21/04/2013 Gymnastics: European Championships

Hello, and welcome to highlights of the European Gymnastics

Championships. Now, the British team out in Moscow had a storming

qualification, with our gymnasts taking 13 places in the finals. Our

medal count started on Friday with a silver in the men's all-around

competition, and this is how Max Whitlock did it. So all our eyes,

then, on 20-year-old Max Whitlock. He's fabulous at twisting, flips on

lovely high - oh. Costly landing. What a cracking routine for Max.

Max Whitlock now up into third. his moves are done with great flair.

A really efficient routine from Max there. Oh, we like that. Round of

triple twists - what a cracking routine. Well done, Max.

A cracking routine indeed. Come on, Max. Building the difficulty all

the time - well done, Max. He's there. He's in contention! He knows

he has to do the routine of his life. A great route own, job done.

Great work from Max, fantastic competition, second in Europe, a

fantastic achievement, Max. What a competition to have witnessed, and

it was the highest placing ever for a British gymnast at the Europeans

in the all-around competition, and this is how Max summed it all up.

My aim was go out there and do a clean routineed a hopefully a

similar routine to the qualification round. I am happy to

do that so I am happy with the silver medal. In the past people

have seen you as a pommel horse specialist, obviously, on the

ground. You have take and massive leap forward since the Olympics.

That's what I wanted to do. During the Olympics I wanted to go out and

prove myself as an all-arounder. This is my first all-around in

major competition. It was really good, and to come up with a medal -

that's really what I was hopefully aiming for. I am delighted to say

that joining me this afternoon are two British Olympians. We have

Jennifer Pinches and three-times Olympic medallist Lewis Smith. A

phenomenal performance from Max, it goes without saying, but Daniel

Purvis as well, he also placed incredibly high with a fifth. Did

you expect that from Dan? It's nice the see Dan back on the up. I have

been talking to him at the Olympic Games. He said he wasn't quite on

form. He wasn't at his best. He has had a bit of a dip. Why do you

think he didn't quite hit it? had a hard couple of years towards

the Olympic games. He did every competition there was going. I

think he peaked a little bit too early, but he seems very motivated.

He's back training hard now, and he did well at the European Gymnastics

Championships. I am happy for him. You're taking a bit of a break from

the sport. You have been climbing mountains and all sorts since 2012?

Yeah, after the Olympics I went on a two-month volunteering - know I

am back in school and living a bit more of an average life. Are you?

Ruby Harrold is out flying the flag for Great Britain at the moment.

She got the highest ever placing in Europe for Britain's women. She's

filling the shoes. Yeah, she has done fantastically. I think she

came into this competition aiming to do well on the bars. That was

her main aim, but she's done really well in the all-around competition

and not only qualified for the bar final, but for the beam final. So

yeah. Charlie Fellows, the first year of senior competition for her.

Another new experience for her being in the senior European

Championships but she's done really well again, came 18th in the all-

around final, definitely got some potential for the future. Coming

into this championships there was a lot of talk about a certain Gabby

Jupp. But qualification - it was a real shame for her because she was

on form in the first senior British. Definitely. Last month she won the

British Championships. She has been looking absolutely amazing, and

then it was really unfortunate just at the end of this fantastic theme

routine in which she would have qualified for the final, she just

seemed to, as you see there, grab her knee. They have flown her home

back to the UK for further medical... We're still waiting to

hear from the outcome of that'll be. What a trajectory she was on. Let's

just hope it's not going to be too serious. My thoughts are with her.

We're now concentrating on the specialists. We're going to focus

on the finals with British interests, of course, so let's have

a look at our finalists, so we've got on the floor Max Whitlock and

Sam Oldham on even bars, Rebecca Tunney - we'll talk more about her

as the evening progresses as well as Ruby Harrold, who we were just

So we are going to start with the men's floor, but before we see any

of the action, let's hear from Sam We go to competitions expected to

winned meas. We're not just going there to compete, so yeah, there is

a lot of expectation, but we change the game day in and day out all the

time now, and everyone is just striving to get on the team. It's

almost harder to get on the team than sometimes it is to qualify for

these finals that can only be a good thing for British gymnastics.

The floor has improved a lot for me. I have improved my difficulty and

it has been going really well over the last couple of months. I think

all the guys on the floor are quite close in scores and in qualifying

and star values as well. I think it will be really difficult, but

hopefully we can go out there and do great routines and try to stick

a few landings and see if we can grab a medal or two. Grab a medal

or two - sounding very, very optimistic! And there's the start

Is it good news to be going out first? I think the good thing for

Max is he's consistent. Though he's first, he can almost set the

standard, which is a good place to Alexander Shatilov is always worth

the mention. He's an enormous gymnast. He's pretty much going in

the middle of the pack with Sam Oldham. Two gymnasts follow him.

Let's get into action. Joining me is Christine Still and former

Here we go, then, first floor finalist, Great Britain's Max

three-and-a-half, tuck, full twist. Second tumble, two-and-a-half, one-

and-a-half, nailed. Such precise new cord - the gymnasts only

allowed to perform one of those - into the flair work, back up into

flairs, down into flairs, air great control, takes a slight

breath. The handspring, two-and-a- half twist, yet again another great

landing, showing great composure and maturity. Preparing for the

final tumble, roundoff triple twist, a great way to start the final.

What a start indeed. He scored a 15.466 in qualification. He upped

that in the all-around final to a 15.5, which would be enough, I

think, to take gold, certainly for a medal, Chris. It was a great

opening - it was difficult for us to see, but I think on this first

tumble that he did just hop out of the floor. We saw the red flag go

up. We'll wait for confirmation of that. That's a fantastic tumble as

well, that two-and-a-half twist forwards. Just wonderful style.

He's got such a great future ahead of him at 20 years old, Chris. Oh!

That's the little bit they wanted to capture. He has. He has a

fantastic future, and he's very cool, very calm. We saw yesterday

he made a little bit of an error, not a huge error, but a little bit

of an error on his first piece. He didn't let it throw him. Many

gymnasts - we saw the Ukrainian gymnast - once an error was in

there, they sort of fell apart a little bit, but Max, no, just

battled on through. He really has got a great temperament. It's a

score of 15.333 - .1 penalty. that was great, just the .1. Will

it be enough for a medal? We'll have to wait and see. What does

Alexander Shatilov have to say about this, a vastly experienced

gymnast? We have watched him for many a year, a huge lad. He will

twist and work his way around the court. Thing is, if you're a tall

gymnast and can really harness it, you look so elegant. Now, that was

how to do a front somersault, half- turn, wasn't it, a little kick out.

Whoa! Double twisting, double tuck, and because he's tall, he can't

take a great, long run, just calm of steps into every roundoff - two-

and-a-half, front somersault with that exit out of a tumble once.

They're only allowed to roll out once. That was his. It was very

clean, well executed. A full twisting double back to finish,

just a tiny hop. That is a challenge, I think. He made it look

easy. He absolutely did, and he's got quite a high difficulty value.

Yeah, it was a very precise routine. He's probably the best we have seen

so far on the landings. And you can see there at the start very precise,

nailed there, stepped back into the corner. He had a great balance of

routine with combination, then the double twisting, double back and a

full in, back out, a really, really good routine, and for me, I think

that might just go into the lead. You can see there - that is the

full in, back out, slight hop back for a 10th, but very, very precise.

His start value we think is .1 lower than Max has gone into the

lead with, 15.333 - he's tied with Max Whitlock at the moment, and

here we go with Sam Oldham, part of the bronze medal-winning team at

the Olympics. Another very bright young star of British gymnastics.

Oh, just held that in, I think. A difficult combination to start with

- half into double - fight, fight, Sam. He does. But there will be

He's a naturally really precise extended gymnast. He's just

struggling slightly with these landings today. But here you can

see toes pointed, legs straight, we go. Triple - he's cleanly around,

but he really has given a 10th or so away on every single landing.

needs over 14.666 for a medal at this stage. He twists absolutely

fantastic. He does a great execution there, as she said, on

the roll-out. He's kicking out. He looks elegant, but just can't hold

it together with the landings, and that'll cost him with the

deductions. You know, demonstrating great flair work there, toes

pointed, flair up into the handspring, dropping back down into

flair. What do we think here as a sceer? -- score? He qualified with

a 15.3 - no, that'll be costly. See, if they think that was only a 2.5,

which they might do, then he loses his dismount because he's already

completed a two-and-a-half somewhere else. Just outside the

medals there and a 14.4 for Sam the last two European Championships.

He finished 46th on floor and 42nd. He has done remarkably well to get

here in the top eight. A very clean opening tumble, second tumble, the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

roll-out in the straight position, straight half with ease. Into the Do

is the final tumble. Round off triple twist. One little step. A

great routine. That could push up into the medals. He got a 15. A

15.166 for qualification. 6-2 Many of them are doing

two-and-a-half into front fall, so their tumble half will be given more

marks. But you always have to marry it with the control and not getting

the deductions. When I say the two-and-a-half into full is worth

perhaps 0. 0.2 moreness that the one-and-a-half into front half. If

you are going to take a big step, you will lose big points. This is

why a Teddy routine like this will often win out. 14. 14.9 is enough

Alexander Shatilov. Double celebration for them. Wonderful for

Max to get the gold. The first time Shatilov has a gold on the floor of

the European Championships. What a story for Cingolani, who takes

bronze. Alexander Shatilov and Great Britain's Max Whitlock take gold in

the men's floor final. It has been a great two days of

competition for Max Whitlock. Yesterday he received the men's

all-around silver. Today he's got a gold medal hanging round his neck.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

Ladies and gentlemen, the national well at this stage? The all-around

first and ratus final... He has always had the potential. He's such

a talented kid. We have always known he could do very well at

levels like this. It's nice to see him fulfilling that, and it's

brilliant. Like I said, he didn't expect to get the gold, but he is

crowned world champion on floor. shares it with Alexander Shatilov.

It's a very controversial point, this, because at European level

you're allowed to share the medals, but at world, Olympic medal, as you

have experienced, even if you have the same score, execution comes

over difficulty, and there you can see Krisztian Berki took the gold

in 2012. You took the silver, but did get the same score. It's a

difficult question to ask you because obviously you passionately

want the gold, but how do you think European gymnastics compares on

that point? It makes sense - if first place has the same scores,

then it makes stones give them both the gold medal. It does.The code

in the last cycle was developed that you push to do the most

difficult - you make the routine more exciting, yet when you're tied

for score, they use that as a disadvantage, so they used your

high start scores and big scores against you. So it doesn't really

alongside L arcs is was Becky Downie, but I'm delighted to say

that Becky is back. I've done numerous finals between

4th and 8th. I've had mistakes and after having too many set-backs I've

worked really hard. I've been waiting for a long time for this

moment. Hopefully it goes well. I'm going to give it my best shot. It is

nice to have the team alongside you. Me and Ruby know we really came here

for bars. Ruby has done great in qualifications and getting further,

but we knew we wanted to hit the routines and get into the final. We

are both really happy we've done that. I came to the European

Championships to focus on the bar final, because I've got some unique

combinations. I was hoping that it would be enough to make another bar

final like I did last year. My coach came up with the idea of a new

combination that has never done before. I go from top to bottom. It

gives me quite a high bonus. Everybody's talking about that move.

She calls it the Schloerdn but you call it unique. It is definitely

different. It is difficult to whip around such rotation and pot it.

Straight up and straight back down to the low bar. It is lovely to Dee

Rebecca back. She won the British bar title last month as was -- and

was looking brilliant. She's is out there to medal. This is the order

Do you think Becky will be able to hold her nerve? It will be a

difficult task. Aliya is Olympic champion. She doesn't buckle under

pressure. And in front of her home crowd in Moscow. Exactly. She will

want to pull out a brilliant in the all round. Watch this bar

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

once you've fallen. How do you pull through that absolutely clean, but

she just mistimed the shoot-down. Two D elements together. Apart from

that moment it was incredibly dynamic wasn't it? Very dynamic.

Very interesting bar work as well. Great flight there, transfer to the

shop bar. Just pops off a little bit too early, misses the handstand and

ended up coming down the wrong way. One split second later and it what

have been perfect. A very exciting gymnast and something that is

exciting for the future. Ruby's also in the beam final.

will be disappointed with this. 12. 12.9. All eyes now focussing on

the Olympic champion, Aliya Mustafina. She took gold in the

That was a really efficient routine. Goodness! Potential for a couple of

tens but you can't deduct more than that can you? Even the dismount,

straight to the finish. Bang! That's how you land an uneven bars routine.

It was a confident routine from the start. The stews from the

all-around. A stooping full turn bang into handstand. There's the on

and off up to the top bar with the half turn. Highest difficulty. Look

at that, toes pointed. That's the tricky combination. Most gymnasts

add an extra in the middle. All those pirouettes so clean. Straight

up into the half turn. APPLAUSE

15. 15.3. An enormous score that puts Aliya Mustafina well ahead of

the rest of the field. It is an epic score to try to beat. Great

Britain's Becky Downie qualified with 14. 14.733. How wonderful to

see her back. Oh. She uprised straight into the

Tkachev. So disappointed with herself. Huge difficulty. She needs

A wonderful demonstration of what Becky is capable of there. It was

just that blink of an eye moment and suddenly it's all gone. It was a

very difficult combination she was doing, but she isally wibble to do

it -- she is well able to do it and has done it many times. These are

difficult combinations into the Tkachev. Work of the highest

difficulty there. When you go for broke, if things aren't just right,

you can be off. She just pulled and her feet went over the bar a little

bit too much, which caused her to come away from the bar. She's

obviously been putting in an incredible amount of work in the gym

to get back. She was obviously, that moment aside, routine. Brilliantly

performed. 13 scored puts her in into the next element, a nice

pirouette, a big, high Tkatchev. Super, super style, building her

difficulty, nothing too enormous, just very clean, tidy work, swings

beautifully, and that double straight was very nice indeed. That

was a truly classy routine. Well, to get up into the medals, she

needs over 14.066. Well, she qualified with a 14.3, so I would

suspect that that routine is well able to medal there. I agree with

you, what a lovely routine, and you can see here great height and

flight to the top bar, swings back, spots the bottom bar there, into

the handspring, great control, back up to the top bar. It's never a

flicker of bent legs, is there? It's really stylish work. She could

even push for a silver here. could even look at this - kicks up,

great extension, form, what a lovely routine. Like you said, it's

looking for over 14.066 for a bronze, 14.366 for a silver. It is

a silver. It's 14.633. APPLAUSE

Jonna Adlerteg goes into silver medal place with one gymnast

remaining, so she's guaranteed a medal. A fantastic story, and

really, that was a triumph of style over difficulty. Well, the second

Russian in this uneven bars final is Maria Paseka. Starts confidently.

Here we are - she's done lots of really complicated moves linked

together, a good half turn there, a forward element you have to include

- into the double front dismount - good dismount, but were there too

many execution errors? You could see right from the word "go" the

legs were a little untidy. I have to agree with Christine there. For

me, it looked a bit laboured in parts, quite loose in the lower

back as well in parts of the routine, soft in the legs. It might

just take it because of the difficulty, but we'll have to wait

and see. Certainly, there were - you know, if you watch here, legs

apart - that sort of thing - lots of openings for the judges to

deduct. Yes, not as good a routine as the one we have seen previous.

Oh, hang on. That reaction says you've got yourself a bronze - 14.4

for Maria Paseka. She stayed with the 5.8 difficulty, so interesting

scoring in front of her home crowd. In the absence of the great Beth

Tweddle, Olympic champion Aliya Mustafina takes gold in the uneven

bars final ahead of Jonna Adlerteg in her first senior final and

down to experience. Definitely. Just coming here to

compete in a bar final is amazing. I am really disappointed. I have

waited a long time for this moment, and it didn't quite come off again

today, so it looks like it's going back, picking myself up again and

trying for the next one. You can see obviously how much it means for

Becky. She's vastly experienced. She has been on the world stage

before. She has been there. She has done it, obviously, emotional. It's

a big deal at the moment, but how much do you think in the long run

this is going to affect her? Definitely disappointing for that

final, but as you said, she's an experienced gymnast. She'll be able

to pick herself back up, keep training for the next goal. She's

more than capable - if she'd done what she did in qualification and

caught that reLee, she would have got herself a silver. That moment

was sandwiched with the most beautiful moments. You can see as

we run through here some of the moves she's got in her armoury.

I said, it's a very difficult routine. You can see there all the

combinations that she's trying to put together. Yeah.And there is

risk involved. I mean, you know her very well, obviously. She's very

emotional in her training. Her life is gymnastics. All their lives are

gymnastics, but for her, you can either stand back and say, you know,

what, another day is coming along, or you can take it to heart, and

Becky is one - Yeah, she really puts her heart into everything she

does. You can see as soon as she missed that, she was gutted. Yeah.

Well, we wish Becky, of course, all the very best with everything.

We're now going to move on to the women's vault, and Britain have no-

one in the women's vault final, but as it's such an explosive event to

watch, then we wanted to show you She has absolute power - the one-

and-a-half twist there - it's the difficulty here that really sets

her apart, because you can see the height, the way she converts all of

that speed into the upward lift. Extremely difficult vault. I should

know because I competed this vault in a tucked position in the past,

and you need a lot of strength, a lot of power to be landing that

vault successfully. She was the highest qualifier. We did expect it,

and she was so good as well in the all-arounds, just outside of the

medals there, but a fourth place with a gymnast is renowned for just

kind of vault and floor - what a performance all around for her.

impressed me as well. I have only ever seen her in the vault. We saw

her on the floor final. She's going to be amazing, then the all-around

- great potential, and I think she's definitely one to watch out

for. Well, it is time now to bring on the strong men, so warm up your

biceps and join in if you can. This Radivilov - 20 years old, third

highest qualifier. That is the ring specialist at work, isn't it? So

strong - look at that. Winding up now. Double twisting double back,

nailed on the landing! What a routine. 15.466 - going to be up

there. Samir Ait Said, the last gymnast in his rings final. Off to

a strong start, a nice solid hand stand, into the swinging element.

A full twisting double straight - nailed the dismount. Oh! Oh, my

goodness me! He's gone into gold medal position. He's tried. Proving

to be an exciting World Championships indeed. Louis has

been one of the pioneers taking British gymnastics to new heights,

another is Daniel Keatings. He became Britain's men's champion in

2010, and he did it on the pommel horse.

Very, very strog, this. -- strong, this. It's going to be close indeed.

I think he's put the cat among the pigeons. Louis knows it too.

Keatings is the European champion. In 2010 I got one of the best

results of my career. I became European champion on the pommel

horse. I went back into the gym to start training again and tore my AC

up pretty much a couple of months after I got back, did both my

ankles as well. In the end it caused me to miss the Olympics. I

have gotten over it and back in the GB squad. We're just really

missesing Louis. Hopefully because I missed out on the Olympics, it's

like reliving it, if you know what I mean? Louis and Dan, you have

done so much together, kind of grown up as well training in the

same gym. You must be delighted he is back. It has been a hard road

for Daniel the last couple of years - you saw, getting back from injury.

We're good friends. We're like family. I am so happy for him, for

his mum and dad, his girlfriend who have been on that journey with him.

It's nice to see him back on top and winning a gold as well. From

your perspective, how do you think he's feeling in the run-up to this?

It was his big chance to say, I didn't make the Olympic team, but

watch this. He just missed out on that. He was reserve. This is his

best chance to say, watch out. I am back with a bang. I think he did it.

As well as for Dan, guess who is going for his third medal at the

Euros? It is of course Max Whitlock, but a pommel final wound be a

pommel horse final without World European final Max Whitlock.

It's great to have Christian back, who is a massive - is a gold

medallist at the Olympics. It's great to look up to him in the

routines and be in the finals competing against him. He's really

good. I qualified in second place behind him, which is an achievement

in itself for me, and I am looking forward to the final. Well, let's

see that yaum important order -- after? It's a difficult one. If it

was me, it wouldn't really faze me. I never felt threatened by him. I

always focused on what I needed to do. I would say if I was Max, it's

better to go before and put in a good performance, perhaps try and

worry him. I doubt Berki will be worried, but he's human, so he can

mast make mistakes. We're going to get or of your commentary because

you'll be joining us in the commentary Max. Now we'll join

Max's routine. What does the pommel horse have in

store for Max Whitlock, has a silver, the men's all-around. He's

just got himself a gold in the floor final. Can he increase that

medal haul? Will he deliver? little cleaner at the start there

than we saw in the all-around, massive difficulty on the one

handle - light frame - he works really well above the handles. Good

and smooth, keeping his rhythm. Oh, that's the tough one, a built of a

knee bend, but he held it well, just has to keep his focus, keep

the difficulty building. Come on. Here we go into the big dismount.

Well, what a fantastic Championships. What a great routine

for him to finish. Louis, you're clapping. He coped very well with

the pressure. He kept going when he needed to. He stepped up the

routine, made it harder, put an extra Russian on one handle, which

made it an F as opposed to an E association he made it that little

bit more. It affected him a little bit on the spindle, got me on the

edge of my seat, not going to like, but he did it in style. He didn't

have anymore errors, so that's a great performance Max has done.

so cool there on the handles. He has his stocklies on the one

handle before he goes into the Russian swing, you know, a great

extension. It's nice to see him stepping it up for the final.

That's what we like to see. That's him. Does that put pressure on

Berki now? I don't think he looks at the other competitors as

pressure. I think he wants to get through his own routine, and that

is the best way to think. 15.5. That is a big score. That's

it. That is a very good score, considering there was an error. I

think he'll be very pleased with that. Here he is Krisztian Berki,

28 years old, the highest qualifier, Olympic gold medallist, world

champion, European champion, keep great style, the flairs, the leg

separation. Everything looks so very measured - legs locked

together, picks the pace up a little bit - in fact, that is

something I really like about his pommel horse work, not just the

difficulty, but the virility in it and the variety of pace. And for a

big gymnast he doesn't skew on the pommel horse. A lot of the gymnasts

- oh - skew. His hands are very much in line. Lifts, lifts, lifts -

the extra turn. There was just a little flicker in the middle there,

but that was the work of a champion. Lewis, how good... Oh!Normally

you're used to seeing him from the floor, but I have to ask you to

comment on - he is a master, isn't he? He's a master at getting

through the routine. He went for his easy routine. I noticed right

away he didn't go for the flair full spin at the start. He's

thinking Lewis isn't here, it should be an easier field. I think

it threw him a little bit. OK.Got towards the end of the routine, hit

the pommel horse. That's a deduction and his dismount didn't

finish in control, so, again, that could be up to a 5 or 3/10

deduction. Max is in with a chance. He'll still get the start score,

but the deductions might be more decreased. We'll have to see. I

would say he'd just creep in in front of Max, but wouldn't be

surprised if it was under either. Max Whitlock has the score of 15 -

he's just creeped ahead at a 15.533 - Whoa! Berki by the skin of your

teeth. He does it every time, doesn't he? It is an exciting final.

A really tight final. I know what Dan is thinking now. What is he

thinking He's thinking Berki has a low score. I need to smash this

routine. He needs to stay calm. in the middle. Spindle on the end.

Good extension. Hasn't hit the pommel. Picks up great into the

travel. Not skewing an awful lot. Keeping square. Just the dismount

lef He's up, he spins, he's down, yes! And he shouts on his dismount

as well. We know it's close, but is that enough? If I was judging it,

that would be a gold medal for me. I would give that 15. That 15.7, 15. ,

15.8. Would you? 15. 15.533. The form in this, to keep the composure

under extreme pressure. It was a great routine. That's all Dan needed

to do, get through his routine the way he knows he can do it. I would

say that's a deserved gold. Well, whatever, it is a fantastic

performance and the performance that Dan really needed for his own

confidence and to put himself back on the world stage. He's a great

gymnast. I guess we are allowed to think that as your training partner

all the years you can be slightly biassed. You can see how nervous he

is. Yes, he says, it is 15. 15.6. Daniel Keatings is in gold medal

position in this men's pommel horse final. There are two gymnasts le to

go. This guy, he has the potential to score a 16. Let's hope it is not

today. He just never goes through his routine in the finals, buckles

Just a flicker of the legs apart. He has got a lovely swing and a great

speed and rhythm to the routine. He through, that was a fighting

performance. He did well. There were a few times I thought he would be

off, but he got through to routine. Fair play to him but I don't think

it is enough to beat Daniel. Esaid he had the potential to go up to

16.He was full of confidence and he gripped when he needed to. A 15. A

15.1. Donna Donny Truyens is in sixth.

Great Britain's Daniel Keatings It is incredible to think that in

the three finals of the men's we've had four medals in it It is

absolutely fantastic. People used to say who is Britain in the gymnastics

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

It has been a tough couple of years for you. That must be a phenomenal

feeling to be back on the podium, at the top of your sport? Yes, the last

few years have been hell through injury. It is the first time I've

been back since 2010. This is my first major since then. I came here

and I've done my job. I only scraped through in qualification, so I was

nervous, but I've retained the title. I had a chance to retain it

and I did, so I'm really happy. Max, congratulations. It was a close one

but you completed the set though. I'm really happy to have completed

the set. It was much more than I needed to do. That is the best final

I've ever done, the craziest one and the closest one. He managed to pull

through that and done an amazing routine. He deserved that gold

medal. You were celebrating as soon as you landed. How soon did you

know? I didn't know I had won. I just knew I had done a really good

routine, the best I could do. And I had the start score. I knew it was

going to be in the mix. It was more a sign of relief after everything

that's gone on in the past. Just getting the routine in the final.

I'm over the Moon. APPLAUSE

We've got to applaud him. Well Max summed it up, under extreme pressure

he knew what he was capable of. A. . It has been hard for Dan. Funding

has been an issue. To do that, he can not worry about funding and he

can just get back into training and being focussed. I'm very happy to

him. Also treat ourselves to another look at the end of the routine. Is

he going to pick up now where you left off? I hope so. I think it will

be a battle between him and Max who is going to fill the spot I once had

on pommel horse. First and third, unbelievable. Listen to him on the

end of the dismount. Yes!He knows. The relief. Everything went into

that. We were just saying there Jenny, can you believe we've heard

the national anthem played twice now, in Russia? Fantastic. I'm so

proud of our gymnasts. It made our day. It certainly made Dan's life.

The equivalent of the men's pommel horse is the women's beam.

Representing Great Britain in this final is Ruby Harrold. I can't

believe I'm in the final. A few years ago I was a very nervous

person on the beam. It is another apparatus where I can gain

experience from. I haven't got the highest start but I know if I do the

routine to the best of my ability, I could perform well. Let's look at

the order of balancing. I do hope the nerves have settled.

Beam is the last place that you want the jitters, especially when you're

up first. Ruby Harrold for Great Britain, her

first ever beam final. She's had a fantastic European Championships

here. Calmly into the handstand and the Healey turn. Very nice original

Sets herself up for the front somersault. Beautifully high and

controlled. Now the back flip and the layout somersault. Two acrobatic

moves that gymnasts are required to incloud, linked together. Very

nicely done on the change-leg leap with the quarter turn. Well

connected. Two leaps connected forwards and backwards elements. And

runs into the full twisting front somersault dismount. Very good

secure opening from Ruby. Flick, layout, very solid and finishing off

a straight front somersault, full turn, controlled nicely. 13. 13.633.

Very good Diana Laura Bulimar, from Romania impressed us with her

of the apparatus. Beam work is a great deal about confidence. If

you're confident, perform every skill with purpose, you are much

more likely to be able to maintain balance and control the middle of

the body. She's barely had a wobble. Up into a double pike. That really

was a very impressive routine. APPLAUSE

There's the free walkover into the immediate leap, and again.

judges have to decide if they feel it was immediate from the free

walkover into the jump she gets a bonus. A beautiful double pike back

to finish. That will score well. 14.833 puts her into the lead. Very

good work there. The local favourite, third in the all round.

From Russia it is Anastasia Grishina. Didn't have a great deem

routine in qualification but is capable of fabulous work here. So

supple, so fluent. Really positive on that landing.

Super hands. Her fluency and Very difficult and unusual that

combination. No pause. Really special work.

And she hits the splits in her leaps effortlessly.

Lovely style. Big double pike. Just a little pace.

That was superb work from Grishina. APPLAUSE

Look at the height in the round-off straight back. Sets up, wraps in for

the double pike back. Look at the toes pointed for the landing, arms

forward, one pace back. The smile says it all. 5. 5.6 difficulty. Not

quite enough to take her into first place. Larisa Iordache from Romania.

Impressed us immensely during the the leg lifted high - that'll give

her plenty of marks - that difficult element, and the change

leg leap with the half turn. Free walk-over, and she didn't go for

the jump there that we probably be joined. They can be simple, but

they have to be joined. Very good pace and rhythm to this routine, no

long pauses, use of arms, very nice. Now watch this dismount - roundoff,

back flip, punch-up, triple twist, clean as can be. Now, that beam had

all the difficulty, all the pace. This is my favourite, this dismount,

of all. Seen her do this since a very young junior, and it's always

been stunning. Wrapped in for the triple twist, not only the best

routine for me so far, but the most accurate dismount. And it's up to

15.266. That's a massive score, 6.4 difficulty that puts the Romanians

first and second, Iordache first, Bulimar second, Grishina from

Russia third, Ruby Harrold performing excellently in sixth

place - that's the highest score for her of this Championships.

She'll go very pleased. I couldn't agree more, congratulations to Ruby

Harrold, unsurprisingly, the two Romanians one and two. Orarea we

showed you the women's vault final, so it's only fair we do the same

with the men, and here are the Hasn't he just? Look at the height

he gets. Unbelievable.Plenty of time to spot the landing and

straight down the middle. Flavius Koczi took silver, believe it or

not, a triple twisting - well, he was the European champion. Ooh!

That wraps it in, that twist. much of a somersaulter, but he can

twist. 6, difficulty, as well. about made it there. The gold who

landed on the medal was Denis Ablyazin. Watch this, a double Pike.

He had so much time, so much space. How can you get that high just by

running down a runway and then hitting a large object? Denis

Ablyazin is proof of that. The penultimate final for the men is

the parallel bars, got no British finalists here, but here is the

from Ukraine, always faultless on the parallel bars. A very difficult

combination - the final pause, wraps up, a double Pike-back, what

a performance. What a contender. Oleg Stepko wins the gold medal. So

he had a much happier time in the parallel balls, finally ending in

the all-around, but Mustafina has been the star of the show from a

Russian perspective so far, and Jenny, I know that you are a huge

fan of hers. You even film her routines off the telly. Yeah, she's

a beautiful gymnast, puts the "artistic" in artistic gymnastics,

and to be performing in front of a home crowd for her must be very

special. What was it like competing against her on the floor alongside

someone you respect so much? To be on par technically with her in the

competitions is amazing because she's such an aspiring gymnast. I

just look up to her. What is it about her because everybody loves

her, don't they? Not only is she an absolutely brilliant gymnast, but

she's very modest, a team player, and she's just really what you can

call beautiful. Great eyes as well. She qualified with one of the

highest scores on the floor but content with two European goals

already she's pulled out of the final to give her team-mate

Anastasia Grishina a chance, and here are the highlights from that

Romania. Such precision - double straight somersault, the body

travels straight through the air in that position. Here we have - oh,

so high into the double tuck, difficult leaps, and she gives

herself plenty of time to do that, doesn't rush them into a corner.

Obviously, a hugely skilful tumbler, full twisting double backed Pike

include five acrobatic skills and three dance elements for their

difficulty. This was packed full with them both. What about that?

Talk about a little pocket rocket - from the start to the finish, it

was dynamic. I always like to see the Romanians on the floor. They

have great choreography and spend a lot of time in the gym working on

this aspect. As we can see there, on the tumble there, round-off

flick, double lay-out, straight from top to toe, nailed the landing.

Look at this - the full twist, half, walk-out, round-off flick, has to

really power back into the double- back somersault, very difficult to

generate a double somersault from a walk-out. Combines some beautiful

dance work and power. There we see there the full twist in the first

somersault, pipe back out, the highest difficulty. For me this

routine had it all. 14.533, Diana Bulimar goes into first place. A

great favourite of the Russian crowd, certainly this gymnast

qualified top. Afanasyeva. Superb double straight, world champion on

floor. Two whips into a triple twist, very cleanly performed.

Combination of spins, beautifully a-half, straight front. Only one-

she left herself enough energy? Yes, she has, great double Pike finish,

what an exciting, mature performance from Afanasyeva.

Certainly proving there why she is the world champion and such power.

Look here at the tumbles. Round-off, double lay-out, great extension and

execution, perfect on the landing. There's the whip, generating the

power, flick, stands up, into the triple twist, perfect landing again.

So in those two tumbles, she's shown such variety, double rotation,

multiple twists, and the jump is so well executed and cleverly landed.

Yes, 15.166, slightly down on the difficulty, but first place, and

that is a massive score. That's going to be difficult to match or

beat. So Larisa Iordache, silver all-around - gold on beam. She'll

be wanting to add another gold to her tally, and watch this first

tumble - double twisting, double tuck, but that was a big step

forwards. Such a dynamic gymnast, though, full-twisting double-back,

all those leaps, works very hard on the new rule of not waiting in the

pauses. Really ambitious routine, no major errors, but there were a

couple of steps on landing that might well be the difference

between the gold and the silver. There were errors, unfortunately.

If anybody could challenge for the top spot, it would have been

Iordache, and as we can see this, this is a very big full in, back

out, slight hop-back. That wasn't anything too major on the

deductions. Here we see again - generates great power in the round-

off flick flack, stands up into the double tuck, opens up in plenty of

time, slight hop-back. 15.166 to beat. It will be up there, but will

it be in the 15s in well, -- 15s? Well, the replay didn't show us but

there was an error on the first tumble. 14.733 - she's not going to

take the gold, but she's in the silver medal position. Afanasyeva,

the world champion on floor, adds the European title to her

incredibly relaxed - obviously relief there performing in front of

the home crowd, so much expectation on her shoulders as the world

champion. A little bit because I think that's the only final she did

qualify for, but she clearly made the most of it. She's a very

enjoyable competitor to watchen the floor, and deserving I think.

moving on to the blue-ribboned event. It's the men's high bar and

one of the two British high fliers we have got going in this one is a

new face to the British public. Meet Ashley Watson. I'm at

university. I am doing my dissertation on pre-performance

routines in gymnastics and anxiety levels. I try to incorporate that

stuff into my routine, and it seems to have done the trick. It's my

first big sport as senior. All of my training has been building up to

this routine. My focus was on the bars, messed it up, now I am

working on the high bar. I am not looking for any medals at this

stage, but if I can sneak one in, I would be happy with that. To

experience it will be good enough for me. It's always a nailbiter.

well, if they keep their nerve. Lads, just hang on. Aliaksandr

Tsarevich open this is high bar A slight fight but he's got it over

into the Markelov. Another Healey turn.

Kicks it up, triple-back somersault, nail the landing... Well, what an

opener! APPLAUSE

The Kovac, the somersault over the bar, caught with a bit of a bend

over the arms. And this, the dismount. Knees beautifully together

as well. Very good dismount. 14. 14.833, a very good score to

start this competition. Ashley Watson from Great Britain.

His first senior European final. A great junior gymnast, one of the

team that won the Junior Europeans. Has been dogged by injury for the

past few years but performed fantastically.

The one-armed swing. Impressive work. Confident in the twist, the

one-and-a-half twist, straight up Oh, what a shame, the full twisting

Kovac, over the bar with the full twist. So little room for error.

was going for broke there, the full twisting Kovac's not round enough.

One hand gets on first and then just misses out with the other. This is

the highest difficulty. But what a gutsy performance.

The coach puts him back up on the high bar in a final. You have to go

for broke. Everyone else will be Has to nail the dismount. Very nice.

He will be desperately disappointed but it's been a long wait from

qualification until now. Here's the squat with the half turn.

Straight into the somersault with an extra full turn. Very difficult to

keep your legs together. He did that element as well as I've

seen it done by anybody. Really stylish. He almost caught that. He

just didn't get the dowell over the bar, so his hand touched. You have

to get the block, the dowell, in the hand guard over, so that you can

resist the forces that hit the bottom of the swing. There you go,

and the timing was perfect. He just released a little bit too late. But

finished very vongole here -- finished very strongly here. Full

twisting double straight. Ashley Watson from Leeds. Here is his

score, 12. 12.833. Second at the moment but I guess there'll be more

big scores to come. Fabian Hambuechen from Germany. European

champion in '07 and '08. This will be something spectacular.

That's the full twisting cover after caught at full extension. The Kovac.

There's a squat full. Oh, came out too early. Down on to the apparatus.

That's cost him. That is so unusual for Fabian Hambuechen. He usually

loves the pressure. We've seen him A great dismount. He will be

disappointed with that performance. Good form on the dismount. The

landing as confident as ever. 13. 13.966. In second, ahead of Ashley

Watson, but behind Aliaksandr Tsarevich. Emin Garibov from Russia,

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

the only gymnast to post a start What a performance!

He makes a half turn before his body swings through the bottom, and that

way he can swing back up to handstand. The half turn. He took an

extra long swing there before he went into this difficult

combination. Stoop Tkachev, straddle with half turn. Now it is linking

those difficult elements together that builds four start value. That's

why his start value will be higher than others.

APPLAUSE The scores are in. Seven difficulty.

15. 15.433. The other gymnasts are going to have to do something pretty

special to overhaul that score. The final British competitor of this

European Championships that's held so much success for Great Britain.

Sam Oldham, from Nottingham, comes Straight Tkachev, straddle Tkachev.

Come on, Sam! Tkachev off turn, executed fantastically.

There's the hopful, into the Ribalco, a hop one-and-a-half. Come

on now, hold it together. Double twisting double straight, what a

routine from Sam Oldham! Fantastic gymnastics. Well done, Sam. Our

final competitor showed just all the fight that's been in the British

team this Championships. Lovely turns, really clean, lovely style.

Body shape really good. Extension, height above the bar is so

impressive there. He catches really cleanly makes the turn before he

hits the bottom of the swing. Super work. Toes locked together, fully

extended. Kicks up high. Finishes the double twist easily, so he can

make the landing. 15. 15.133! Second place. What an

impressive performance. Just one gymnast to go, so he is assured of a

medal. The final gymnast of these Championships, the man who shared

Just a little stall on the swingout but such difficulty.

Such vooishcts such difficulty in this routine. Tall gymnast swings

with ease. What about the dismount? Double, double, without a flicker on

landing. That was a fantastic routine.

APPLAUSE Very difficult but there'll be a

deduction there. You can see the arms bending and the close shoulder

angle. We were looking for a good catch.

Ten out of ten for effort. A late catch. He has to work very hard and

bend the arms to get up to the handstand. Finishes very strongly.

And fourth place, 14. 14.733. Alexander Shatilov very

disappointed. Execution down. 8. 8.233 but that gives Great Britain

another medal. Sam Oldham silver on high bar. And there's confirmation.

First place Emin Garibov from Russia. Second, Sam Oldham from

Great Britain. Third Aliaksandr Tsarevich from Belarus. What a

fantastic finish. Yet again Great Britain on the medal

podium. Sam Oldham took gold at the junior Europeans in 2010. Gold at

the youth Olympics as well. Here is ehad taking a wonderful silver

medal. It is such a difficult piece to watch when you are all wired in

with microphones as we are. How do you sum that up Louis, you do

wish you were there? Some part of me wishes I was there. 60% of me wishes

I was there just to watch. Even if I wanted to get my leotard back on, I

would struggle to get into it. need to lose a few pounds. Alright,

it is OK for me to say that, the but don't be cheeky. A quick word Jenny,

highlights? I'm so proud of all our British gymnastsment so many medal

amounts it has been fantastic to watch. Are you in retirement now or

are you coming out of it slowly. I'm officially in retirement but we'll

see. It has been super to have your company this afternoon. I thoroughly

enjoyed it. You can see more tonight at 7 o'clock on BBC two HD. We'll

have highlights of the London Marathon. If all of that is a little