Stories

New guides and explainers, plus retrospectives on moments that shaped European gymnastics.

Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos and her 2019 European all-around title
From the archive16 October 2026

Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos and her 2019 European all-around title

Looking back at Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos winning the 2019 European all-around title in Szczecin, and what it meant for France.

Italy’s gymnastics federation marks 150 years
From the archive16 October 2026

Italy’s gymnastics federation marks 150 years

In 2019 the Federazione Ginnastica d'Italia celebrated its 150th anniversary. A look at one of Europe's oldest gymnastics federations.

Dina and Arina Averina top the hoop and ball rankings in Baku, 2019
From the archive16 October 2026

Dina and Arina Averina top the hoop and ball rankings in Baku, 2019

Revisiting the 2019 rhythmic gymnastics European Championships in Baku, where Dina and Arina Averina led the hoop and ball qualification rankings.

When the gymnastics calendar stopped: the 2020 cancellations
From the archive16 October 2026

When the gymnastics calendar stopped: the 2020 cancellations

Looking back at spring 2020, when the pandemic forced the postponement and cancellation of European gymnastics events across every discipline.

How to choose a gymnastics club for your child
Guide16 October 2026

How to choose a gymnastics club for your child

A parent's guide to choosing a gymnastics club: starting ages, pathways, coaching standards, safeguarding, facilities and questions to ask.

How Basel prepared for the 2021 artistic Europeans
From the archive16 October 2026

How Basel prepared for the 2021 artistic Europeans

Looking back at Basel's preparations for the 2021 artistic gymnastics European Championships, the first major continental meet after the 2020 shutdown.

The Averina twins in Kazan and Bulgaria’s group gold
From the archive16 October 2026

The Averina twins in Kazan and Bulgaria’s group gold

Looking back at a rhythmic gymnastics World Cup in Kazan, where Dina and Arina Averina dominated and Bulgaria's group prevented a Russian sweep.

Starting gymnastics as an adult: a practical guide
Guide16 October 2026

Starting gymnastics as an adult: a practical guide

Starting gymnastics as an adult: which classes to look for, building strength and flexibility safely, realistic first skills and injury prevention.

From the archive15 September 2019

Turkey stars at the Mersin World Challenge Cup

Turkish gymnasts win five of ten titles and twelve medals at home in the Mersin World Challenge Cup, with gold for Colak, Arican and Samiloglu.

From the archive28 October 2018

Derwael best on bars as Biles leads in Doha

Women's qualification at the 2018 World Championships in Doha from a European angle: Nina Derwael's 15.033 on bars, Jonna Adlerteg and Germany's team final place.

From the archive10 August 2018

The first artistic qualifiers for the 2019 European Games

How the 2018 Europeans in Glasgow decided the first team places for the 2019 European Games in Minsk, and which nations qualified.

From the archive25 June 2018

Busse and Bachynska top the Youth Olympic qualifier in Baku

The 2018 European artistic qualifier for the Buenos Aires Youth Olympics: Anastasia Bachynska and Iurii Busse win in Baku, 17 girls' and 16 boys' places decided.

From the archive16 February 2018

18 nations secure Youth Olympic places in rhythmic gymnastics

Looking back at the 2018 European qualifier for the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games: 56 gymnasts, 33 countries and 18 quota places decided in Moscow.

From the archive5 January 2018

European gymnast of the year 2017: the nominees

The 2017 European gymnast of the year vote: five categories, nominations from the member federations and stand-out seasons from Daniel Bali to Pablo Brägger.

From the archive2 December 2017

Split 2017: new leadership for European gymnastics

The 2017 UEG Congress in Split: Farid Gayibov elected president with 28 votes to 20, succeeding Georges Guelzec, and a new presidential board.

From the archive27 October 2017

Viktoria Mazur retires after eleven years with Ukraine’s team

Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast Viktoria Mazur retired after the 2017 World Championships in Pesaro, eleven years after joining the national team.

From the archive23 July 2017

The Averina twins dominate the 2017 World Games in Wrocław

Rhythmic gymnastics at the 2017 World Games in Wrocław: three titles for Arina Averina, a near-perfect clubs routine from Dina, and medals for Ashram and Halkina.

From the archive9 March 2017

Kapitonova and Dalaloyan win the 2017 Russian all-around titles

The 2017 Russian Championships in Kazan: Natalia Kapitonova and Artur Dalaloyan win the all-around, Moscow takes both team titles.

From the archive20 February 2017

Dina Averina turns heads at the 2017 Moscow Grand Prix

The first major rhythmic meet after Rio: the 2017 Moscow Grand Prix, new rules and two 19.600 scores for Dina Averina and Aleksandra Soldatova.

From the archive8 November 2016

The Joaquín Blume memorial: tradition and remembrance in Barcelona

The 38th Joaquín Blume memorial tournament in Barcelona in 2016, and the story of the Spanish gymnast it honours.

From the archive22 June 2016

Israel exceeds expectations at its first European Championships

How Holon hosted Israel's first European Championships in June 2016: sold-out days, a home group gold and a historic final for Finland.

From the archive3 June 2016

Elena Eremina wins the 2016 junior European all-around title

The junior women's all-around final at the 2016 Europeans in Bern: Elena Eremina wins with the best floor routine, Lynn Genhart takes silver for Switzerland.

From the archive19 April 2016

Glasgow 2018: how the multi-sport European Championships came together

How Glasgow, European Championships Management and the UEG agreed to stage the 2018 artistic Europeans inside the first multi-sport European Championships.

From the archive13 April 2016

Daniela Silivas: a Romanian legend revisited

The career of Romanian gymnast Daniela Silivas: world beam title in 1985, four European titles in Moscow in 1987, world team gold and her perfect 10s in Seoul.

From the archive1 April 2016

Serbian gymnastics: a federation with a century of history

The history of gymnastics in Serbia: a federation founded in 1914, the Sokol tradition and medallists such as Tereza Kočiš, Mirjana Bilić and Pavel Opavski.

From the archive24 February 2016

Moscow Grand Prix 2016 opens the rhythmic season

The 2016 Moscow Grand Prix and Alina Cup: Aleksandra Soldatova wins the all-around, Margarita Mamun shines on ball, and the Averina twins announce themselves.

From the archive16 September 2015

Russia dominates the 2015 rhythmic Worlds, Italy prevents a sweep

The 2015 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart: Yana Kudryavtseva's third all-around title, Russian individual dominance and an Italian group gold.

From the archive27 August 2014

Nanjing 2014: gold for Irina Annenkova in rhythmic gymnastics

The rhythmic gymnastics competition at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games: Irina Annenkova wins, Maryia Trubach and Laura Zeng complete the podium.

From the archive25 August 2014

Nanjing 2014: Tutkhalyan and Nagornyy lead the Youth Olympic artistic events

The artistic gymnastics events at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing: Russia's Seda Tutkhalyan and Nikita Nagornyy, and Great Britain's Giarnni Regini-Moran.

From the archive28 May 2014

Rhythmic Europeans Baku 2014: entries and format

The 30th rhythmic Europeans in Baku, June 2014: 33 federations, 102 juniors, 21 senior groups and the even-year format for senior individuals.

From the archive2 June 2013

Final day of the 2013 rhythmic Europeans in Vienna

A look back at the last day of the 29th rhythmic Europeans in Vienna in 2013: the junior group final and the senior apparatus finals.

From the archive4 December 2012

Philipp Boy ends his career

German gymnast Philipp Boy retired in December 2012: two world all-around silver medals, the 2011 European all-around title in Berlin and a career cut short by injury.

What you will find here

Two kinds of writing live in this section. Guides are new, practical pieces for gymnasts, parents and fans: how scoring works, how to choose a club, how to start as an adult. Retrospectives revisit stories from European gymnastics between 2018 and 2020, rewritten with the benefit of hindsight.

New stories are added regularly. Suggestions for topics are welcome through our contact page.