European Championships: Medals for Ellie Downie & Courtney Tulloch
- Published
Britain's Ellie Downie followed up her all-around gold medal with a silver in the vault and a bronze in the uneven bars at the European Championships.
Courtney Tulloch, 21, won Britain's first major international rings medal with silver at the event in Romania.
Olympic champion Eleftherios Petrounias claimed gold, 0.367 ahead of Tulloch.
Ellie's older sister Becky Downie, 25, was unable to defend her uneven bars title as she fell during her routine and is out of Sunday's beam final.
Having got his hands on one major medal, rings specialist Tulloch was already turning his attention to the World Championships in Montreal, Canada, in October.
"I felt really confident out there - I don't look at anyone else and fear them," he told BBC Sport.
"[Petrounias] did an amazing routine but I know I can catch him - I've got skills to add to my routine so I know I can beat him and I can't wait to go to the World Championships and we can have another battle.
"Great Britain isn't really known for the rings but I want to keep improving that and hopefully some younger gymnasts can follow in my footsteps and we can become a great nation on rings."
Tulloch's silver adds to an impressive championships for a largely inexperienced British men's team, which contains none of the competitors from the Rio Olympics, following James Hall's all-around bronze on Friday.
He scored 15.066 to move into second with only one athlete remaining and held on to silver place as Turkey's Ibrahim Colak could only finish fifth, with Ukraine's Igor Radivilov claiming bronze.
Ellie Downie became the first British gymnast to win all-around gold at a major international championship on Friday and claimed her third medals in as many finals, with bronze in the bars.
She ended tied for third alongside Eli Seitz after sister Becky, the last gymnast to go, abandoned her routine after falling and hurting her right elbow. Belgium's Nina Derwael won gold and Russia's Elena Eremina took the silver.
"I mainly just felt gutted for her - she worked so hard and the won I bronze is for her and me," Ellie told BBC Sport.
"The bars bronze was just so unexpected and if Becky had gone through her routine I'm sure she would've knocked me into fourth."
Britain's Claudia Fragapane will take Becky Downie's place in the beam final, while Ellie will compete in both the beam and floor finals on Sunday.
A statement from British Gymnastics said Becky Downie will be assessed by their medical team when she returns to the UK.
Earlier on Saturday, Downie produced two solid vaults to lead with an average of 14.350, only to be pipped by the final competitor, Coline Devillard of France, with Hungary's Boglarka Devai in third.
"I was really happy with the vault - I was in first until the last girl and she full deserved it," Downie added.
"Her vaults were definitely tidier than mine so I was happy to let her have that title."
- Published21 April 2017
- Published20 April 2017
- Published20 April 2017