Press release via British Gymnastics:

Ellie Downie led the way for Great Britain on the opening day of the 2015 European Championships in Montpellier, France.

The 15 year old, making her senior major championships debut, was outstanding competing in the first of the qualification rounds to score a personal best all-around total of 56.190 points, good enough for her to qualify for the final in third place. She will be joined in the all-around final on Friday by Claudia Fragapane who performed in her trademark high energy style to score 55.031 points placing fifth with more to offer in the final.

Amy Tinkler, recently crowned British Champions in her first year at senior level also impressed with her excellent all-around performance totalling 54.958 points, however with only two gymnasts per country allowed to make finals she just missed out despite placing sixth.

Reigning European bars champion Becky Downie confidently progressed through to both the bars and beam finals placing second in both, with more skills to offer in her beam routine and small improvements to her bars she will hope to be amongst the medals over the weekend.

Claudia has a busy weekend ahead having qualified for the the floor, beam and vault finals whilst Ellie Downie will also compete in the vault final and in the bars alongside her older sister with Amy Tinkler making it into the floor final in third spot. That means we have two British girls in every final – the maximum possible

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Ellie was close to tears afterwards saying “I’m absolutely over the moon. I really never expected that at all. My first senior championships and my personal best score it’s amazing, I felt some nerves especially going on to beam but I managed to fight through. The whole competition couldn’t have gone much better and has given me so much confidence, I really can’t believe it!”

Claudia added “I’m happy overall but know there is room for improvement from today going in to the final. I think I just had a bit too much adrenaline today and that’s why I had some small errors, I know I can work on those and hope for even better in the final but overall im happy to have got though and looking forward to the next few days.”

Competition report

With the qualification rounds split into four groups it was Ellie Downie and Amy Tinkler who began the British campaign in the opening round.

Ellie Downie is the junior European vault champion and it showed in her highly difficulty, well performed routines. Her first pass scoring a superb 14.933 and her second (gymnasts compete two different vault if they aim for apparatus finals) just as well landed, Ellie showing great confidence to score 14.166 for a 14.549 average. Ellie showed more of her difficulty skills on bars with big release and catch elements and a nailed dismount for 13.966. On beam Ellie continued to demonstrate her style and skill, composed and controlled throughout to score 13.891. Ending on floor Ellie was powerful, she couldn’t quite control the landing of her first tumbling pass but that didn’t faze her at tall and she energetically completed a great routine for 13.400 and an all-around total of 56.190 points her personal best score.

Also starting on vault Amy Tinkler looked confident, her parents watching from the concourse above, she charged down the runway landing well she had to fight to keep to one step backwards scoring an impressive 14.625 points. On bars she was equally controlled with a tidy routine for 13.300 whilst on beam Amy fought to stay on after her first sequence of skills but our British Champion battled to stay on and score 12.833.Finaly on floor Amy was magnificent, showing all her trademark power in extremely difficult tumbling she nailed her routine to score a superb 14.200 and complete her all-around completion total of 54.958

With no British gymnasts in the second round the third round began with a well composed and well controlled beam routine to open Claudia Fragapane’s competition, she looked focussed executing all her skills well to score an impressive 14.166. On floor she showed her trademark energy and enthusiasm in her high skill tumbles passes but struggled to contain her landing at times with one step off the floor, she ended in style to score 13.966. Claudia competed two vaults as she looked to make the final, her first double twisting pass scoring 14.566 her second also cleanly executed for 14.200 and an average of 14.383. There was an unfortunate fall early on bars as she was just not able to reach the bar in her first release skill but she jumped back on and completed well for 12.333 and a 55.031 total score.

With just the two apparatus to focus on Becky Downie put everything in to her beam routine. She performed a superb opening series of acrobatic skills and looked controlled throughout, a well-landed dismount giving her a score of 14.366. On bars she was equally professional and composed knowing she had the routine to comfortably make the final. She executed her skills well to score a strong 15.233 with more to offer in the final where she will hope to retain her title.

The championships continue with the men’s qualification competition on Thursday 16th.

Results

Full results can be found here http://www.montpelliergym2015.fr/