European Championships 2025:
Italy Retains Continental Crown

European Championships 2025: Italy Dominates with Historic Performances

The 2025 European Championships in Leipzig, Germany showcased the continued excellence of Italian women's gymnastics as the defending champions successfully retained their European crown. Italy claimed team gold with a commanding 161.930 total, followed by Germany (158.396) who thrilled their home crowd with a strong silver medal performance, and France (156.728) completing the podium with bronze.

Italian Excellence Continues European Reign

Led by the exceptional Manila Esposito, Italy demonstrated the depth and consistency that has made them the premier European gymnastics power. The team's 161.930 total showcased balanced excellence across all four events, with particularly strong performances on vault (40.599) and balance beam (40.999). The Italian squad featured contributions from Esposito, Sofia Tonelli, Emma Fioravanti, Alice D'Amato, and Giulia Perotti.

Germany's silver medal performance energized the Leipzig crowd, as the host nation delivered their strongest European Championships result in recent years. The German team, anchored by Helen Kevric, Janoah Mueller, Lea Marie Quaas, Karina Schoenmaier, and Silja Stoehr, demonstrated excellent preparation and execution on home soil.

Esposito Creates European History

Manila Esposito's all-around victory with 54.965 points marks a historic achievement as she becomes the first woman to win consecutive European all-around titles since Svetlana Khorkina's three consecutive wins from 1998-2002. The Italian star's consistency across all four events - highlighted by her 13.700 floor exercise - demonstrated the technical mastery that has established her among Europe's elite gymnasts.

The all-around podium featured several breakthrough performances, led by Spain's Alba Petisco's stunning silver medal with 53.265. This historic result represents Spain's first-ever European all-around medal and caps a remarkable rise for the talented Spanish gymnast. Romania's Ana Barbosu claimed bronze with 52.299, adding to her growing collection of major international medals.

Apparatus Finals Showcase Depth

The event finals sessions highlighted the exceptional depth of European women's gymnastics. Nina Derwael of Belgium delivered masterful performances to claim both uneven bars (14.466) and balance beam (14.033) titles, marking her triumphant return to major international competition following injury challenges.

Germany's Karina Schoenmaier provided one of the meet's most emotional moments, winning vault gold (13.983) in front of the enthusiastic Leipzig crowd. The home nation success was met with thunderous applause and demonstrated Germany's continued development as a gymnastics power.

The floor exercise final saw Manila Esposito add another gold medal to her collection with 13.700, while Spain's Alba Petisco continued her breakthrough championships with bronze (13.200). These apparatus results underscored the competitive balance and high technical standards that characterize modern European gymnastics.

Setting Standards for Future Competitions

The championships served as an important benchmark for European gymnastics, with multiple countries demonstrating improved depth and technical capabilities. The competition featured gymnasts from across the continent, providing valuable international experience while showcasing the continued growth of the sport throughout Europe.

For Italy, this dominant performance solidifies their position as Europe's gymnastics powerhouse and builds crucial confidence for the upcoming World Championships cycle. With the next Olympics still three years away, these results establish Italy as the team to beat in continental competition while providing valuable experience for their emerging talent. The impressive performances across multiple nations—from Spain's breakthrough medals to Germany's home crowd success—demonstrate that European gymnastics has never been more competitive. Countries like Belgium, with Nina Derwael's apparatus dominance, and Romania's continued medal success signal that the battle for World Championship and eventual Olympic spots will be fiercely contested among European powers.