In the team competition, Italy upsets Romania for team gold. Italy remains as the only other country aside from Romania and Russia to have ever won team gold. Italy’s victory over Romania happened by a just a fraction (0.100) after Italy scored a 175.225 and Romania a 175.125
Among Italy’s team members was new senior Vanessa Ferrari who was the only Italian gymnast to score above a 15 after contributing a 15.600 on bars, 15.600 on beam and 15.250 on Floor. Later that year Vanessa would become the World All-Around Champion making 2006 a complete success for Ferrari.
In the vault final, Katja Abel wins unified Germany’s first ever European medal with her bronze on vault. In the bars final Jana Sikulova wins the Czech Republic’s sole medal at a European championships with her silver on bars. Also, Lenika de Simone wins Spain’s most recent medal at a European Championships with her bronze on bars and silver on beam, yes, we haven’t seen a Spanish gymnast at a European podium in 10 years. In the beam final Catalina Ponor wins her third consecutive European Beam Title and plans to retire afterwards but since then she has come back and retired numerous times.
Other event final highlights include Russia’s Irina Isayeva placing just outside of the medals twice first on beam where she was 5th (a tie was registered for the bronze medal) and then fourth in the Floor final. Irina had a very short senior career and this European Championships were her highlight senior competition.
Home-country Greece had Stefani Bismpikou qualifying to the beam final however she finished in 8th place after an unfortunate fall. A year later she would make history by winning Greece’s only medal at a European Championships with her bronze on beam.
In the junior competition, Russia would dominate winning all the gold medals with exception of Floor Gold won by Romania’s Aluissa Lacusteanu. The all-around and beam titles were won by Russia’s Daria Elizarova and the vault and bars title were won by Karina Myasnikova. However none of the junior gold medallists would go on to have the senior careers they would have wanted Lacusteanu and Myasnikova barely had senior appearances while Daria Elizarova never made a World Team representing Russia, she had to change nationality to Uzbekistan to get major international assignments. After 2012 she again began representing Russia but only at domestic or small international competitions, however, Daria does continue to compete a decade later.
RELATED ARTICLES:
How Many Times Has Catalina Ponor Retired?
Placing Fourth At Europeans More Than Once
Remembering the Italian Squad That Won Team Gold At The 2006 Europeans
Countries That Have Medalled Only Once at the Senior European Championships
Gymnastics Cool Facts 