The curtain rises on the Rimini Fair, the 36th European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championship. The senior men’s qualifications began this morning and, at the end of the day, will crown the individual champion in the general and the teams admitted to the team final on Sunday. While waiting to cheer for ItalGAM, which will enter the competition from 5.45pm, the opening ceremony took place in the Romagna exhibition centre. On the field of play, a parade of flags took place, representing the 37 participating nations, with a group of girls gathered in a circle around the European Gymnastics banner, symbolizing the unity of all the countries of the continent. The two stars of Rhythmic Gymnastics, the world vice champion, contributed to embellishing the show Sofia Raffaeli and the sixth best individualist of Tokyo 2021 Milena Baldassarri. The agent of the Fiamme Oro of the State Police and the airman of the Air Force delighted the public at the fair with beautiful performances together with their club mates from the Fabriano gymnasticswhich recently celebrated yet another championship in the Serie A championship. The union between the sections of the Federginnastica is essential which – thanks to the individualists, the national small apparatus team and the two men’s and women’s teams of the Artistica – made the ‘en-plein of Olympic cards for Paris 2024. The inaugural speech by FGI president Gherardo Tecchi, flanked by the vice president of European Gymnastics Tom Thingvold, officially kicked off the event that will set the Romagna Riviera on fire for the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, the second division has concluded with the Cypriot in the lead in the general competition Marios Georgiou with the total of 84,265 (13,533 – 14,266 – 13,233 – 14,100 – 14,633 – 14,500), behind him the Ukrainian Oleg Verniaiev at 84,031 (13,733 – 15,166 – 14,033 – 14,666- 14,200 – 12,233) while the Hungarian Krisztofer Meszaros drops to third place. Too bad for the other Ukrainian Illia Kovtun, who at the end of his complete lap is already off the podium with 83.331 (11.966 – 13.700 – 13.466 – 14.333 – 15.266 – 14.600). The 2003 class, foreign loan in the Italian championship under the Palestra Ginnastica Ferrara, was among the big favorites for the podium after the bronze at the last European Championships in Antalya 2023.
Photo Simone Ferraro/FGI
We thank Giovanni Auletta, photo manager of the European Championship, for the photo at Casa Italia
