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Jessica Gadirova wins third successive floor title at European Championships

Jessica Gadirova wins third successive floor title at European Championships
© Reuters
Great Britain's Jessica Gadirova is crowned European champion in the women's floor exercise for the third year running, as Alice Kinsella wins the silver medal.

Great Britain's Jessica Gadirova was crowned women's floor champion for the third year running at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antalya.

The 18-year-old - who is also the reigning world champion on the apparatus - recovered from a shaky beam routine to clinch floor gold with a total score of 14.000.

Gadirova completed her difficult tumbles to perfection - in particular a full-twisting double back somersault - to post an 8.200 on execution, the highest such score of the day.

"Even from being floor champion the first time was just amazing. And to keep defending [the title] at the moment is so crazy. I just can't believe it," Gadirova told BBC Sport after winning her third gold of the Championships.

The teenager had previously won titles in the women's team event and all-around competition, but she could only finish seventh on beam after under-rotating her double-piked back somersault dismount.

However, Gadirova quickly dusted herself down to add to her 2021 and 2022 European titles on floor, while compatriot Alice Kinsella scooped a memorable silver with a total of 13.666, as Romania's 15-year-old protege Sabrina Maneca-Voinea took bronze with 13.566.

"I'm not always the best at beam. So I just kind of accept whatever happens, happens, and it is so hard to be so consistent on beam," Gadirova added. "I literally wiped it from my memory and thought floor is my chance to show it off and forget about what happened on beam."

Alice Kinsella pictured on August 11, 2022© Reuters

Meanwhile, Kinsella hailed her silver-medal winning routine as one of her best performances of her career, saying: "I came into this final not really expecting much.

"I just wanted to go out there and enjoy it and get the experience. I think it's probably one of the best floor routines I've ever done, so I'm just super, super chuffed."

GB added another three medals to their total on the final day of competition, as Jake Jarman finished second in the men's vault final, ceding the title that he won in Munich last year.

A sizeable step back on his second vault proved costly, as Jarman averaged a total of 15.016 after two routines, with Armenia's Artur Davtyan winning the title with an average of 15.033 - Jarman's compatriot Harry Hepworth ended up in seventh.

Jarman ended his European Championships in the parallel bars final, but an early mistake saw him score 13.066 for a ninth-placed finish, with Ukraine's Illia Kovtun taking home the gold with 15.166.

Ondine Achampong finished three places higher than Gadirova in the beam final - just missing out on a medal with a score of 13.533, good enough for fourth place - as Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands was crowned European champion with 13.800.

There were no representatives from GB in the men's high bar final, where Croatia's Tin Srbic (14.233) finished atop the pile ahead of Italy's Carlo Macchini (14.200) and Kovtun (13.966).

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Written by
Ben Knapton

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Jake Jarman pictured on November 3, 2022
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