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Beresch leaves Russians behind to take European gold.

by Sabra Awlad Issa, May 28 2000

    Ukraine's Aleksander Beresch showed Europe this week that he is the man of the all-around competition at the moment. Beresch overcame last year's European champion Aleksei Bondarenko and public favourite Aleksei Nemov to take the European title for the first time in his career.

    Dispite the solid performance of Beresch, the tournament was dominated by dissappointement when the Russian top competitors failed to win a single medal in the all-around competition and Bondarenko was the only one to win a medal in the finals. He won two bronze medals at the floor exercise and the pommel horse.

    Russia came to this tournament without current World Champion Nikolai Kryukov, who is still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. After a dissappointing all-around, hopes where set on Bondarenko and Nemov to bring home gold in the finals.

    Nemov's start couldn't be any worser when he fell on his favourite exercise, the floor. He ended up 8th, continued with the pommel horse where he made a 6th place. As expected he then withdrew from the tournament, stating he was ill.

    As much as the Russians dissappointed, Romania impressed. The topped the medal table, winning three golden, one silver and one bronze medal.

    Starting with a silver medal in the team competition and a bronze medal for Marian Dragulescu in the all-around, the Romanian men continued with three golden medals of the six apparatus: Dragulescu winning the floor, Mariua Urzica winning the pommel horse and Ioan Suciu - a last minute replacement for Nemov - winning the vault.   

    Greece's Dimosthenis Tambakos took the rings title with an impressive performance, while Mitja Petkovsek won the parallel bars with an original program as ever.

    New crowned European champion Aleksander Beresch, eventually added another medal to his collection when he won his favourite event, the high bar. Beresch convinced the jury when he did a second Kovack right after another.

    About his future in gymnastics and his view on the Olympics he said:

"I don’t like to talk about the Olympics or my chances yet. We will see in Sydney.

"After that I will decide about my future. I might continue in gymnastics or quit, it all depends on the outcome of the Olympic competition."