The 11th TeamGym European Championships were held in Maribor, Slovenia, from 12 to 15 October 2016. Fourteen nations took part.
The competition
Qualifications for seniors and juniors were held on the first days, and the finals at the end of the week. Defending champion Denmark led the junior qualification. In the senior qualification the leading places were divided between Sweden, Iceland and Denmark.
In the finals the senior titles went to the teams of Denmark and Sweden, and the junior titles to Denmark and Iceland. Nordic countries have dominated TeamGym since the European Championships began, and Maribor 2016 followed that pattern.
What TeamGym is
TeamGym is a team discipline with three apparatus: floor, tumbling and trampette. Teams of six to twelve gymnasts compete in women’s, men’s and mixed categories. The floor routine is a group choreography, while tumbling and trampette are performed in rounds, with several gymnasts in each round.
Why the Nordic countries lead
– TeamGym grew out of club gymnastics in Scandinavia, where it is a mass sport. – Large club bases produce deep teams, which matters in a discipline where six gymnasts count in every round.
Related
See the 2018 TeamGym Europeans in Odivelas and our TeamGym page.
