ZAGREB – At the 37th European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships, held at the Zagreb Arena, Italy qualified for the team final with a qualifying score of 243.295, finishing behind Russia—competing under a neutral flag—Switzerland, and Great Britain. The Italian team, featuring Italian Air Force pilot Yumin Abbadini, Edoardo De Rosa, and debutants Riccardo Villa, Ares Federici, and Simone Speranza, is now among the eight teams competing for the title on Sunday, August 23rd, at the conclusion of the Croatian event. A year ago in Leipzig, they won the bronze medal, and have finished on the podium for four consecutive European Championships.
On the individual level, Gabriele Targhetta shone, competing as a specialist on the pommel horse. The 20-year-old from Monza produced a flawless routine, with a monstrous score of 15.200, marking his career-best score. Targhetta, a recent member of the Fiamme Oro (Golden Flame) of the Italian State Police, is vying for the specialty title after winning the bronze medal in his European debut last year in Leipzig.
In the individual all-around, Ukrainian-born Croatian Illia Kovtun is the new continental champion in men's artistic gymnastics. His astonishing total of 82.833 allows him to imperceptibly edge out Arsenii Dukhno. The young Russian gymnast, in his first year as a senior—like his teammates and the Belarusians, he competed under a neutral flag—topped the all-around with a score of 82.832. Compatriot Daniel Marinov took third place, taking bronze with a score of 81.899. In the all-around standings, Abbadini and Villa finished 14th and 15th, respectively, with 80.032 and 79.997 points.
