Switzerland did not sign an exploit on Sunday in the team competition of the men’s European championships in Rimini, finishing in 8th and last place in the final. The Aargau native Noe Seifert (25 years old) had won the bronze medal on the parallel bars the day before.
ATS
Brilliant 4th in qualifying with a total of 249.194 points, Seifert, Christian Baumann, Taha Serhani, Luca and Matteo Giubellini accumulated 245.359 points on Sunday afternoon. The Swiss quintet has no (too many) regrets to have, given that they had to exceed 252 points to get on the podium.
However, the 5th place obtained during the 2023 Worlds in Antwerp, synonymous with the Olympic ticket, had raised serious hopes for these continental games. Especially since four gymnasts present in Belgium – Seifert, Baumann, Serhani and Luca Giubellini – were also there in Rimini.
The qualifying performance had reinforced confidence in the Swiss camp: a medal seemed very possible. But hope quickly vanished, Seifert and Luca Giubellini falling on pommel horse. Crippling missteps in a final where no result was crossed out, unlike the qualifications.
The title went to Ukraine (255.762 points), which narrowly beat Great Britain (255.429). Italy took bronze with 252.260 points, while Turkey failed at the foot of the stage with 248.029 points.
A first for Seifert
Eighth in the all-around at the 2023 Worlds in Antwerp, Noe Seifert won his first podium at a major international event on Saturday. The Aargau native was credited with 14.833 points in the parallel bars final, despite a slight hesitation at the exit. His choice to err on the side of caution paid off, with several medal candidates falling after taking more risks.
Shortly after receiving his medal, Noe Seifert competed in the final on the high bar where he came close to the podium despite an exercise that was far from perfect: 4th with 14.266 points, he fell just 0.1 points short of bronze. Another Aargau resident, Luca Giubellini, competed in the vault final on Saturday. He had to settle for 8th place, falling on his second jump.
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