Guadalajara in central Spain hosted the 34th European Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics at the turn of May and June 2018. Spain has a long rhythmic tradition, particularly in group work, and the home audience was one of the most engaged of the cycle.
The even-year programme
The rhythmic European Championships rotate categories. The 2018 programme put senior groups in the spotlight, with individual competitions running alongside them. Groups of five gymnasts perform two routines, one with a single type of apparatus and one mixing two types, and the exchanges between gymnasts are where most of the difficulty and most of the risk sit.
Why group work is special
In a group routine, five gymnasts throw apparatus across the floor to one another while moving in formation. A single mistimed throw affects several gymnasts at once, so groups train together for years and often live and study together. Spain, Bulgaria, Italy and Russia all had strong group traditions in this period, and group finals at a European Championships are usually decided by small execution margins.
A mid-cycle check
Halfway between Rio and Tokyo, the 2018 championships told federations how their new routines were landing with judges. Groups often change one of their two routines between seasons, so a European final can be the last outing for a composition before it is replaced.
Watching tips
- Count the exchanges in a group routine; the best groups pack them into the music without the choreography looking hurried. - Notice how the gymnasts catch apparatus without looking, a hallmark of the risk elements in this code. - Listen to the music edits; rhythmic routines are scored partly on how closely movement follows the music.
Related
Read our rhythmic apparatus guide and the archive page for the 2019 Baku championships.
