Romania took the gold with a brilliant performance scoring them 172.754. Great Britain were always in medal contention tussling for positions with Russia and Germany. Finishing on bars the GB girls could only watch the scoreboard as they leapt above Russia (169.329 points) and then nervously awaited Russia’s (169.329 for bronze) scores to come through confirming the British silver and joyous tears for gymnasts and coaches.
The format of the competition meant three girls competed on each apparatus with every score counting to the team total – meaning every performance mattered. Starting off the competition on beam the girls shone under pressure, the close team dynamic standing out as all the girls grew with confidence as each gymnast produced fault free routines.
On floor the girls showed great expression and performance whilst on vault they completed clean nicely controlled routines. Finishing on bars – where GB excelled in qualification – the girls again performed sensationally under huge pressure with highly difficult routines.
The result matches GBR’s best performance to date when they also took silver in the European Championships in Birmingham, 2010.
Hannah Whelan said after: “This means everything to us; it’s hard to put in to words how much it means. We have all worked so hard together to make this possible and it’s been worth every second. The support we’ve had has been incredible and we are all so proud.”
Ruby Harrold: “We’ve worked really hard as a team and are so close as a unit – it’s so emotional and I’m so happy to have won this medal with these amazing girls.”
Claudia Fragapane: “This is my first major championships and I just can’t believe it. I love these girls so much; they have been amazing to me and helped me so much. Winning this medal with them is crazy”
Rebecca Tunney: “This team are amazing. We knew if we produced our best routines we would be in with a chance of a medal and to do it under so much pressure is a massive achievement. We’ve really shown the other countries what we are capable of and we are all very proud of ourselves today.”
Rebecca Downie: “We’ve all come together and gelled as a team in the last few months, everyone stepped up today and put in a performance for each other, I’m so proud of all of them.”
Competition reports
Beam
Ruby Harrold had the challenge of starting of Britain’s competition on beam. Her routine was brilliantly controlled to calm any nerves in the team; she bettered her qualification for 13.300 points. Hannah Whelan continued the great start showing confidence and composure in her difficult routine to score an impressive 13.900. Becky Downie was last up for GBR and completed a superb routine, high on difficulty and with great execution of the skills she landed her dismount with a huge smile made even bigger with the score being 14.133.
Floor
Hannah Whelan began on floor, as one of the Britain most experienced gymnasts she was fearless, expressive dance work and controlled tumbling, with just an occasional step on landing scored her 13.633. Ruby Harrold‘s routine was full of energy and performance, an awkward landing on her penultimate tumble which sees her momentarily sit is the only error limiting her score to 12.866. 16 year old GBR debutante Claudia Fragapane followed with a massive routine, hugely powerful and highly difficult tumbles mixed with some high temp choreography that the crowd and clearly the judges enjoyed as she scored 14.766.
Vault
Rebecca Tunney, Rebecca Downie and Claudia Fragpane all performed double-twisting Yurchenko vaults which see the gymnasts perform a round off on to the vault spring board before completed two mid-air twists. All the girls competed strongly; Tunney was awarded 14.533, Rebecca Downie a brilliant 14.700 and Claudia Fragapane 14.500.
Bars
Ruby Harrold produced an incredible bars routine to start the final event for Britain. Her performance was smooth, composed and controlled with a unique skills and a perfect landing to score 14.733. Rebecca Tunney followed with another superb routine under pressure with her teammates screaming encouragement she dismounted well to score 14.766. All eyes were on Rebecca Downie in the final routine for Britain and she didn’t disappoint, high difficulty, high execution, she landed to roars for the crowd and 14.833 points.
