Becky Downie returns to international competition in Zagreb, Croatia at the 2026 European Gymnastics Championships; GB comeback after long layoff

2026 European Gymnastics Championships women’s competition featuring D’Amato, Esposito and Downie: Stars in action and how to watch live

The continental championships take centre stage in Zagreb, Croatia, with the women’s event from 13-16 August followed by the men’s from 19-23 August.

Two years out from the Olympic Games LA28 and the artistic gymnasts gather in Zagreb for the 2026 European Gymnastics Championships , the first continental event to take place in Croatia.

The women’s competition takes place from Thursday 13 August to Sunday 16 August while the men’s starts on Wednesday 19 August and concludes on Sunday 23 August.

In a break from tradition, the qualification round will also decide the individual all-around champion, with the apparatus finals following, concluding with the team event on the final day.

There are both senior and junior competitions but there is no mixed team event, set to make its Olympic debut at LA28 , which had its first showing at the 2025 continental championships in Leipzig.

Italy are fielding a strong women’s team in defence of their title with Asia D’Amato , Manila Esposito and Giulia Perrotti among the five who competed in Germany.

Two-time Olympic medallist Esposito is also the reigning all-around champion.

Netherlands’ Sanne Wevers , the Olympic gold medallist on beam from Rio 2016 , has returned to the fray after a break following Paris 2024 . The 34-year-old will be hoping to add to her two continental titles on the apparatus while also eyeing a build-up to a World Championships berth on home turf in Rotterdam in October.

Other names on the start list include France’s Morgane Osyssek-Reimer , Lorette Charpy and 16-year-old prospect Elena Colas, while Germany, who won silver to France’s bronze in the team event at the last edition, field the likes of Olympians Helen Kevric and Pauline Schäfer-Betz .

The GB contingent will be competition-ready with some of the team having competed at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier in the month, with world silver medallist on floor, Ruby Evans , buoyant after claiming gold on the apparatus in Scotland.

Becky Downie will also make her international return for GB after finishing seventh in the bars final in Paris. Injuries, surgeries and health issues have kept the 34-year-old out of competition since then but she is ready for a new chapter.

Alice D’Amato wins shock balance beam gold, becomes first Italian woman to claim Olympic title in any gymnastics event

World Heart Day: Gymnast Becky Downie on coping with loss

Best of Gymnastics | 15th 16th August 2026 | Non stop streaming

Experience an adrenaline-fueled, non-stop 48-hour streaming marathon featuring the most iconic, breathtaking, and unforgettable moments in Olympic gymnastics history. From gravity-defying vaults to flawless floor routines, relive the artistry, power, and drama that have defined generations of champions.

2026 European Gymnastics Championships women’s edition – Full schedule

Seniors qualification including individual all-around medal decision 09:30 - 10:35: Subdivision 1 (POR, CZE, HUN, BEL) 11:00 - 13:05: Subdivison 2 (WG1, SVK, MLT, SRB, FIN, NOR & Mixed Group 1 (CYP, DEN, LTU) 13:30 - 15:35: Subdivision 3 (IRL, SUI, WG2, AUT, UKR, NED, GRE & Mixed Group 2 (GEO, LUX, LIE) 16:30 - 18:35 : Subdivision 4 (SLO, ESP, AZE, BUL, GBR, ISL, TUR, SWE) 19:00 - 21:05: Subdivision 5 (CRO, GER, LAT, FRA, POL, ITA, ROU, ISR)

Juniors qualification including team - and individual all-around medal decisions 10:00 - 12:05: Subdivision 1 (GEO, ISR, WG2, GER, IRL, ITA & Mixed Group 3 (MLT, BUL) 12:30 - 14:35: Subdivison 2 (LUX, POL, SUI, DEN, ROU, SLO, ESP, WG1) 15:30 - 17:35: Subdivision 3 (AZE, ISL, FIN, GBR, AUT, CZE, Mixed Group 1 (TUR, NED), Mixed Group 2 (HUN, UKR) 18:00 - 20:05: Subdivision 4 (NOR, POR, CYP, SVK, FRA, CRO, BEL, KOS, GRE)

10:00-13:20: Juniors apparatus finals 16:00-18:20: Seniors team final

How to watch the 2026 European Gymnastics Championships live

You can watch all the action from the women’s and men’s events of senior and junior qualifications and the junior finals on the paid-for gymtv.onlin e. See here for information.

The senior finals on Saturday 15 (women’s apparatus finals), Sunday 16 (women’s team final), Friday 21 (men’s apparatus finals part 1), Saturday 22 (men’s apparatus finals part 2) and Sunday 23 August (men’s team final), in addition to the third

last subdivision of the men’s qualification rounds on Wednesday 19 August, will be l ivestreamed via the Eurovision Sports platform European Gymnastics | Watch Gymnastics Online | Eurovision Sport .

Additionally, check your local TV listing s here .

An overview of the TV rights holders of the competitions is available for download here .

Live scoring will be available on Live Results - SmartScoring | Every second matters