Day 4 Review: Double Delight In Gymnastics For Hosts Germany

The apparatus finals in Olympiahalle provided goosebump moments for the audience and the German gymnasts themselves as they clinched two surprise gold medals on the fourth day of action of the European Championships Munich 2022 which also saw the rowing and triathlon events come to a close in the Bavarian capital.

GOLDEN GOOSEBUMPS

Elisabeth Seitz (28) and Emma Malewski (18) treated host country Germany to a big surprise as they clinched European Championships gold medals on uneven bars and balance beam, respectively.

Seitz triumphed on the uneven bars where she claimed her first-ever European title when she beat Italy’s Alice D’Amato and Lorette Charpy of France. “I can’t tell you how it feels. It’s a dream coming true after so many years,” Seitz, who previously won world bronze (2018) and a European silver (2017) on the apparatus, said.

"I've been in the national team since 2009. To now be a European champion for the first time is kind of crazy. I think I still need to realise that this really happened, that I am a European champion now.”

“As soon as I finished my routine I was completely overwhelmed. My whole body was shaking because the whole arena was shaking,” she laughed.

Seitz’ teammate Malewski, who only made her European senior debut a year ago, added to the German party with a surprising gold on balance beam. “I feel amazing,” Malewski said. “With the team we got a medal (bronze) yesterday and now Elisabeth and I got a medal as well. This week couldn't have gone any better."

Read more on the apparatus finals in our full review.

FAIRYTALE GONE BAD

Elsewhere the host nation’s hopes for gold were shattered. It was supposed to be a fairytale end to the European Rowing Championships – how a young man who took up rowing in Munich went on to scoop gold, following in the wake of his grandfather at the 1972 Olympic Games.

In the end, Oliver Zeidler’s (GER) dreams of standing on top of the podium at the Olympic Regatta Centre ended with him slumped over his oars, exhausted after a furious 2,000m battle with some of the world’s best scullers that left him in fourth place.

“I just wanted to have a good race here, and to give my best, and I did. In the end I'm a bit disappointed that I couldn't win a medal here, but that's sport. Sometimes others are better,” he said.

Melvin Twellaar (NED) ultimately triumphed in the men’s single sculls, matching the achievement of his teammate Karolin Florijn (NED) who had won the women’s single half an hour earlier.

The ultimate day at the rowing regatta saw 23 sets of medals handed out, with Great Britain topping the rowing medals table at Munich 2022. Check out all highlights of the day in our full review.

FATHERHOOD DRIVES ONDRA TO GOLD

Day 4 sport climbing action at Königsplatz concluded with two suspenseful finals, with the sport’s big hitters ultimately crowned champions.

Czech Adam Ondra prevailed in the men’s lead final to win gold. Slovenia’s Luka Potočar held on for silver, and Spain’s Olympic champion Alberto Ginés López claimed bronze.

The 29-year-old was spurred on by thoughts of his new-born son. “Right before climbing in the final, I was thinking about my son and my wife,” Ondra said.

“I think it gave me the ultimate power boost just before I started,” he added. The Czech athlete welcomed son Ugo into the world three months ago, and while Ondra junior wasn’t with him in Munich, his inspiration helped his father top the podium.

In the women’s competition, Janja Garnbret (SLO) made it double gold, following up her first-ever European title that she won in Saturday’s lead final with the title in lead.

Much to the delight of the home crowd, German Hannah Meul secured silver while France’s Oriane Bertone showed her potential by winning a first European bronze aged 17 to complete the podium.

Read the full review.

CHAMPIONS’ GALLERY

AN ENCORE FOR FRANCE

France have comprehensively defended their triathlon elite mixed relay gold in near-perfect conditions in Munich’s Olympiapark on Sunday evening.

The dominant French finished 33 seconds ahead of Germany who broke free from Switzerland on leg D following a tense battle that already began to take shape on leg B.

The French team, made up of the 2018 gold medal returning pair of Dorian Coninx and Cassandre Beaugrand were joined by Emma Lombardi and Léo Bergere to drive France to an impressive fifth triathlon medal at these Europe Triathlon Championships. Bergere had already won individual gold a day prior ahead of fellow Frenchmen Pierre Le Corre and Coninx, whilst Lombardi finished third in the women’s individual event on Friday.

You can find the full review here.

PHOTO FINISH AT ODEONSPLATZ

The Netherlands’ Fabio Jakobsen prevailed in a photo finish on Munich’s Odeonplatz to claim gold in the men’s cycling road race in blistering heat on Sunday afternoon.

The Dutchman outlasted France’s Arnaud Démare who repeated his silver medal of two years ago in Plouay, France whilst Belgium’s Tim Merlier finished third. It marks the Netherlands’ first European gold in the elite men’s road race of the modern era.

The 209.4km route from Murnau a. Staffelsee all the way to the heart of Munich was set to favour sprinters. Jakobsen profited from the work of his fellow countryman Danny van Poppel to get into the gold medal position.

“My team made a good plan and put in a huge effort to get me into a good position. I'm super happy to be European champion,” the 25-year-old commented following the race.

KOPECKY REIGNS SUPREME

Lotte Kopecky was queen of the velodrome on Sunday. After already having won the women’s elimination race on Saturday, the Belgian dominated the women’s points race from start to finish to add another European title to her tally.

Elia Viviani pulled off another great effort. The Italian competed in the men’s road race before coming to Messe München, to win the men’s elimination race only five hours after finishing at Odeonsplatz.

Sébastien Vigier (FRA) won the men’s team sprint after four hard-fought matchups between France and Great Britain to cap off day 4 at the UEC Track Elite European Championships.

Check out the full review here.

DOWN TO FOUR

Sunday’s action at the European Table Tennis Championships saw the mixed doubles field reduced to four pairs, whilst the singles events also got underway at Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle.

Defending mixed doubles champions Dang Qui (GER) and Nina Mittelham (GER) crashed out of the tournament as Austria’s Sofia Polcanova (AUT) and Robert Gardos (AUT) showed they are keen to take over the title.

In their first major tournament together, Polcanova and Gardos beat Simon Gauzy (FRA) and Prithika Pavade (FRA) in the quarterfinal to secure a spot in the top four.

”With this draw, this victory is even sweeter,” Polcanova said. ”This draw was not easy. We beat the ex-European champions and now these who were bronze medallists last year, so we played really good today."

Ľubomír Pištej (SVK) and Barbora Balážová (SVK), Ovidiu Ionescu (ROU) and Bernadette Szőcs (ROU) as well as Emmanuel Lebesson (FRA) and Jianan Yuan (FRA) will join them into the final four.