European Gymnastics Championships 2023: Who to watch out for

Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, Becky Downie and Rhys McClenaghaImage source, Getty Images

The 2023 European Gymnastics Championships swing into action this week with several Great Britain stars hoping for medals.

Thirty-nine countries will be represented by 321 gymnasts - 178 men and 143 women - competing for team, all-around and apparatus honours.

The competition, held in Turkey, will run from 11 April until 16 April.

All individual finals will be shown live on BBC2 and the BBC iPlayer.

Here's just some of the gymnasts to look out for.

Jessica Gadirova (GB)

Image source, Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Jessica Gadirova made history at the 2022 World Gymnastics Championships. She won gold on the floor and helped the GB team to its best ever finish in the team event - second - which earned the squad a place in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Her year was topped off by winning the BBC Young Sports personality of the Year in December. 

Jessica will be joined by gymnasts Becky Downie, Alice Kinsella and Ondine Achampong. Her twin sister Jennifer is also a gymnast but won't be competing.

Jake Jarman (GB)

Image source, Getty Images

Three-time Olympic champion Max Whitlock won't be able to compete, but there's plenty of other Team GB male gymnasts to watch out for.

Last year was big for Jake Jarman, who won four golds at the Commonwealth Games, his first major senior championship.

This was followed by two at the European Championships and he finished fifth in his first all-around final at the Gymnastics World Championships.

Now 21, he's one of the more senior members of the GB squad for the championships.

Becky Downie (GB)

Image source, Getty Images

Two-time Olympian Becky Downie, who has two world and seven continental medals, will be another one to watch on the GB team.

She has just recovered from an ankle injury so this will be her first international competition since the World Championships in 2021.

The 31 year old spoke to Newsround when she was 22 back in 2014 with her sister Ellie, who retired from gymnastics earlier this year.

Rhys McClenaghan (Ireland)

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Rhys McClenaghan of Ireland competing during the men's pommel horse final at the 15th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup

Rhys McClenaghan became Ireland's first gymnastics world champion when he won pommel horse gold in Liverpool in 2022.

Rhys, who is from Bangor in Northern Ireland, is looking to get a second European gold at the championships after winning a gold medal back in 2018. .

He also competed for Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning the gold medal on the pommel horse and beating reigning champion Max Whitlock.

The gymnast told the BBC he is constantly updating his routine to improve.

He said: "The competition is like a train that is constantly moving and I need to keep up with it if I want to be the best."

Anna Lashchevska (Ukraine)

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Anna Lashchevska won gold on the uneven bars at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup

As a junior elite gymnast, Anna Lashchevska was the silver medallist on the balance beam at the 2022 European Youth Olympic Festival and junior balance beam champion at the 2022 European Championships.

In her first adult competition at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, the 15 year old won gold for her performance on the uneven bars (two bars set at different heights).

As one of the younger competitors at the championships, she will be one to watch.

Igor Radivilov (Ukraine)

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Igor Radivilov of Ukraine competes during the men's vault final in Doha

Four-time European gold medallist Igor Radivilov was not able to leave Ukraine at first after war broke out in February 2022.

Then at the end of March, plans were made for people from various sports to leave and Igor moved to Germany to carry on training.

The Ukrainian team competes separately because they are so spread out and Igor has added a floor routine to his events because the team has less people in it.

Sabrina Maneca-Voinea (Romania)

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Sabrina Maneca-Voinea of Romania competes during the women's Floor Exercise Final at the 15th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup

Another of the new generation of gymnasts competing in Turkey is Romania's Sabrina Maneca-Voinea.

The three-time junior European medallist was part of the team that won the 2022 European Youth Olympic Festival title. The 16 year old also stunned at the World Cup in Doha, picking up two gold medals for the floor exercises and balance beam.