2011 Artistic Gymnastics European Championships - Women’s all-around
2011 Artistic Gymnastics European Championships - Women’s all-around
High drama in the women’s all-around event with the clear favourite Aliya Mustafina suffering a devastating injury on landing her vault, opening up the way for numerous gymnasts to take the title.
In the end it was Mustafina’s teammate Dementyeva who comfortably took the title with 57.475, from home crowd favourite Seitz (56.700) and Romanian Racea, 56.600.
For GBR, Hannah Whelan fell early on bars to set her back and finished with a total of 54.175 (13th) whilst Danusia Francis competed cleanly for 53.375 and 16th.
Reports
Danusia Francis began on vault scoring 13.500 in a clean and confident start.
The crowd were then left stunned as Russian favourite Aliya Mustafina, who led the qualification by a huge margin, landed awkwardly on vault, her knee seemingly locking and to the dismay of everyone in the arena, the Russian was carried off in the arms of her coach, a sad sight that opened up the field hugely.
Hannah Whelan then took to the bars, a slip of the hand meant she missed her geinger and fell. With years of major competition experience Hannah composed herself and completed her routine cleanly to score 12.850
Hannah on beam showed a few signs that her bars fall may have affected her with several wobbles but keeps her head to stay on and score 13.950.
Danusia moved on to bars next completing her routine cleanly and looking like she was really enjoying her major event debut, scores 13.125.
At the halfway point, Hannah lay in 12th place with Danusia in 13th, Russian Dementyeva leading the way.
Hannah the took to the floor, her dance elements standing out in a new routine, that scored 13.850.
Danusia on beam showed all her class and artistry with a textbook dismount to score 13.400.
With the final apparatus to go the British girls lay in 11th (Hannah) and 15th (Danusia) - whilst the medal race looked to be between Dementyeva (RUS), Seitz (GER), Chelaru (ROU) and Racea (ROU).
Hannah Whelan ended on vault with the British crowd cheering on from the end of the run, she scores 13.525 to give her an all-round total of 54.175.
Danusia ended on floor with the crowd hugely receptive to her clean lines and artistry, scoring 13.350, and an all-around of 53.375.
Hannah Whelan: “It was clearly a shaky start with the fall on bars but I am happy that I didn’t let that affect me for the remainder of the competition. I think my experience of competing in major events really helps me, whereas in the past my head would of gone down, this time I stayed calm and completed the rest of the event cleanly. I now have the beam final to look forward to with no real pressure on so I can enjoy it and see what happens.”
Danusia Francis: “I’m mostly happy to have gone clean the whole week in my first major event as a senior. I have learnt a huge amount being here, particularly what it may be like to perform in front of a home crowd as the German fans went crazy for their gymnasts. I now have some understanding of what it may be like if I make it to London next year.”
