Artistic gymnastics, Manila Esposito queen of the European Championships: three golds

General competition, beam and floor exercise. Manila Esposito she is the queen of the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships concluded in Rimini. The seventeen year old from Torre Annunziata closed the day dedicated to the specialty finals triumphantly. On the first day the gymnast of the Fiamme Oro Sports Group of the State Police, trained at Brixia by Enrico Casella and discovered by Camilla Ugolini at Civitavecchia Gymnastics, he finished ahead of Alice D’Amato for the Italian double.

Yesterday she won gold in the beam and floor exercise. On the first apparatus she did something historic: never before had an Italian gymnast won gold on the balance beam (score of 14,400). Before her, the titles had come on vault with Francesca Benolli and Carlotta Giovannini, on floor exercise with Vanessa Ferrari, and on uneven bars with Alice D’Amato

In the free body Manila Esposito as Vanessa Ferrari. The gymnast of the Fiamme Oro of the State Police wins gold on the green and purple square of Rimini as Orzinuovi’s “Cannibale” did in Amsterdam 2007 and Sofia 2014. However, she manages to surpass the Olympic silver in Tokyo 2021 by putting together three medals of gold in a single continental edition like never before in the history of Federgymnastics.

Today the fourth and final day of competitions at the 2024 European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships takes place. The continental review ends at the Rimini Fair with the highly anticipated senior team final and the junior specialty finals.

«When I arrived in Rimini – says the Italian – I didn’t expect at all to be able to get three medals, especially gold. I gave my all in all the races and still managed to get on the podium. When I manage to perform the exercises as I want I gain a little more confidence, more and more each time, so these medals will help me gain even more confidence in myself. I’m very happy because this means that I’m working well and I’ve managed to improve even more, so I hope to continue like this. What was more than Antalya on beam? A little more experience, it wasn’t my first final so I tried to manage my emotions better. In floor exercise, however, I won gold like Vanessa Ferrari, a comparison that is a bit scary, trying to follow in her footsteps is an emotion, for me she is an idol. The choreography and music was chosen by Rodica Demetrescu. It was the last piece of equipment, I tried to gather all my strength to give my best. Who do I dedicate these other medals to? Always to my family and my grandparents, Maria and Alfonso and Grazia and Raffaele. I think my coach Camilla Ugolini couldn’t be happier.”

Manila was born in Torre Annunziata, then her father’s work in the port took her to Civitavecchia. From there to Brescia with … parmigiana «It’s grandma’s dish – she says – Every time we went to Torre Annunziata we left with parmigiana to eat in the evening. Mum cooks well but grandma’s parmigiana can’t be beat.” For her, Torre Annunziata is the place where I play with her cousins. Pompeii is around the corner and remembers walks with the family or Christmas parties, New Year’s Eve, afternoons in the gardens. “Every time it’s a party.”

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