Manila Esposito wins floor gold at European Gymnastics Championships as Italy takes four medals in Zagreb

Esposito's double podium

Manila Esposito closed the apparatus finals at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Zagreb with a gold medal in the floor exercise, scoring 13.700 to finish ahead of France's Elena Colas and Russia's Angelina Melnikova. The victory came less than an hour after she took silver on the beam, where Colas edged her by a single tenth of a point, 13.933 to 13.833, with Melnikova third on 13.700. Esposito had entered the beam final with the highest qualifying score but could not hold off the French gymnast despite what was described as only minor imperfections in her routine. The Italian anthem played at the Zagreb Arena to close the day for Italian gymnastics.

The Campania-born gymnast, Olympic vice-champion in the team event and Olympic bronze medalist on beam at Paris 2024, had already won the European all-around title for two consecutive years. Her floor routine included a double straight in the first diagonal that landed outside the boundary line, but no competitor could match her score. Colas finished second again, with Melnikova taking her second bronze of the apparatus finals.

Iorio and Perotti on the uneven bars

Before Esposito's finals, two other Italian gymnasts reached the podium on the uneven bars. Elisa Iorio, a 23-year-old from Modena who won team silver at the Paris Olympics, took silver with 14.333, finishing behind Germany's Helen Kevric, who won gold with 14.500. Iorio delivered a high-level routine that secured her place behind the German champion. Giulia Perotti, a 17-year-old from Vercelli and junior world champion in floor exercise in 2023, claimed bronze despite entering the final with the lowest qualifying score. Her elegant and precise execution carried her onto the podium. Perotti had been part of the Italian team that won European team gold in Leipzig a year earlier.

Vault final and medal standings

The day's first final, the vault, featured no Italian gymnast. Angelina Melnikova won gold, ahead of Germany's Schoenmaier and Belgium's Vaelen. Melnikova also won the all-around title earlier in the competition, giving Russia two golds and first place in the medal table. Italy sits second with one gold, two silver, and one bronze from the apparatus finals. Russia leads the standings on the strength of Melnikova's two golds in the all-around and vault. The French team also had a strong day, with Elena Colas taking gold on the beam and silver on the floor, while Germany's Helen Kevric topped the uneven bars podium.

Looking ahead

The four medals from the individual apparatus finals bring Italy's tally to one gold, two silver, and one bronze for the day of August 15. The Italian team now looks ahead to the team final as the championships continue at the Zagreb Arena. For Esposito, the floor title adds another European gold to a collection that already includes back-to-back all-around crowns and an Olympic bronze from Paris 2024.