Melnikova Rules Zagreb

Angelina Melnikova © Pinterest

Angelina Melnikova added another major title to her career on Thursday, 13 August, winning the women’s individual all-around at the 2026 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Zagreb.

The reigning world all-around champion delivered a strong performance across all four apparatuses to finish with 55.932 points. The result confirmed her status as one of the leading figures in women’s artistic gymnastics and added a European all-around crown to her growing list of international achievements.

A Strong Performance Across Four Events

Melnikova’s victory came after five subdivisions of competition, with the all-around standings also determining qualification for the individual apparatus finals.

Her consistency proved decisive. In an all-around competition, athletes cannot afford major mistakes on any single apparatus. The winner must combine difficulty, execution and composure across vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.

Melnikova managed that balance and finished ahead of her World Gymnastics team-mate Anna Kalmykova.

Kalmykova Takes Silver

Kalmykova claimed the silver medal with a total of 54.632 points, giving World Gymnastics 2 a first-and-second finish in the all-around.

The result highlighted the depth of the team and gave Kalmykova an important European medal on a major international stage.

With the team competition still ahead, the strong performances in the all-around also provided momentum for the rest of the championships.

Colas Makes a European Debut to Remember

France’s Elena Colas, competing at the European Championships for the first time, completed the podium with 53.966 points.

At just 16 years old, Colas showed impressive consistency throughout the competition. She scored 13.266 on floor, 13.600 on vault, 13.800 on uneven bars and 13.300 on beam.

Her performance could have produced an even higher result, as a mistake involving her toes on the uneven bars cost her valuable points. Nevertheless, the teenager held her composure and secured a bronze medal in her continental championship debut.

The result marked an important milestone in what could become a significant senior career for the young French gymnast.

Qualification for the World Championships

The championships in Zagreb also carried important consequences beyond the European medals.

Italy finished second in the team qualification and, along with the other top-eight nations, secured qualification for the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam.

Great Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium also finished among the top eight. Ukraine, Switzerland, Romania, Sweden and World Gymnastics 1 completed the teams qualifying for the World Championships.

For the athletes and teams involved, Zagreb was therefore not only about winning European medals but also about securing an opportunity to compete on the world stage later in the season.

Esposito Chooses Individual Events

The reigning two-time European all-around champion, Manila Esposito of Italy, did not compete in the all-around this year and therefore did not defend her title.

However, she remained a major contender in the individual apparatus events. Esposito qualified first for the balance beam final and also reached the floor exercise final.

Her decision opened the door for a new European all-around champion, and Melnikova took full advantage of the opportunity.

A New Chapter for Melnikova

Melnikova’s Zagreb victory adds another significant achievement to a career already filled with major international success.

After becoming world all-around champion, she arrived at the European Championships with considerable expectations. Winning the title demonstrates that she can maintain her level across different competitions and continue to perform under pressure.

The championship is far from over, with apparatus finals and the team final still to come. But the opening day has already produced a clear message: Angelina Melnikova remains one of the strongest all-around gymnasts in the world.

Source: article on olympics.com By Jo Gunston August 14, 2026.

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By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer