Helen Kevric wins uneven bars gold today at European Championships Arena Zagreb; 18-year-old German bars champion overall

European Gymnastics Championships 2026: Next gen sparkle in apparatus finals with Colas, Kevric among the winners

The Arena Zagreb saw Melnikova and Esposito claim the vault and floor titles while teens Colas and Kevric won beam and bars golds, respectively.

Day three of the 2026 European Championships in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics and it was time to decide the senior apparatus finals medallists in Zagreb.

Angelina Melnikova of WG2 won the vault title on Saturday (15 August) while 18-year-old Helen Kevric claimed gold on uneven bars for Germany.

France’s superstar Elena Colas , 16, was beam champion, while Manila Esposito rounded out the competition with top spot on floor.

Melnikova of WG2 won gold in the first final of the afternoon adding the vault title to the all-around gold from Thursday. Scoring 14.166, was enough to beat the defending champion, Karina Schönmaier of Germany on 14.066 after competing a clean Yurchenko double full first vault and then a beautifully styled Lopez, comprising a round-off on to the horse, a 1

2-turn on and front layout 1

Lisa Vaelen just pipped Great Britain’s Abigail Martin to the bronze medal with the final vault of the round. The Belgian scored an average of 13.983 to best Martin by just 0.084 points.

Helen Kevric continued where she left off from Friday’s qualification competition, at the top of the standings on uneven bars. The German teenager, who suffered an injury in the all-around at last year’s continental championships and is making inroads back into international competition, was thrilled with her performance, which garnered her a mark of 14.500. That was highest score of the day on any apparatus.

“I don’t have the right words but I’m just happy to win the gold medal,” Kevric told Olympics,com at the buzzing arena.

“When I walked in here, I didn’t think a lot about the medals because I just wanted to perform, and now I’m really happy that I can say that I’m a European champion on bars, and it’s just an amazing feeling.”

The Italian pair of Elisa Iorio and Giulia Perotti rounded out the podium with silver and bronze, respectively. That makes Iorio a two-time continental silver medallist on the event and 16-year-old Perotti a second time European medallist after winning gold in 2025 in the team event, a title Italy will defend on Sunday (16 August).

“I’m feeling grateful and so proud of myself and my work,” said Iorio, one of the team members who won Olympic team silver at Paris 2024 . “I worked a lot in this year, so I’m very happy to do my bars today and do it pretty well.”

Perotti, a junior world medallist on the apparatus in 2023, was also happy with her performance.

“I’m still very emotional,” said the teenager. “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting this, and all the hard work over the past few months has paid off because I’ve put in so much effort and even changed several routines, and I couldn’t wait to bring all of this to these European Championships.”

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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.

Elena Colas, an emerging gymnastics superstar

Fellow burgeoning gymnastics superstar, Colas, the all-around bronze medallist on Thursday left the arena with two medals around her neck. Having won gold on beam with a score of 13.933, ahead of Olympic bronze medallist from Paris, Esposito on 13.833, the positions were switched between the French teen and the experienced Italian on the final apparatus, the floor exercise.

Esposito’s beautifully poised routine, full of elegance and difficulty, emerged triumphant from a packed field that included the world silver and bronze medallists from 2025, Ruby Evans and Martin, respectively. Scoring 13.700 to Colas’ 13.633, it was the WG2 athlete, Melnikova who rounded out both the beam and floor podiums with marks of 13.700 and 13.566, respectively, to claim bronze. Evans finished fourth with Martin seventh.

“I’m very happy to have these two medals around my neck,” Colas told Olympics.com. “I’m very happy with what I was able to produce today. I think that it has put a little bit of confidence for tomorrow, for the team final.”

Esposito shared the same sentiment telling us: “I’m very proud because I’ll be going back home with two medals.”

But as ever with the world’s best, the six-time European champion wants more in the team competition: “As for tomorrow, like every competition, I’m a bit worried – that’s normal. Well, more than worried, I’m a bit on edge because I want to do well, I want my team to do well. I’m already happy that our team has qualified for the World Championships but I really hope we’ll do well tomorrow too.”

The team competition in the European Championships in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics starts at 16:00 CEST. See here for how to watch.

European Gymnastics Championships 2026 senior women’s vault final – results

🥇 Angelina Melnikova (WG2) 14.166 (13.800, 14.133 +0.2 bonus) 🥈 Karina Schönmaier (GER) 14.066 (14.033, 13.700 +-0.2 bonus) 🥉 Lisa Vaelen (BEL) 13.983 (14.133, 13.433 + 0.2 bonus)

Abigail Martin (GBR) 13.899 (13.933, 13.466 + 0.2 bonus) 5. Anna Kalmykova (WG2) 13.849 (13.966, 13.333 + 0.2 bonus) 6. Charlize Moerz (AUT) 13.633 (13.566, 13.300) 7. Greta Mayer (HUN) 13.350 (13.400, 13.300) 8. Maria Csenge Bacskay (HUN) 13.349 (13.366, 13.333)

European Gymnastics Championships 2026 senior women’s uneven bars final – results

🥇 Helen Kevric (GER) 14.500 🥈 Elisa Iorio (ITA) 14.333 🥉 Giulia Perotti (ITA) 14.233

Sanna Veerman (NED) 14.200 5. Anna Kalmykova (WG2) 14.100 6. Alena Glotova (WG2) 12.200 7. Sofia Shtykhetskaya (WG1) 11.700 8. Naomi Visser (NED) 11.266

European Gymnastics Championships 2026 senior women’s balance beam final – results

🥇 Elena Colas (FRA) 13.933 🥈 Manila Esposito (ITA) 13.833 🥉 Angelina Melnikova (WG2) 13.700

Pauline Schaefer-Betz (GER) 13.633 5. Alia Leat (GBR) 13.433 6. Aitana Pacheco (ESP) 13.300 7. Anna Kalmykova (WG2) 12.933 8. Morgane Osyssek-Reimer (FRA) 12.533

European Gymnastics Championships 2026 senior women’s floor exercise final – results

🥇 Manila Esposito (ITA) 13.700 🥈 Elena Colas (FRA) 13.633 🥉 Angelina Melnikova (WG2) 13.566

Ruby Evans (GBR) 13.466 5. Alba Petisco (ESP) 13.466 6. Maiana Prat (FRA) 13.333 7. Abigail Martin (GBR) 13.066 8. Lena Bickel (SUI) 13.033

Picture by 2025 Getty Images