“She rocked”: German gymnasts really scored well at the European Championships

Created: 08/16/2022, 1:40 p.m

By: Gunter Klein

The spectators in the Olympic Hall were offered a lot.

© Sven Beyrich

Bronze as an accelerator for double gold: The Germans rock the Olympic Hall at the European Gymnastics Championships.

In the end it got really emotional.

Munich – three gold, one bronze.

Okay, officially two gold medals and a third place for the gymnasts at their European Championships.

But a champion of hearts was also chosen: after the last of the four award ceremonies in the apparatus finals, everyone was supposed to stay in the sold-out Olympic Hall – to say goodbye to Kim Bui.

The 33-year-old from Tübingen stepped onto the podium with the German flag, a film was shown about her career, and then she went on the big lap of honor.

She cried.

As before after her uneven bars exercise that ended her career.

It wasn't enough for a medal (fifth place), but she had won one the day before.

Bronze with the team, something that had never happened before at a European Championship.

For Kim Bui it was about the emotions, about a last conscious experience of what had accompanied her for 29 years: gymnastics.

"I'll miss it."

She shone no less brightly when the two friends, who were even stronger in sport on Sunday, ensured a historic success and showed how different paths lead to a big title.

Elisabeth Seitz, 29, became European champion on uneven bars.

“In 2009 I was accepted into the national team.

I had many fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth places.” Internationally something to win – “I often dreamed of that, but it never happened”.

Emma Malewski, who is just 18 and was at a European Championship for the first time, went much faster.

"She rocked," said Kim Bui when she saw Malewski perform on the balance beam.

A sofa was set up in the middle of the hall, on which the three leaders had to follow the rest of the competition.

"I still had so much energy in me, I was shaking, but so were the others - they were young too," said Malewski.

Then it was official: gold for her too.

The spectators in the Olympic Hall were offered a lot.

© Sven Beyrich

Certainly, team bronze enabled the sensation on the individual devices.

National coach Gerben Viersma gave a nice insight into how coaching is done in his sport and how spontaneous decisions are sometimes made and “match plans” thrown overboard.

The Dutchman kept an eye on the scores of Hungary and France and decided that the final apparatus, the jump, was a risk to be taken.

He instructed Sarah Voss, who had previously fallen off the podium on the floor and lost points, to add a second twist to her jump.

Voss: "We went all in."

It was the jump of her life, with a bound calf, a risk she had reduced the intensity of the training.

You could see what can happen the day after at the apparatus finals: Two injuries on the vaulting table, one when dismounting from the uneven bars.

Bulgarian Valentina Georgieva was taken out of the hall on a stretcher and an IV after landing while jumping.

Elisabeth Seitz had to bring herself to "turn her back there, I normally go there".

Her competition was still to come.

Elli Seitz is a particularly sensitive person who has tears in his eyes when she thinks that she now has to train in Stuttgart without Kim Bui.

Kim then cries too, they press their heads together.

"It was great that I was in a final with Elli again," said Kim Bui.

It was her turn first, Seitz was happy to be able to watch Kim's last lecture in peace.

She herself was the last of the eight final gymnasts.

"Definitely a medal," Kim Bui knew when Seitz landed safely: "I know Elli's exercise inside out, all the sticking points."

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The spectators in the Olympic Hall were offered a lot.

© Sven Beyrich

Leaving aside Pauline Schäfer-Betz (fifth on beam), who disagreed with her assessment, it was the happiest day of German women's gymnastics in modern times.

In the Olympic Hall there was an atmosphere like in a football stadium, successful elements were celebrated like goals.

"Everything came together at the right time," summed up national coach Gerben Viersma.

Perhaps these inclusive qualifications will remain a one-off for three days.

Ohnehin wird es anders sein ohne Kim Bui, die Seele des Teams. „Ich bin nicht aus der Welt“, sagt die studierte Biologin, „ich werde Elli im Training besuchen kommen und habe noch einige Projekte im Turnen.“ Eines verriet sie: „Im März wird meine Biografie erscheinen.“ München 2022 als letztes Kapitel wird nicht zu toppen sein.