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In the Cross-Country Elite events, France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot retained her European crown, while Swiss Lars Forster won the title among the men.

Ferrand-Prévot and Forster crowned #EUROMTB21 champions

Intro

For the first time, the UEC MTB European Championships took place in Serbia, with the majestic Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad serving as the backdrop for four action-packed days. In the Cross-Country Elite events, France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot retained her European crown, while Swiss Lars Forster won the title among the men.

Women's podium

Women 1

Reigning European and world champion Ferrand-Prévot demonstrated her prowess, attacking and dominating the race to win gold ahead of Dutch duo Anne Terpstra and Anne Tauber, who completed the podium.Coming off a rather disappointing performance at the Olympic Games, the 29-year-old Frenchwoman was all smiles after her triumph and will tackle the upcoming UCI Mountain Bike World Championships with a confidence boost.

Highlights Women

Women 2 (quote)

“It was a great day for me. I wanted this title more than anything. Today, I just wanted to give my best, give everything I had. The race was quite tactical at the beginning. I was feeling good, so I decided to attack, went at the front and after, tried to keep the speed. It worked and I am extremely happy with that,” she stated in her UEC post-race interview. “I think this is one of my best wins and for sure, I want to defend my world champ jersey, but I already have the European one, so it’s already a good season for me."

Lars Forster

<h2>Forster finishes first in fierce fight&nbsp;</h2>Having won the Cross-Country title at the European Championships 2018 in Glasgow, Forster is back on the throne after edging the competition in a tightly contested race. The 28-year-old launched a decisive attack close to the finish to celebrate 3’’ ahead of Dane Sebastian Fini Carstensen, with Swiss Filippo Colombo finishing third. &nbsp;&nbsp;“It was an amazing race. I felt very good already two weeks ago; I had the European Championships as a goal in my mind because I couldn’t go to the Olympics, so I took the next chance and I’m very happy I made it to the top,” Forster said after the race.“The course was a little bit of a cyclo-cross race with the downhill on the stairs. I’m a cyclo-cross racer as well so I liked the course. I knew I could ride fast on this track. We saw at the Under 23 race that a big group was coming together, so I was focusing on staying in the front, saving energy and then at the end, finishing with a bang.”

Highlights Men

Link UEC

The European Championships in Novi Sad also featured the Junior and Under 23 Cross-Country races as well as the Eliminator and Team Relay events. For all official results, please visit the <a href="http://www.uec.ch/en/event/139/2021-uec-mtb-xco-xce-xcr-jun-u23-elite-european-championships" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UEC website</a> and make sure to follow the UEC social media channels for photos, highlights, and interviews.

Die Französin Pauline Ferrand-Prévot steht bei den Mountainbike-Europameisterschaften 2021 ganz oben auf dem Siegertreppchen, vor den Niederländerinnen Anne Terpstra und Anne Tauber

EUROMTB21_podium_women.jpg

In the Cross-Country Elite events, France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot retained her European crown, while Swiss Lars Forster won the title among the men.

It was a familiar picture as the curtain fell on the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley Vienna 2021: Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway were standing atop the podium, crowned European champions for a fourth consecutive time.

Déjà-vu in Vienna

It was a familiar picture as the curtain fell on the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley Vienna 2021: Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway were standing atop the podium, crowned European champions for a fourth consecutive time. Swiss pair Nina Betschart and Tanja Hüberli claimed gold in the women’s event.

Foto Mol/Sorum

Men 1

Coming off their <a href="https://www.munich2022.com/en/european-eye-on-tokyo-beach-volleyball" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">golden Olympic campaign</a>, Mol and Sørum carried their fantastic form over to Vienna and added another historic achievement to their already impressive résumé. A 26-match winning streak and a fourth straight EuroBeachVolley title are unprecedented. However, the Vikings had to work hard, with Dutch duo Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot putting up a fight in the gold medal match. The Norwegians’ experience prevailed, as they edged their opponents 2-1 (21-19, 24-26, 15-12).“The Dutch played amazing, it was a perfect final, we had to work really hard to find a way to beat them. We had one goal before this tournament and it was to win this title, but to win four in a row, it’s hard to believe,” Sørum told CEV in the post-match interview.

Highlights Men's Final

Men 2

Mol echoed his teammate’s words: “It will take us some time to sink in what we accomplished over these last weeks, it’s hard to believe we just won the Olympic gold and now a fourth EuroBeachVolley title. This was one of the best matches we played in the last few years. The Dutch played really well, and we’d like to congratulate them too. Playing here in Vienna is always special and I’m so happy we’re still unbeaten here. We hate losing any match, but even more in front of these fans.”Poland’s Piotr Kantor and Bartosz Łosiak took home the bronze medal after defeating Dutchmen Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen in straight sets, 2-0 (21-4, 21-19).

CEV Tweet SUI

Women Gold

<h2>Back-to-back for Switzerland</h2>Nina Betschart and Tanja Hüberli succeeded their compatriots Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré on the EuroBeachVolley throne, making Switzerland only the second country to win back-to-back women’s titles with different teams. In Saturday’s final, the Swiss prevailed over Dutch up-and-comers Raïsa Schoon and Katja Stam 2-0 (21-15, 21-12).It is the first continental title for Betschart and Hüberli, who had previously reached the final in 2018, ultimately taking silver. The triumph tasted even sweeter following a subpar performance in Tokyo. "We're thrilled to be European champions. The win by itself is something great, but to do it here, in Vienna, with this fantastic atmosphere, it's just so special. We didn't do well in the Olympics and wanted to put it behind us and there was no better way to do it,” 28-year-old Hüberli confirmed. “Our entire team really wanted to win this tournament and we need to thank them for believing in us and working so hard over the last five years. I'm so glad our dream came true."

Highlights Women's Final

Women Bronze

In the bronze medal match, German veterans Karla Borger and Julia Sude edged out Latvians Anastasija Kravčenoka and Tīna Graudiņa in three sets, 2-1 (14-21, 17-21, 8-15). Whilst both Borger and Sude had previously won bronze medals with different partners, it is their first EuroBeachVolley medal as a team.&nbsp;The relief and joy were palpable, as Borger put her team’s feelings into words: “We are very proud of ourselves. After the Olympics, we discussed whether we should play here at all, but we proved that we are good players. Everything is possible if you just believe. Playing in front of so many spectators after such a long time is something we missed. That's what beach volleyball is all about.”

DVV Tweet GER

Verweis Website

To relive all the action from Vienna and for all results, please visit the <a href="https://eurobeachvolley.cev.eu/en/2021/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">official event website</a>. Check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CEVolleyball" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">European Volleyball</a> on YouTube for more highlight clips from the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley Vienna 2021.&nbsp;

Die norwegischen Beachvolleyballer Christian Sørum und Anders Mol feiern bei der EuroBeachVolley 2021 ihren vierten Europameistertitel in Folge

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It was a familiar picture as the curtain fell on the A1 CEV EuroBeachVolley Vienna 2021: Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway were standing atop the podium, crowned European champions for a fourth consecutive time.

The Europe Triathlon Age Group Sprint Championships will be integrated into the European Triathlon Championships Munich 2022.

Munich to host 2022 Age Group Championships

The Europe Triathlon Age Group Sprint Championships will be integrated into the European Triathlon Championships Munich 2022 - themselves part of the multi-sport European Championships in the Germany city next year - as announced today by Europe Triathlon, the German Triathlon Union (DTU) and the Munich 2022 organising committee.„We are very proud that we are able to provide the European age group athletes the opportunity to compete during the elite European Triathlon Championships that are part of the 2nd edition of the multi-sport 2022 European Championships hosted in Munich. Triathlon continues with its tradition to have elite and age group athletes racing in the same event. The finish and the atmosphere in the iconic Olympic Park will provide the athletes with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s a great opportunity especially for German athletes to race in front of a home crowd“, says Bernd Kapp, DTU vice president for grass root sport.For Verena Dietl, sports mayor of the City of Munich, the integration is also an important sign: "Sport knows no limits - certainly no age limits. Therefore, I am very pleased that the Europe Triathlon Age Group Sprint Championships are also included in the European Championships Munich 2022 and that athletes of all ages have a chance of winning a medal. The finish in the impressive ensemble of the Olympic Park will not just only be reserved for the top athletes of the triathlon elite over the Olympic distance but will also be an unforgettable experience for the participants in the age group sprint distance."

The age group race will take place on 14 August 2022. Up to 1,000 athletes from different countries will race for a medal in their respective age group. Swimming (750m) will take place at Karlsfelder See northeast of Munich city centre. Age groupers will then ride their bikes towards the Olympic Park (20km) where the final 5km run will take place. The detailed course maps will be published shortly on the official website at www.munich2022.com/agegroup.Athletes can sign up via their <a href="https://europe.triathlon.org/federations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">national federations</a>.More information about the age group races will be made available in the next few weeks via <a href="www.munich2022.com/agegroup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.munich2022.com/agegroup</a>.

Triathlon Altersklassen Rad DTU

Munich to host 2022 Europe Triathlon Age Group Sprint Championships

Max Lemke vs. Oliver Zeidler: What started as a joke on social media turned into a special showdown, as Munich rang in the one-year countdown to the European Championships 2022.

Showdown on Olympiasee

<h2>Olympians Lemke and Zeidler face each other in a unique race</h2>Challenge accepted! What started as fun on social media was put into action on Wednesday. Max Lemke, newly crowned Olympic champion in the men's kayak four and Oliver Zeidler, reigning world champion in the men's single sculls swapped their equipment for a special kind of duel on Olympiasee. One year before the start of the European Championships Munich 2022, the two elite athletes whetted the appetite for the biggest multi-sport event in Germany since the 1972 Olympic Games. Their race was just one of many highlights to celebrate the one year to go milestone - from Theresienwiese and Odeonsplatz to Olympiapark, the entire city got into the Munich 2022 spirit.

Livestream

Nine European championships and a vibrant festival under one roof: From 11-21 August 2022, there will be something on offer for everyone. With one year to go, the organisers put everyone in the right mood with sports and music activities across the city. The colourful programme for this major milestone invited fans and passersby to participate and experience a first taste of Munich 2022.Beach volleyball with that summer feeling, a roundabout ping pong tournament, the opportunity to boulder, completing a gymnastics badge and much more - young and old were warmly welcome to discover the nine sports for themselves. Joining the action were seven athletes from the Class of 22. A year ago, the documentary series ushered in the two-year countdown and thus now celebrated its own first anniversary.&nbsp;

Foto Class of 22

Christina Hering, Olympic athlete and multiple German 800-metre champion, laced up her running shoes for a community run in Olympiapark. Things also got sporty virtually: Franca and Simon Henseleit usually complete three disciplines in a triathlon, but this time they only took to the bike. Anyone who could not be on site had a chance to compete against the siblings via Zwift. Pole vaulter Bo Kanda Lita Baehre and sport climber Alma Bestvater also attended the events in Munich, looking ahead to the European Championships at home next year.Zeidler and Lemke completed the class reunion. For the past year, they have also been providing insights into their lives as athletes in the monthly series. So, who looked better in one another's boat? Given the skills of these two exceptional athletes, it was no surprise a photo finish had to determine the winner, and ultimately it was Zeidler.

Lemke-Zeidler

In August 2022, they will be back in their own boat and element, and - so the hopes of the home fans - both will cross the finish line first in their respective discipline. After all, bright sunshine at the Olympic Regatta Centre does not rule out a downpour of medals."As athletes, generally the goal is to win. Otherwise we wouldn't be at the level we are at," Lemke confirmed. Eleven days of competition, medal decisions each day, 176 in total; the 24-year-old is already looking forward to the multi-sport event: "All athletes in Germany who want to and will take part in the European Championships are really looking forward to having such an event in Germany again. We haven't had that in a long time. I hope that I can also get a first-hand impression of the other sports, which unfortunately was not possible at the Olympic Games."

Kanute Max Lemke und Ruderer Oliver Zeidler tauschten ihr Arbeitsgerät für eine ganz besondere Challenge auf dem Olympiasee

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Max Lemke vs. Oliver Zeidler: What started as a joke on social media turned into a special showdown, as Munich rang in the one-year countdown to the European Championships 2022.

With the curtain drawn on the Olympic Games in Tokyo, we look back at the beach volleyball events and cast the spotlight on the three historic medals for European teams.

European Eye on Tokyo: Beach Volleyball

With the Olympic flame extinguished and the curtain drawn on the Olympic Games in Tokyo, we look back at the beach volleyball events and cast the spotlight on the three historic medals for European teams.

Foto NOR

Men's event 1

The first-ever Olympic medal for Norway in volleyball. The youngest to ever win beach volleyball gold at the Olympics. Christian Sørum and Anders Mol entered the history books with a bang after defeating ROC duo Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy 2-0 (21-17, 21-18) in the gold medal match on Saturday. The Beachvolley Vikings are only the second European team to win gold since the addition of beach volleyball to the Olympic programme in 1996. More so, they are the youngest to step atop the podium, with Sørum aged 25 and Mol 24."It feels unreal! We’ve been working for this so hard and for so long! It’s been our dream for so many years. Becoming the youngest Olympic champions is really a dream come true and I don’t think we really realise what we have done right now. It’s surreal," Mol told Volleyball World.&nbsp;

Tweet men's podium

Men's event 2

Sørum echoed the feelings, still in disbelief he’s now owning an Olympic gold medal himself: "Three years ago I took a screenshot of the Olympic gold medal from Rio and I put it on my phone and I’ve watched that medal every day since. To stand here with a gold medal, together with Anders and the rest of our team, is amazing. And to be on the podium with ROC and Qatar is also huge for us, because we are good friends, and we all work hard and push each other and where we are today is also because of each other. I’m just really happy and I can’t believe it!"&nbsp;Reigning world champions Krasilnikov and Stoyanovskiy wrote history themselves, handing their country the first-ever medal in beach volleyball. Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan of Qatar denied an all-European podium, downing Latvian pair Mārtiņš Pļaviņš and Edgars Točs in the bronze medal match, 2-0 (21-12, 21-18).

Foto SUI

Women's event

<h2>Swiss smiles</h2>On Friday, Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré took on the role of history-makers in the women’s tournament, edging out Latvians Tīna Graudiņa and Anastasija Kravčenoka 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) for bronze. Whilst Latvia’s medal hopes were shattered for a first time at Shiokaze Park, the bronze medallists were all smiles, as they secured Switzerland’s first-ever Olympic medal in women’s beach volleyball. Compatriots Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel had previously achieved the feat in the men’s event at the 2004 Athens Games."It’s a huge honour to represent Switzerland and it’s a dream come true that we won this Olympic medal. We hope to inspire a lot of kids to play beach volleyball in Switzerland," Vergé-Dépré said. "What we experienced as a team here is one of those stories you can’t experience in other environments. You go through so many emotions, ups and downs, over five years now. We had a back surgery, we had coronavirus, we had mental problems to motivate ourselves at the beginning of the pandemic... There was so much going on and I think overcoming this as a team will stay in our hearts." Meanwhile, the USA reclaimed their reign in women’s beach volleyball. Alix Klineman and April Ross went undefeated on their way to gold, prevailing over Australians Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy 2-0 (21-15, 21-16) in the final. It is the USA’s fourth women’s title in seven Olympic beach volleyball tournaments.

Tweet SUI

Verweis FIVB + CEV

Relive all the action from Shiokaze Park through <a href="https://www.fivb.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FIVB</a>, <a href="https://www.cev.eu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CEV</a> and <a href="https://en.volleyballworld.com/beachvolleyball/competitions/olympics-2020/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Volleyball World</a>. For all results from the Olympic Games, please visit the official <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tokyo 2020</a> website.International beach volleyball action resumes on Wednesday, with CEV EuroBeachVolley taking place in Vienna. Follow the games on the <a href="https://eurobeachvolley.cev.eu/en/2021/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">official event website</a> and find out who will be crowned European champions 2021.

Die norwegischen Beachvolleyballer Christian Sørum und Anders Mol küssen ihre Goldmedaillen nach ihrem Triumph bei den Olympischen Spielen in Tokio

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Whilst China dominated the table tennis events at the Olympic Games, there were still a couple of European gems to be found in Tokyo. We review the highlights from a European point of view.

European Eye on Tokyo: Table Tennis

Whilst China dominated the medal standings in the table tennis events at the Olympic Games, there were still a couple of European gems to be found in Tokyo. We review the highlights from a European – or rather German – point of view.

Foto Boll-Franziska

Men's Team 1

Germany reigned supreme at the recent European Table Tennis Championships and underlined once more that they are a powerhouse to be reckoned with, raising the expectations for the European Championships Munich 2022 at home. They were the only European men’s team standing in the last four, facing Japan in a thrilling semi-final that went the full distance. The Germans edged out the hosts 3-2 to reach the gold medal match against heavy favourites China. The Chinese team proved unbeatable, sweeping all their opponents 3-0 on their way to gold, including the German team. The silver medal is still one to be proud of, as Patrick Franziska confirmed: "After the initial disappointment of losing the final, I now feel extremely proud. The team spirit we had here, the way we presented ourselves, the atmosphere in the team: everyone was supportive of each other – it is a lot of fun. That's why the silver medal is worth so much. I had a few tears of joy in my eyes when we walked in for the award ceremony."

Tweet Team Deutschland

Men's Team 2

The final saw Ma Long clinch a record fifth Olympic gold medal, while Dimitrij Ovtcharov now holds a record of his own. With six Olympic medals in total – two silvers and four bronzes – he has more than any other table tennis player.Ovtcharov only realised afterwards that he is now the most decorated player: "The crazy thing is that I have never thought about it, not before and neither during the tournament. I just learned about it now and it’s simply incredible."

Men's Singles 1

<h2>Worthy of Hitchcock</h2>Prior to his success with the team, Ovtcharov had already stepped on the podium in the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym, claiming singles bronze. He experienced two final competition days that even the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock could not have scripted any better.Both semi-finals were decided in a nail-biting seventh game, with Ovtcharov succumbing 3-4 (11-13, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 9-11) to Ma Long, who went on to beat his fellow Chinese team-mate Fan Zhendong in the final. Despite the heart-breaking loss, the 32-year-old managed to refocus and end the competition on a high note. In a thrilling bronze medal match, he survived four match points by Chinese Taipei’s Lin Jun-Yu and eventually prevailed 4-3 (13-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-4, 4-11, 15-13, 11-7).&nbsp;

Foto Ovtcharov

Men's Singles 2

"I truly feel the last four days felt like five years. I really believed that I could go all the way. Then suddenly I was almost knocked out by Hugo (Calderano). Then I pulled myself back and had such a great match against Ma Long yesterday. Everything broke apart at the last point. I called my dad and my wife and said I never want to play table tennis again. It’s really too hard. But they gave me so much strength and my dad told me that if I was going to win again today, the world would be great again. But yesterday evening, I didn’t even believe I could lift a racquet again. My dad was right. I won today and everything feels amazing again,” he described his emotional roller-coaster ride."He had so many match points and I felt it was over for me. But he missed and in a blink of an eye later, I felt I had some divine help, and I was so delighted to be back in the game. Sport is incredibly crazy. On one hand, I invest so much time and effort for that one single point. On the other hand, it can be so ugly when you do so much and you lose by one point. It’s just insane."

Tweet Ovtcharov

Remaining events

<h2>Close, but no cigar</h2>They came close, but there were no further podium spots for Europe in the remaining table tennis events. Germany narrowly missed out on a bronze in the women’s team competition after falling 1-3 to Hong Kong, China in the third-place battle. China celebrated another gold medal, with Japan finishing second.While there were three European teams in the mixed doubles quarter-finals, France were the only ones to reach the semi-finals. However, Emmanuel Lebesson and Jia Nan Yuan suffered two defeats to claim fourth place in the end. Japan edged out China 4-3 to win gold, while Chinese Taipei bested France 3-0 for bronze.Germany’s Ying Han was the only European to reach the quarter-finals in the women’s singles, but lost to Sun Yingsha. The Chinese went on to win the silver medal, with her compatriot Chen Meng crowned Olympic champion and Mima Ito of Japan completing the podium in third place.Please visit the <a href="https://www.ittf.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ITTF</a> and <a href="https://www.ettu.org/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ETTU</a> websites for a full recap of the Olympic table tennis events. All official results and medal standings from the Olympic Games can be found on the <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tokyo 2020</a> website.

Der deutsche Tischtennis-Spieler kniet erleichtert am Tisch, nachdem er bei den Olympischen Spielen in Tokio Bronze gewonnen hat

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With sport climbing making its Olympic debut in Tokyo, there were several premieres to be celebrated and records to be set. We review the events from a European point of view.

European Eye on Tokyo: Sport Climbing

With sport climbing making its Olympic debut in Tokyo, there were several premieres to be celebrated and records to be set. We review the events from a European point of view.

Foto Gines Lopez

Men's Combined - Gines Lopez

It was double history for Alberto Ginés López, as the 18-year-old was crowned first-ever Olympic champion in the men’s Combined event, becoming the youngest Spanish Olympic gold medallist in the process. After winning the Speed final with a time of 6.42 seconds, Ginés López finished last in the Boulder round and dropped down the leader board. However, his fourth place in Lead gave him an overall score of 28.00 points and the edge in the medal fight."It's a dream come true," the teenager commented on his triumph. "I didn't expect it at all. I didn't expect to get into the final. A dream come true."I was doing some calculating, with the points, and then I decided not to get into that, that it wouldn't be good for me. I just decided to do as well as I could, and I thought 'If I do well, I do well, and if I don't, I don't.'"

Tweet Gines Lopez

Men's Combined - Schubert

USA’s Nathaniel Coleman took silver on 30.00 points, while Austrian Jakob Schubert snatched bronze with 35.00 finishing one point ahead of local fan favourite, Tomoa Narasaki of Japan. Schubert was the last climber to come out in the Lead final and the only one to top the route to end the competition in suspenseful fashion.&nbsp;"In Combined, it's all about the multiplication, so first place means so much and it increases your chances for a medal. That's something I'm also really proud and happy about, not just this medal, but that I could climb so well, top the route, and show the world how cool our sport is," the lead specialist stated.

Foto Garnbret

Women's Combined

<h2>Golden Garnbret</h2>The reigning Combined and Boulder world champion Janja Garnbret achieved an incredible four flashes in the Boulder qualification round, finished first overall in qualification and lived up to the expectations in Friday’s final.The Slovenian superstar was fifth in the Speed final but was in a class of her own the rest of the way, claiming first spot in both Boulder and Lead to enter the history books as the first-ever Olympic champion in women’s Combined, with a final score of 5.00 points.Following the heartbreak on Thursday, hosts Japan were able to host a medal party after all, with both Miho Nonaka and Akiyo Noguchi securing podium spots. Nonaka took silver with a score of 45.00 points, whilst Noguchi ended her sport climbing career with a bronze around her neck. The 32-year-old had the same points tally, 64.00, as Aleksandra Miroslaw of Poland, but prevailed thanks to her better rank in qualification.&nbsp;

Tweet women's podium

Weltrekorde Speed

<h2>Record setters</h2>An Olympic debut comes with fresh Olympic records, with the speed records officially set following the conclusion of the qualification and final round, respectively. Bassa Mawem of France was the fastest in the men’s speed qualification with 5.45 seconds, a time that remained unrivalled in Tokyo. The 36-year-old did not compete in the final after suffering a biceps injury during the qualification round.Miroslaw proved the fastest among the women, setting an Olympic record with 6.97 seconds in qualification and one-upping her performance in the speed final. With 6.84 seconds she not only bested her own Olympic record, the 27-year-old speed specialist also broke the previous world record of 6.96 seconds, which was held by Russian Iuliia Kaplina.&nbsp;

Tweet Miroslaw

Verweis IFSC

Relive all highlights from sport climbing’s thrilling Olympic premiere through the <a href="https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IFSC's</a> coverage. Visit the <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tokyo 2020</a> website for all official results from the Olympic Games.

Alberto Ginés López während des Speed-Finales bei der olympischen Premiere des Sportkletterns

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Following nine action-packed competition days at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, we look back at selected golden highlights from the artistic gymnastics events and spotlight the European history-makers at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

European Eye on Tokyo: Artistic Gymnastics

Following nine action-packed competition days at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, we look back at selected golden highlights from the artistic gymnastics events and spotlight the European history-makers at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Melnikova

Text Russland

The first medals were awarded in the team finals, with the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) grabbing gold in both the women’s and men’s event.Having finished second to the USA in 2016 and at the past two World Championships, the ROC women’s team seized the moment to claim their first Olympic team title in women’s artistic gymnastics. Angelina Melnikova, Lilia Akhaimova, Viktoriia Listunova and Vladislava Urazova combined for 169.528 points overall. The USA and Great Britain completed the podium in second and third, respectively. "We worked extremely hard; we were basically in a closed training camp for a year and a half, working for this moment," Melnikova commented afterwards. "It was the first time that we were competing for gold, not for silver. The impossible is possible now."The 21-year-old stepped on the podium two more times, winning bronze in the women’s all-around final and on floor.The men’s team upset hosts Japan, who had to settle for silver, while China finished third. Nikita Nagornyy, Artur Dalaloyan, Denis Abliazin and David Belyavskiy performed their difficult routines to near-perfection, accumulating&nbsp;262.500 points in total. It is the ROC’s second Olympic team gold in men’s artistic gymnastics, having previously won in Atlanta in 1996. Abliazin followed the success up with a silver medal on vault, while Nagorny is leaving Tokyo with two additional bronze medals from the men’s all-around and horizontal bar finals.

Dolgopyat

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<h2>Historic golds for Derwael and Dolgopyat</h2>Israeli Artem Dolgopyat and Belgian Nina Derwael cemented their names in Olympic history after delivering firsts for their respective countries.Dolgopyat, reigning European champion on floor, brought Israel its first and only Olympic medal in gymnastics and the second title overall in any Olympic sport. He ended his floor routine with 14.933 points, matching the score of second-placed Ray Zapata (ESP), but had the advantage thanks to his higher difficulty. Xiao Ruoteng (CHN) claimed bronze."I knew it would be difficult, but I told myself, 'This is my chance to do it, I need to keep going and concentrate.' But it wasn't easy," said Dolgopyat, adding: "I've been dreaming of this since I was six. It is the best gift for my country. It means a whole lot to give Israel its first gold medal in gymnastics."Whilst Derwael’s title on uneven bars isn’t Belgium’s first Olympic medal in gymnastics, it is the first since the 1920 Antwerp Games and the first-ever by a female gymnast as well as the first-ever gold. The two-time European champion and two-time world champion handled the pressure well to finish atop the podium, ahead of Anastasia Iliankova (ROC) and Sunisa Lee (USA)."I'm just incredibly happy. I think I'm still dreaming, and I still need to wake up and begin this day," the 21-year-old said after handing Team Belgium their first gold at Tokyo 2020. "It has been an incredible journey, an incredible day. I will cherish this forever."

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<h2>Whitlock defends title </h2>Max Whitlock keeps adding to his already impressive Olympic resume after defending his title on pommel horse. It is his third Olympic gold and sixth Olympic medal overall. The British star was up first and his score of 15.583 remained unmatched, as he became the first back-to-back Olympic champion on pommel horse since Hungarian gymnast Zoltan Magyar, who achieved the feat in 1976 and 1980. Lee Chih Kai (TPE) came in second and Kaya Kazuma (JPN) claimed third spot.Whitlock was all smiles following his triumph: "It feels incredible to win today, very surreal. I can't quite comprehend what just happened. It's been a whirlwind journey, and I am massively grateful. I never expect medals. I like to go in with the potential to get a title if I go clean and the potential is there. And the build-up, the routine, I couldn't do anything more. I am over the moon to come away with gold."

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European Gymnastics/FIG/Tokyo 2020

For roundups of all European achievements, be sure to visit <a href="https://www.europeangymnastics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">European Gymnastics</a> and relive all the gymnastics action from Tokyo on the <a href="https://live.gymnastics.sport/news.php?idevent=15571" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FIG</a> website. Please also see the <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tokyo 2020</a> website for all official results from the Olympic Games.

Angelina Melnikova vom Russischen Olympischen Komitee turnt am Schwebebalken während des olympischen Team-Finales im Gerätturnen

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50 years after his volunteer assignment at the 1972 Olympic Games, Walter Heiss is returning as a volunteer for the European Championships Munich 2022.

"In life, experiences matter more than money and gold"

Headline

<h2>50 years later - 1972 volunteer back on board for Munich 2022</h2>

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Tuesday, 6 October 2020. The Local Organising Committee of the European Championships Munich 2022 has been in action for almost a year now, planning the biggest sports event since the 1972 Olympic Games. Numerous emails reach the office in Olympiapark, but on this day, one in particular stands out from the crowd. The sender: Walter Heiss."I congratulate the City of Munich on winning the bid to host the European Championship 2022. Since I was assigned as a VIP usher at the Olympic Regatta Course for three weeks in 1972, I hereby apply for a comparable task at this event," it says in the opening lines. Photographs are included as evidence: one from the summer of 1972 and two from the anniversary celebration in 2012. The uniform still fits, he adds."We got in touch and through this email correspondence I also offered to show up again in the original uniform from '72. Of course, I wanted to become a bit more interesting," he recalls.

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He succeeded in doing so. His email sparked enthusiasm and anticipation for the volunteer programme. Seven months before the start of registration, the first volunteer had been found. An impressive personality, too. The industrial engineer is now retired - but, by his own words, spry - and has assured his place in the volunteer team for Munich 2022. His workplace remains the same: the Olympic Regatta Centre in Oberschleißheim. The 1972 Olympic Games have left a legacy not only in terms of their sites. Munich 2022 is a reminiscence and innovative return to the Olympic roots; extraordinary experiences and performances are united under the roof of Olympiapark and create - as the organisers aspire - unforgettable moments of happiness that will be remembered for years to come.

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<h2>From royalty to rowing eight</h2>For Heiss, these very memories and encounters are the inspiration for him to be part of a major multi-sport event again 50 years later. The Prince and Princess of Monaco as well as the entertaining bus rides with the New Zealand rowing eight have particularly stuck in his mind from back then. There is still plenty of room for further experiences."When someone applies to be a volunteer, it's not about material things. Life is made of more than just money and gold, it's made up of so many experiences," the 70-year-old explains. "The older you get, the more you learn to cherish these experiences. They become more and more valuable."In August 2022, Heiss will put on a new uniform and gather new experiences. No doubt he will cut a fine figure again. The photographic proof shall follow.

YouTube-Video

Volunteer-Info

Those interested in joining Heiss can do so by 31 August 2021 and register as a volunteer for the European Championships Munich 2022. All further information on the volunteer roles and registration process can be found <a href="https://www.munich2022.com/en/volunteers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.

Erinnerungsfotos von Walter Heiß, der bereits bei den Olympischen Spielen 1972 als Volunteer dabei war

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50 years after his volunteer assignment at the 1972 Olympic Games, Walter Heiss is returning as a volunteer for the European Championships Munich 2022.

Der Schweizer Lars Forster präsentiert stolz seine Goldmedaille von den Europameisterschaften 2021

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Die Schweizer Beachvolleyballerinnen Joana Heidrich und Anouk Vergé-Dépré freuen sich über Bronze bei den Olympischen Spielen in Tokio

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Das deutsche Doppel Timo Boll und Patrick Franziska während das Tischtennis-Mannschaftsfinales der Olympischen Spiele in Tokio

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Janja Garnbret toppt eine der drei Boulder-Wände auf dem Weg zur olympischen Goldmedaille

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Artem Dolgopyat bei seiner Bodenübung auf dem Weg zur ersten olympischen Goldmedaille im Turnen für Israel