Debrecen already was the host city of the Individual World Champs 2002 and hosted also the European Championships of sports aerobics in 2003.
13 years ago Hungary organized their last European Championships of artistic gymnastics. In 1992 Hungary´s Zoltan Supola won the title on high bar in Budapest, together with the German Andreas Wecker. This was the last title which was won by a German gymnast at senior European Championships.

Certainly the Romanians will be the top favourites in men´s field this year, especially the all-around titleholder from Ljubljana 2004, Marian Dragulescu.
Four from the all-around top six gymnasts of the last European Championships - without Roman Zozulia (UKR) and bronze medalist Savenkov (BLR) - will start again in Debrecen: Vice-champion Raphael Martinez (ESP), the Greek Vlasios Maras and the Czech Martin Konecny.

So all the medallists of the ECh 2004 in Ljubljana will be present. - with the exception of Zozulia and Savenkov.
Absent too - and this is an important change in the history of the last ten years - are Alexei Nemov and Alexei Bondarenko (RUS) and Ivan Ivankov (BLR). The international competitions of the World Cup Series this spring in Cottbus, Brazil, Ghent and Paris-Bercy enabled some experienced gymnasts to confirm their performances and some "newcomers" to make their first appearance.

What will happen on pommel horse...?
The fight will be tight between title- holder, Ioan Suciu (ROM), the Olympic Games silver medallist Marius Urzica, the Hungarian Krisztian Berki and the Italian Alberto Busnari. Will Urzica win his fifth title...? However, it is already certain that he is the new record holder with his 7th participation at European Championships together with the Italian legend Juri Chechi!

A large favourite on still rings is the Dutchman Yuri Van Gelder. He won all the competitions this spring. He will have to fight against Bulgaria´s Jordan Jovtchev, Alexander Safoshkin (RUS) and Matteo Morandi from Italy.

On parallel bars, in absence of the title holder, Zozulia (UKR), Slovenian Mitja Petkovsek (unhappy last year in his hometown) should have good chances to win the gold medal, like also Johan Mounard from France and Manuel Carballo (ESP).
On high bar will be held a top fight between the title holders, the Greek Vlasios Maras and Slovenia´s Aljaz Pegan and Olympic Champion, Igor Cassina (ITA). It will be a tough competition already during the qualification: E.g. three Spanish gymnasts will compete to qualify for two spots in the final: Manuel Carballo (American Cup winner 2005) , Andreu Vivo (winner in Ghent) and also Victor Cano. Also the young Russian Khorokhodin (RUS) and the Swiss Christoph Schaerer (resp. 2nd and 3rd in Cottbus this year) should not be overlooked on this apparatus.

Women´s competition
For the first time for several years the European Championships will be held without the participation of Svetlana Khorkina, who ended her career after the 2004 Olympic Games.
Like in the men´s competitions, the current European Champion, Ukraine´s Alina Kozich, will not participate. With regard to the individual all-around title the situation is quite open. Even though the chances of Romania´s Catalina Ponor (brilliant on beam and floor) and Daniela Sofronie (2nd in 2004) seem interesting, other girls who are steady in three or four disciplines can also expect the final victory. These could be Patricia Moreno and Tania Gener from Spain, the Russians Elena Zamolodchikova (3rd in 2004) and Anna Pavlova, who is in great shape this spring. Not much can be said about the Ukrainians, who seem to have completely changed their team and were hardly seen in this year´s competitions of the World Cup.

In the apparatus finals, we can doubtlessly expect a fight on uneven bars between Elisabeth Tweddle (GBR, 2nd in 2004), Emilie Lepennec (FRA, Olympic Champion) and the above mentioned Spanish gymnasts.
Romania´s Catalina Ponor (European and Olympic Champion) seems to be the great favourite for the competitions on floor and beam. Outsiders are Isabelle Severino (FRA) and Patricia Moreno (ESP).

After a good start this year, the Romanian gymnast Monica Rosu (2004 European Champion) will not compete on vault due to medical reasons. The two Russian girls, Elena Zamolodchikova and Anna Pavlova, could very well compete for the title.
Source: ueg