1st European Team Championships

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Ukraine got silver on the 1st European Team Championships. We can't call such competition a new one, because in 1997 and in 1999 the team competition with participation of the representatives of both artistic and rhythmic gymnastics was held, but it wasn't a Championships, it was called Gymnastics Masters

Mix (with other words union in one team sportsmen of different kiunds of sports) is very interesting to see, in my view. As a rule, it uses a play-off system. But the competitions in Paris and Patras had one original thing more - "jokers". The rule of jorker is when the scores of some routines or exercises is doubled. It is interesting for the audience to see such competitions, but specialists didn't count them very serious, saying that the competition is more like show. After getting the status of European Championships the form of the competition maybe should have become more strict, but comparing to the 1999's competition, the reglament of the 1st European Team Championships practically hasn't changed. Only one thing was different: Earlier to 1/4 final went the winners of the group plus two best loosers, but in 2001 only total score was counted.

Teams were chosen to this EC by picking the results of the last Euros in team in WAG, MAG and RG. So in Riesa we didn't see Romanian team, who is poor in rhythmics or greek team, because Dona Evmorphia got injured and didn't compete in Zaragoza Europeans

In the Qualiffication each team had to perform 12 routines (4 for each discipline). Male artistic gymnasts had to perform floor and bar, two other routines were by choice. Each of the 4 routines had the right of joker. A big surprise was the total score of french , who took the last 12th place. One of the gymnasts because of the injury could finish the exercise on bars and so got very low score, though the French team in artistic gymnastics wasn't very high-levelled

Ukrainian girls and boys went through the quallifucation without any problems. In 1/4 final they had quite serious rival - Belorus. In 1/4 final team had to perform 3 routines, joker in each team could be different. The end of the battle between Ukraine and Belorus won Ukraine, thanks to Aliona Kvasha, who had a huge advantage to Natalia Zharganova, Alexander Beresh, who was the joker lost a little to Dmitry Kasperovich and Anna Bessonova won a little against Elona Ossiadovskaya. The apparatus gymnasts chose on their own here

In the semi-final Ukrainian team met with the Spanish team. It seemed to be extremely difficult, but practically everything was solved for Ukraine after Viktor Kano had fall from the horse

So, in the final, the same as two years ago Russia vc Ukraine. Unfortunately, we didn't see the real fight. At first, Anna Bessonova lost the club, then Svetlichniy fall of the horse. In the end Olga Roschupkina fall of the beam and she was the joker. But silver medals is not so bad, let's congratulate Ukrainian girls and boys!

In the end I'd like to say, that it won't be bad to add another gymanstics sports, such as sports acrobatics or trampolining. And in this time I guess Ukraine would get gold, because strong acrobats or trampoliners haven't been found in Spain or Italy yet

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