147: The 2015 European Championships

Ellie Downie and Becky Downie crying at the 2015 european artistic gymnastics championships — Double Downie tears in Montpelier where Ellie won the first all-around medal for a British gymnast. Copyright Sport to Sport Visuals.

This episode originally aired in April 2015. Current Australian national team member and World Cup medalist, Mary-Anne “Mez” Monckton joins Emma to give us all the details on the 2015 European Championships in Montpellier, France:

Preliminary Problems:
- Before the meet even started Kristina Pravdina (AZB) and Anna Pavlova (AZB), along with Alla Sosnitkaya (RUS) were all out with injuries.
- Epke fell on high bar and failed to make finals. What world is this?!
Women’s All-Around:
- Historic Firsts: Giulia Steingruber all-around gold was the first ever win for Switzerland, Ellie Downie’s bronze was the first ever medal for Great Britain, Poland’s fifth place all-around for Marta Pihan-Kulesza was the highest ever finish for Poland–from a 27 year-old!
- Can the Russian women challenge the US now that they have two Amanar’s in the lineup?
Men’s All-Around
- Sam Oldham returned after his awful ankle injury at Commonwealth Games.
- The Oleg Verniaiev (UKR) vs. Oleg Stepko (AZE, formerly UKR) show down.
- David Belyavskiy (RUS) and Verniaiev showed the world why sports and peace go hand in hand.
Event Finals
- Rayderley Zapata (ESP) was allowed to repeat his floor routine after a timing error.
- Maria Paseka (RUS) flew in last minute and won gold where difficulty won over execution.
- The bars nail biter coming down to two-tenths for Daria Spiridonova (RUS) where perfect form came in third from Sanne Wevers (NED).
- Champion, Eleftherios Petrounias (GRC) actually made Emma and Mez want to watch Rings, RINGS!
- Andreea Munteanu (ROU) won beam, but Vasiliki Millousi (GRE) stole our hearts and broke them again when she fell at the very very end of her routines.
- Claire Martin (FRA) brought back some well deserved glory to French gymnastics after a long drought.
- Marijo Moznik (CRO) vs. Sam Oldham (GBR) high bar debate, justified or not?
Fragapan’s ridiculous, unbelievable, not pretty but amazing save on beam – video.
We reanact Carlotta Ferlito’s tweet as she, once again, blames everyone but herself for not making beam finals.