Preview of the European Championships in Acrobatic Gymnastics for juniors and seniors
Competition format
18 National Federations will be represented in 2 age categories: juniors (13 – 19) and seniors (15+). Each formation can perform 1 balance and 1 dynamic routine during the qualifications on Thursday and Friday. The top 6 (top 8 for junior women’s group) per exercise advance to the balance and dynamic finals while the two scores combined determine the top 6 (top 8 for junior women’s group) who will advance to the all-around final where they have to perform a combined exercise. Only 1 formation per country can advance to finals. In the all-around final the score of the combined exercise will be added to the sum of the balance and dynamic exercises to determine the medal winners. In individual finals the competition starts from zero so the pairs / groups with the highest score will be European Champions.
Who to watch?
Several top gymnasts headline the event: European Games winners like the Russian mixed pair Marina Chernova and Georgiy Pataraya, and the Belgian women’s group, Julie Van Gelder, Ineke Van Schoor and Kaat Dumarey. The silver and bronze medallist women’s groups from Baku, Russia and Belarus, will also be present, promising a high-level battle for gold. Triple silver medallists from the European Games, the Belgian mixed pair Yana Vastavel and Solano Cassamajor, will not participate. Cassamajor retired from competitive gymnastics after Baku and Vastavel injured her knee and leg recently and she’ll be out for several months. The British mixed pair Ryan Bartlett and Hannah Baughn, triple bronze medallists in Baku, are more than capable of rising in the rankings and are definitely one to watch in Riesa. For the women’s and men’s pairs all eyes are on Russia, Great Britain and Belgium with Belarus and Ukraine ready step in. The men’s group from Israel is very talented and could reach the podium. Team GB is sending neither a women’s nor a men’s group this year.
It’s great to see Moldova back in competition, as well as the senior Swiss team who has been absent for a few years. Good luck to all competitors!
Competition schedule
Thursday 1 October (qualifications + 2 finals)
9.30 to 11.30 Junior Mixed pair balance
Women’s group dynamic
11.45 to 12.55 Junior Women’s pair dynamic
Men’s pair balance (out of competition)
Men’s group balance
14.45 to 16.20 Senior Women’s pair balance
Men’s group balance
Women’s group dynamic
16.35 to 18.00 Senior Mixed pair balance
Men’s pair dynamic
19.00 to 20.00 Junior FINAL mixed pair balance
FINAL women’s group dynamic
Friday 2 October (qualifications + 4 finals)
9.30 to 10.40 Junior Women’s pair balance
Men’s pair dynamic (out of competition)
Men’s group dynamic
10.55 to 12.55 Junior Mixed pair dynamic
Women’s group balance
14.15 to 15.50 Senior Women’s pair dynamic
Men’s group dynamic
Women’s group balance
16.05 to 17.25 Senior Mixed pair dynamic
Men’s pair balance
18.30 to 19.15 Junior FINAL women’s pair balance
FINAL men’s pair dynamic (out of competition)
FINAL men’s group dynamic
19.45 to 20.45 Senior FINAL mixed pair dynamic
FINAL women’s group balance
Saturday 3 October (finals)
10.00 to 11.30 Junior Mixed pair combined
Women’s group combined
12.00 to 12.55 Junior Women’s pair combined
Men’s pair combined (out of competition)
Men’s group combined
15.30 to 16.30 Senior Mixed pair combined
Men’s pair combined
17.15 to 18.40 Senior Women’s pair combined
Men’s group combined
Women’s group combined
Sunday 4 October (finals)
10.00 to 10.45 Senior Women’s pair dynamic
Men’s pair balance
10.45 to 11.15 Senior Men’s group balance
13.15 to 14.00 Junior Women’s pair dynamic
Men’s pair balance (out of competition)
Men’s group balance
14.10 to 15.10 Junior Mixed pair dynamic
Women’s group balance
16.45 to 17.30 Senior Women’s pair balance
Men’s pair dynamic
17.35 to 18.35 Senior Mixed pair balance
Women’s group dynamic
18.40 to 19.10 Senior Men’s group dynamic
How to follow?
As usual UEG will post live updates, results and photos on its social media.
UEG has also created an event on Facebook where updates and information will be posted: https://www.facebook.com/events/508653209310253/
Photos and official results will be posted on UEG’s event page: http://www.ueg.org/event/2015-european-championships-acrobatic-gymnastics/overview
The organising committee provides a livestream of the entire competition: http://original.livestream.com/acrogymtv
We are looking for to welcoming all these wonderful athletes to the Sachsenarena!