Great Britain clinched their first senior gold medal of the 29th Trampoline European Championships as the women's tumbling team topped the field in Guimaraes.
The team comprising 2022 world champion Comfort Yeates, 2021 world champion Megan Kealy and the up-and-coming Naana Oppon scored 14 points from 15 on offer to storm to the crown.
With one gymnast from each of the five nations competing in three separate rotations, countries were awarded points ranging from one to five based on their overall judges score in their routine.
Oppon and Kealy both finished top of their respective rotations to win five points for GB, while Yeates's tally of four was enough to see her nation comfortably hold off the threat of France, whose 10 points sufficed for silver.
Belgium and host nation Portugal were tied on eight points, but the former's overall higher scores from the judges saw them earn the bronze medal, while Greece amassed just five points to finish fifth.
"I'm so happy we have come out as European Champions. You have to have a completely different mindset for the team competition, and it really feels like we put in our all today," former world champion Yeates told British Gymnastics.
Megan and Comfort both smash their tumble passes! Their incredible talent plus Naana's epic score takes GB to the top of the table 🥇
— British Gymnastics (@BritGymnastics) April 5, 2024
The girls are EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONS! ✨✨✨✨#TRA2024 pic.twitter.com/cJiBy3CY0v
The women's trio were one of four senior GB teams gunning for continental titles on Friday, and the men's tumbling team clinched a respectable silver in their competition.
Kristof Willerton, William Cowen - who will retire from the sport after the Euros - and Jaydon Paddock combined for a total of 12 points to place second behind Azerbaijan, led by reigning world champion Mikhail Malkin, whose huge score of 30.200 was the highest of the day.
"I'm so proud of the boys, it's great to have achieved European silver with this group, especially for Will's last competition," Paddock said. "The team competition is always really tense as there's so many good tumblers from the other countries. But I wouldn't have it any other way, you never know who is going to take the top 3 spots and that makes it exciting to be a part of."
GB's third and final medal of the day arrived in the women's double mini team event, as Kirsty Way, Ruth Shevelan and Molly McKenna also earned 12 points to finish one shy of gold medallists Portugal.
The men's double mini team of Ethan Cunnigham, Daniel Berridge and Omo Aikeremiokha missed out on a podium finish, though, totalling seven points to end up in fourth behind Germany (nine), Portugal (12) and Spain (13).
Ben Knapton
