The 19th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships took place in Riesa, Germany, from 4 to 6 April 2003. The programme had eight finals: four individual apparatus finals, three senior group events and a junior group final.
Bessonova’s championship
Anna Bessonova of Ukraine was the outstanding individual gymnast of the weekend. She won hoop, clubs and ribbon. The ball title went to Zarina Gizikova of Russia.
Groups
Russia won the senior group all-around and the 5 ribbons final. Bulgaria, a nation with a long group tradition, won 3 hoops + 2 balls. In the junior group competition Russia won 5 hoops.
Riesa as a gymnastics venue
Riesa, a small city in Saxony, has hosted several international gymnastics events. It staged the acrobatic gymnastics Europeans in 2015 as well, which shows how much a well-run venue can matter to a federation choosing hosts.
Points worth noting
– Apparatus finals allowed a specialist like Bessonova to dominate even when the all-around picture was more balanced. – Bulgaria’s group gold was a reminder that group work rewards a strong school, not only individual stars.
Related
The next edition was held in Kyiv in 2004. Riesa also hosted the 2015 acrobatic Europeans.
