European Championships Munich 2022: Women's artistic gymnastics apparatus finals – as it happened

There were two golds for hosts Germany as the individual apparatus finals rounded off women's artistic gymnastics competition at the European Championships in Munich on Sunday (14 August).

Elisabeth Seitz took the uneven bars title with the last performance before Emma Malewski endured a nervous wait to claim the balance beam crown.

Italy's all-around champion Asia D'Amato injured her ankle in the process of winning silver in the first event of the day, the vault, and had to sit out the rest of the competition.

Gold went to Zsofia Kovacs of Hungary with Britain's Jessica Gadirova ending proceedings by retaining her floor title.

Read on to find out what happened, as it happened (latest news first).

Jessica Gadirova retains Euro floor title

Martina Maggio of Italy stepped up first to perform an outstanding floor routine to score 13.933 putting the pressure on the next seven gymnasts.

Romania's youngster Ana Barbosu came out with a classical expressive routine, which also scored highly, 13.633. In her first year as a senior and the sole representative for Romania in the apparatus finals, the emotions spilled over as she left the floor, happy with her work.

Jennifer Gadirova scored 13.466, her difficulty not as high as some other gymnasts due to the 17-year-old still coming back from injury.

Angela Andreoli of Italy had the crowd clapping along during her bouncy, energetic, fun routine, earning 13.866 to take her into second behind compatriot Maggio.

Defending floor champion Jessica Gadirova said she wanted to win the title again for her sister who was out injured last year. And she delivered with a routine high on difficulty featuring expressive dance which resulted in 14.000 popping up on the scoreboard.

Jess jumped up and down in delight, hugged her fellow medallists – Maggio in silver and Andreoli in bronze – before being joined by Jen, which made both of them have "watery eyes" as Jess put it.

"As I stepped onto the floor, all I thought was it will be my last floor routine with this floor music, I wanted to give it my all," said Jess. "It was the best, what I did. To hear the crowd cheer for me when I did my tumbles and my dance was amazing."

Watch Olympics.com exclusive interview with the twins below where they give you hints on how to tell them apart.

European Championships Munich 2022 – artistic gymnastics floor final results

1. Jessica Gadirova, GB 14.000
2. Martina Maggio, Italy 13.933
3. Angela Andreoli, Italy 13.866
4. Ana Barbosu, Romania 13.633
5. Jennifer Gadirova, GB 13.466
6. Naomi Visser, Netherlands 13.133
7. Morgane Osyssek-Reimer, France 12.666
8. Zsofia Kovacs, Hungary 12.533

Germany wins again – Emma Malewski takes Euro beam gold

Two more gymnasts from Germany were on this apparatus meaning the crowd were vocally invested in the competition. Beam queen Pauline Schaefer-Betz was a favourite but anything could happen on this most nervy of apparatus.

Italy’s Martina Maggio replaced injured teammate Asia D’Amato and competed just after seeing compatriot Giorgia Villa fall from the apparatus to put her out of contention. Maggio, however, despite a big wobble, stayed on to take the lead.

Emma Malewski was the first of the German pair in this final and, despite some slight adjustments, performed a clean, if not very difficult routine, including a simple full twist dismount.

The only Romanian to qualify for any individual apparatus finals, Ana Barbosu unfortunately fell off on a very difficult handspring front somersault combination, which ruled the 16-year-old out of the medals but she is surely one to watch for the future.

Carolann Heduit, 18, the fifth highest qualifier, performed with no major deductions to score 13.400 to put her in the medals.

German gymnast Schaefer-Betz, the 2017 world beam champion, was the penultimate gymnast and despite a missed combination on her mount performed a clean routine. A score of 13.200 received boos from the crowd but Schaefer-Betz was out of the medals.

Last up, Ondine Achampong who described her routine as "the biggest of her career" to the BBC afterwards, kept her composure to claim silver.

The Brit scored 13.400 to Malewski's 13.466 with Heduit bagging bronze (13.400) the difference between second and third, the difficulty of the routine.

The home crowd was buzzing and Malweski said: "I feel amazing. I am so proud of myself and am so happy with this medal. I really have no words for it.

"With the team we got a medal (bronze) yesterday and now Elisabeth (Seitz) and I got a medal as well, this is just amazing. This week couldn't have gone any better."

Achampong had no expectations so to come away with a silver medal, the Brit was thrilled. "I can't believe it at all. I went into this final with no expectations on myself. There are just no words to describe it, really.

"Usually I watch beam routines, because it doesn't really bother me. But obviously I had to go up last. I'm not used to go up last, I'm normally always the first one, especially when we compete with the team.

"So I thought I go in with a new tactic. I didn't watch anything and didn't listen to any of the scores. I just focused on myself. I didn't even think about the beam routine that I was going to do. I just put my mind elsewhere, thinking about other stuff. It worked (laughs)."

European Championships Munich 2022 – artistic gymnastics beam final results

1. Emma Malewski, Germany 13.466
2. Ondine Achampong, GB 13.400
3. Carolann Heduit, France 13.400
4. Martina Maggio, Italy 13.233
5. Pauline Schaefer-Betz, Germany 13.200
6. Alba Petisco, Spain 12.400
7. Giorgia Villa, Italy 12.166
8. Ana Barbosu, Romania 11.566

Elisabeth Seitz claims uneven bars gold

Kim Bui of Germany is the first to step up on uneven bars, performing her final ever routine in international gymnastics after a stellar career including 10 European Championships.

The 33-year-old, who will now step away from the arena to concentrate on a career as a biochemist researching treatment for cancer, landed to an explosion of noise from the crowd. Bui burst into tears, received a hug from her coach and stayed on the podium to receive a well-deserved extended applause from everyone in the arena after scoring 14.066.

Then came another crowd favourite, Italy’s Giorgia Villa, who performed a clean routine full of difficulty to take the lead with 14.100.

Villa soon turned her attention to supporting her team-mate, Alice D’Amato, who had just seen her twin Asia carried away. Alice, the highest qualifier on bars, nevertheless performed a stunning routine to score 14.400 to put her ahead of her team-mate.

Up stepped the last gymnast to go on this apparatus, Elisabeth Seitz, who had the home crowd collectively holding their breath throughout her difficulty-filled routine.

The 28-year-old did her bit, nailing the routine and hoping for better than the fourth, fifth and sixth placings she had achieved in Olympic bars finals.

The breath-holding continued for the fans as they waited for the score to pop up and, when it did, a cacophony of noise erupted. Seitz had scored 14.433 to become European champion.

Alice D’Amato took silver with France’s Lorette Charpy, recently returned from injury, bagging bronze.

Seitz said afterwards: "I've been in the national team since 2009. To now be a European champion for the first time is kind of crazy. I have to realise it first. Now I'm just happy, this is incredible.

"It means everything to me. At home, in front of a home crowd, in front of my family, my friends, my boyfriend. Everyone was here and cheering for me. It was incredible to hit my bar routine here and to win gold.

"For Paris 2024, I will go step by step. But to be honest, with this medal around my neck I don’t have any thoughts about quitting right now.”

Alice D'Amato said: "When I knew Asia was injured, I didn't even care about the competition anymore. I was just focused on her. But I had to do my routine and I tried to do my best, but it wasn't easy at all.

"I can't wait to see her. I didn't even see her before I was competing and for me it is very important to know how she is feeling right now."

According to an official statement, Asia has a suspected sprained ankle but will be having more tests.

Charpy said of her bronze: "This means a lot to me. The last year has been very difficult. I missed the Olympics (she tore her ACL in March 2021). I fought back and with the help of the people around me I could take this medal. This is incredible."

European Championships Munich 2022 – artistic gymnastics uneven bars final results

1. Elisabeth Seitz, Germany 14.433
2. Alice D'Amato, Italy 14.400
3. Lorette Charpy, France 14.166
4. Giorgia Villa, Italy 14.100
5. Kim Bui, Germany 14.066
6. Georgia-Mae Fenton, GB 13.633
7. Naomi Visser, Netherlands 13.066
8. Alice Kinsella, GB 11.666

Zsofia Kovacs takes vault final

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Aline Friess of France stepped up early to perform her two vaults to get the first European Championships apparatus final under way. She averaged 13.599 to set the early target.

Unfortunately, two injuries then occurred with both all-around champion Asia D’Amato and Bulgaria’s Valentina Georgieva both leaving the Olympiahalle with medics.

Asia managed to complete her two vaults and score a 13.716 to take the lead, but there were lengthy delays as the pair were helped away.

Between the injuries, one of the favourites, Jessica Gadirova had performed two vaults with the second resulting in a lower score than expected after the somersault was adjudged to have been performed in a pike position instead of straight so the Brit finished fifth (13.433).

Zsofia Kovacs of Hungary stepped up after the delay, wanting to prove herself after having a disappointing error-strewn all-around final.

The 22-year-old performed two superb vaults to take the lead with an average score of 13.933, which is where she stayed, dropping her head into her hands as she realised she was now European vault champion.

European Championships Munich 2022 – artistic gymnastics vault final results

1. Zsofia Kovacs, Hungary 13.933
2. Asia D'Amato, Italy 13.716
3. Aline Friess, France 13.599
4. Lisa Vaelen, Belgium 13.583
5. Jessica Gadirova, GB 13.433
6. Camille Rasmussen, Denmark 13.383
7. Lihie Raz, Israel 13.016
8. Valentina Georgieva, Bulgaria DNF

_Next up is the men's artistic gymnastics European Championships, which runs from 18-21 August. C_lick here for more information.