Kevric Given Uncommon Alternative to Defend EYOF Title

Helen Kevric

The European Youth Olympic Competition usually occurs simply as soon as each two years, that means younger WAG athletes who should be 14 or 15 years outdated so as to compete on the junior degree internationally solely get one likelihood to take part.

With the 2021 version being delayed a 12 months, nevertheless, athletes who competed as 14-year-olds final summer season have the extremely uncommon alternative to compete for a second time this 12 months, together with final 12 months’s all-around champion Helen Kevric of Germany getting the prospect to defend her title in Maribor.

Kevric, now 15, was one of many stars of final 12 months’s competitors, profitable a complete of six medals, together with the gold on vault together with the silver medals for bars, ground, the workforce occasion, and the combined pairs closing. Most of those that had been thought-about her greatest competitors final 12 months – together with the Romanians, who took gold as a workforce, and all the Italians, who received bronze – have graduated into the senior ranks, leaving Kevric as soon as once more the one to beat.

She may have some competitors, together with from teammate Marlene Gotthardt, who had a standout competitors at junior world championships early this 12 months to complete sixth all-around, and she or he completed second to Kevric at Germany’s EYOF trials and junior nationwide championships in June. Whereas she could be a bit inconsistent at occasions, her beam is usually nice, and she or he’s additionally a robust vaulter, so I’d search for her as a possible for a few finals.

Exterior of Germany, it’s the Italians with the strongest general workforce, headlined by Benedetta Gava, a powerhouse with a Yurchenko double on vault and robust tumbling on ground. She’ll be the workforce’s high medal menace, however each Emma Fioravanti (a improbable ground employee with a double entrance and a knack for performing) and Sara Caputo are additionally proficient, and will show to be fairly a menace for the Germans regardless of being a little bit of a “B” workforce in comparison with the group Italy despatched to junior worlds. Bars is the place this group is essentially the most behind as compared, however I feel general the truth that the Italians might ship two totally different but nearly equally productive squads to 2 totally different main worldwide junior competitions this season is a testomony to this system’s depth.

As a little bit of a distinction, we have now the Romanian workforce, which is sending two of its junior worlds opponents who helped the workforce to eighth in Antalya, together with Gabriela Vanoaga, who was the standout for this system together with her silver medal on beam. Vanoaga and her teammates – fellow junior worlds athlete Anamaria Mihaescu together with Miruna Botez – are going to be a bit behind the place I anticipate seeing Germany and Italy, however I additionally don’t suppose the sphere right here is so deep {that a} workforce medal is out of the query even when the gold can be.

The opposite stronger groups within the combine embrace Nice Britain and France. The British workforce is with out Abi Martin, who has been injured, however her junior worlds teammates Jemima Taylor and Ema Kandalova are again, as is Ellie Lewis, the bronze all-around medalist at nationals this 12 months. Total, the workforce is a bit weaker than Germany or Italy when it comes to problem on a number of apparatuses, however their ground routines can be a spotlight right here. For France, we’ll see final 12 months’s EYOF all-around bronze medalist Lilou Viallat hoping to return to the rostrum, and she or he’s additionally obtained a whole lot of potential for the bars and beam finals, whereas teammates Maelys Mrozkowiak and Astria Nélo are additionally sturdy, with Nélo one other standout on bars, an occasion that might make or break groups in Maribor. I feel if France can hit the way in which they’re able to, I’d have them as one in all my high selections on the rostrum, doubtless together with Germany and Italy, but when they wrestle the way in which they did at junior worlds, it’s going to be robust.

On the person degree, one in all my absolute favorites is the Croatian athlete Mila Prpic, who received the Balkan Championships all-around title final 12 months and is simply so exact and tidy in her work. She tends to wrestle underneath stress, but when she hits she has the potential to attain rather well within the all-around, as does Vanesa Masova of Czechia.

The nationwide champion two years in a row, Masova is one other one who’s able to enormous scores and sensible work on bars and beam, and she or he certified to each the all-around and beam finals at junior worlds. I feel being within the highlight tends to have an effect on her performances, but when she handles it effectively this time, I might see her being a little bit of a hidden gem right here.

I additionally actually love Yali Shoshani of Israel on ground and Lily Russell of Eire on each beam and ground, with Shoshani usually bringing a lot power to her routine, whereas Russell is a superb dancer with a number of the greatest spins you’ll see right here. And Leire Escauriaza of Spain, who simply received the junior nationwide title over the weekend, had a breakout meet at junior worlds this 12 months, ending ninth all-around and seventh on bars. It’ll be thrilling to see if she will be able to hold the momentum stepping into Maribor!

Within the males’s competitors, I’m most excited to see if the Armenians can upset the Italians for gold after the 2 fought to the loss of life for the bronze medal at junior worlds, with Armenia ending simply 4 tenths again from the rostrum. Italy is with out Riccardo Villa, however nonetheless has an unbelievable workforce that features Tommaso Brugnami, Manuel Berettera, and Diego Vazzola, whereas Armenia is with out Erik Baghdasaryan, however has the junior world pommel horse gold and silver medalists, Hamlet Manukyan (who additionally received the rings title) and Mamikon Khachatryan, again on the roster, together with Robert Gyulumyan.

The French workforce can also be an excellent one, led by Anthony Mansard, although most different high groups right here appear to have left their “A” groups at house, so it might be fascinating to see how issues pan out. The British workforce on paper isn’t as sturdy because the very high packages right here, although chief Alexander Niscoveanu is available in because the junior nationwide champion and this workforce usually has sturdy depth with the potential for shock, so I’m excited to see the way it pans out for them.

On the person degree, I’m most excited for Kristijonas Padegimas of Lithuania and Dachi Dolidze of Georgia for his or her pommel routines, and for Alfred Schwaiger of Austria and Zala Samu Zambori of Hungary as regular all-around skills, with Schwaiger additionally a really proficient pommels employee, whereas Zambori needs to be a standout on vault.

Listed below are the whole lists of WAG opponents and MAG opponents. You must have the ability to discover streams of the competitors on the EOC Channel in addition to on the Italia Group channel, and I consider there may also be streams and scores on the Elevien app, with begin lists and reside scores additionally showing on the EYOF Maribor web site.

The total schedule is beneath. All occasions are native to Maribor, which is 6 hours forward of ET.

Article by Lauren Hopkins