Britain continued their rivalry that has been particularly compelling in recent times. However this time it was the British who got here out on prime, successful three gold medals to Italy’s one. Jessica Gadirova delivered a trio of gold medals, however her character is so positively expressive that her reputation with gymnastics followers at all times appears to develop tenfold every time she wins. To not be outdone, Italy invoked the contributions of Asia D’Amato and Alice D’Amato who’re simply as able to upsetting constructive feelings from gymnastics followers attributable to their standing as twins. Initially of the person occasions the primary three podiums featured an alternating set of 1 the D’Amato twins.
However whereas Italy and Nice Britain appeared to steal the present, Zsofia Kovacs of Hungary had quietly gained two medals as properly. It was a trilling story line from the nation that’s the “oldest energy” in girls’s gymnastics. Hungary was among the many 5 authentic packages to mark the Olympic debut of ladies’s gymnastics in 1928. Then Hungary had given us legends like Agnes Keleti within the Nineteen Fifties and Henrietta Onodi within the Nineties. Now it appeared that Zsofia of the 2020s was set to show that the nice days of this historic program had not but ended.
When all was mentioned and completed, the next 12 gymnasts had gained medals within the particular person occasions on the 2023 European Championships:
Jessica Gadirova
Zsofia Kovacs
Alice D’Amato
Coline Devillard
Asia D’Amato
Lisa Vaelen
Becky Downie
Elisabeth Seitz
Sanne Wevers
Manila Esposito
Alice Kinsella
Sabrina Voinea
These have been the tales from a contest that provoked thrilling storylines and gymnastics followers walked away feeling totally happy with the result. However within the months because the gymnasts who gained medals at this competitors gave the impression to be affected by misfortune and the 2023 European Championships normally now seems like a cursed competitors.
Simply two weeks after the conclusion of the European Championships Asia D’Amato suffered an ACL and meniscus tear on the Cairo World Cup on the finish of April. That gave the impression to be the top of issues till Elisabeth Seitz introduced she had ruptured her Achilles tendon on September fifth. Then Lisa Vaelen introduced she must withdraw from World Championships consideration attributable to an sickness on September ninth. And eventually, Zsofia Kovacs introduced she had torn her ACL on September twenty third.
These 4 occasions meant that of the 12 gymnasts who gained particular person medals on the 2023 European Championships, 33% of them have been knocked out of the World Championships attributable to damage or sickness. Nor will Becky Downie be current after not making the British World Championships crew this yr. Bringing the speed to 42% of medal winners within the particular person occasions on the 2023 European Championships will in the end not be current on the 2023 World Championships.
The European delegation will hit a 50% withdrawal fee if any of the seven remaining gymnasts are compelled to announce yet one more damage or sickness in our final week earlier than the 2023 World Championships are slated to start out. Such a prospect now not seems like a far fetched hypothetical given what number of “September surprises” Europe has just lately skilled.
