Angelina Melnikova finished the European Games as the most decorated gymnast, winning a medal at every single final she entered. She won gold in the all-around and on bars and silver on beam and vault. Melnikova was originally not supposed to compete in the bars final as the format of the competition allowed only one gymnast per country in each event final. However, Anastasiia Iliankova suffered an allergic reaction the day before the final and had to withdraw. Melnikova who placed in the top-6 on this event in the qualification was able to replace her.
At the competition, Melnikova unveiled her new beam routine and was happy to finally start getting 13+ scores on this event. Winning silver in the final was even more meaningful to her:
“My silver medal on beam is like gold to me. I’m working a lot on this event and I’m happy there are results, finally. I’m definitely happy with my consistency, with the fact that I’m not falling, at least. I’m happy because of my beam routines since I used to lose a lot on this event and this time my scores are getting a bit higher. I learned that I would replace Nastia Iliankova on bars yesterday. I felt added responsibility because I would need to replace a European champion who was supposed to bring our country a medal. I’m really happy that I managed to become first on this event.”
Support Gymnovosti on Patreon from only $1 a month and help us bring to you even more awesome gymnastics coverage!
Buy cool gymnastics-themed t-shirts, hoodies, pillows, phone cases, and more at our store on Teepublic!
