Greek gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias has secured the European title for 2024 with a stellar performance in the rings final.
In the qualifying round, Petrounias posted the highest score (14.966 points). In the final, he surpassed his main rival and last year’s European champion in Antalya, Turkey, Ahmet Onder. Petrounias scored 15.000, demonstrating exceptional difficulty (6.300) and flawless execution (8.700).
His final routine, executed flawlessly among the eight finalists, propelled him back to the pinnacle of European gymnastics.At the same time, it sent a resounding message ahead of the Paris Olympic Games. The European Championships in Rimini served as his sole official competition this season before the summer’s grand rendezvous.
Azerbaijani gymnast Nikita Simonov clinched the silver medal with 14.900 points, edging out last year’s champion, Egypt-born but Turkey-representing Adem Asil, who also scored 14.900 but settled for third place due to a lower execution score.
Before this year’s seventh European title, Petrounias had previously secured a bronze medal in his debut at the event in Berlin in 2011. Subsequently, he achieved six consecutive victories in Montpellier (2015), Bern (2016), Cluj (2017), Glasgow (2018), Basel (2021), and Munich (2022). Additionally, he earned another bronze medal last year in Antalya.
His tally now stands at an impressive twelve gold medals across major competitions, including three World Championships (2015, 2017, 2018), the 2015 European Games, and, of course, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games