Romanian success at the European Championships in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics: Ana Barbosu, Larisa Iordache – golden girls

Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu won the gold medals in all four final events on apparatuses – vault, uneven bars, beam and floor, while Romanian gymnast Larisa Iordache won the gold medal in the floor event, at the 2020 European Championships in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, at the 2020 European Championships in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, Juniors’ competition, in Mersin, Turkey.

Romania finished the European Championships in WAG Juniors with a formidable tally – gold medals in all events (team, all-around, apparatus), namely six gold medals, two silver medals, both obtained by Maria Ceplinschi, in all-around and floor, and one bronze, won by Andreea Preda, in the beam event.

The former great gymnastics champion Nadia Comăneci was impressed by Larisa Iordache’s evolution, hailing her will and determination. Nadia also praised junior Ana Bărbosu, saying she is has great potential.

Nadia has praised the entire junior team. “There are years since I haven’t seen such junior gymnasts. The A-B-C’s working“, she stated.

Nadia Comăneci also remarked that, through the performance obtained by the national gymnastics team in Turkey, Romania equaled one of Russia’s records and outranked another one.

However, she underlined that few countries have raced in the 2020 European Championships in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics. Only 14 states competed in the event due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Russia, France, UK, Italy or the Netherlands being among the great absentees.

Ana Barbosu concluded the 2020 European Championships in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, Juniors’ competition, with six gold medals, the other two having been conquered in the team and all-around events.

Romania won another silver medal on Sunday, through Maria Ceplinschi, in the floor event, and a bronze one, through Andreea Preda, in the beam event.

In the vault event, Ana Barbosu won with an average of 13.975, after scores of 14.250 and 13.700, respectively. Valentina Gheorghieva (Bulgaria) was ranked second with 13.800, and Daria Liska (Ukraine) came in third with 13.350. Maria Ceplinschi ranked fifth, with 13.175 (13.450 in the first vault, 12.900 in the second).

In the uneven bars final, Ana Barbosu won with 13.450, followed by Croatian Sara Sulekic, 12.400, and Turkish Derin Tanriyasukur, 12.050, while Romanian Iulia Trestianu was ranked 7th, with 10.550.

Ana Barbosu obtained the gold in the beam event with 13.100, the same score as the second ranked, Hungarian Greta Mayer (the execution score was higher for the Romanian), and Andreea Preda finished on the third place, with 12.700.

In the floor final, Ana Barbosu came in first, with 13.250, followed by Maria Ceplinschi, 12.900, and Greta Mayer, 12.750.

Romanian gymnast Larisa Iordache, aged 24, won the gold medal in the floor event, having scored 13.450.

Iordache, who had the highest score in the floor event in the qualifying competition, 13.433, was followed in the final by Turkish Goksu Uctas Sanli, 13.100, while Israeli Lihie Raz came in third, with 12.750. The other Romanian in the floor event final, Antonia Duta, ranked 5th, with 12.600.

Larisa Iordache concludes the European Championships in Turkey with a four-medal tally, two gold in beam and floor, two silver, in the team and vault events. She posted a photo with her four medals on Instagram.

Overall, Romania conquered five Seniors’ medals, silver in the team competition, gold through Larisa Iordache in the beam and floor events, silver through Larisa Iordache in vault, and a new silver medal in the beam event through Silviana Sfiringu.

Larisa Iordache also has in her track record a bronze medal in the Olympic Games, two silver and two bronze medals in the World Championships, as well as five gold, six silver and two bronze medals in the European Championships.