European Open 2019: Germany dominates team competitions

In best weather this morning, the first medals in the team competition were awarded. Germany wins two gold medals and remains only in the medium category without any of the round metal plates. Also two medals could take the neighboring France. However, there was no golden under it. One silver in the Large team competition and bronze in the Small category. Other nations that have already received a medal after the first three decisions are Spain, the Czech Republic and the Russian-Estonian-Latvian mix.

At the very first decision in the morning, there was already a silver medal for the sensational host from Netherland. They only had to defeat the Germans. This medal was a delight of the many spectators on site. Marta Miil, Keida Raamat, Svetlana Kreslina and Ekaterina Terekhova came in third behind the Dutch runners Marissa Figee, Patrick Slokkers, Natasja Ebben and Anouk Herijgers. The medals flow there for Estonia, Russia and Latvia in the rating. The defending champions from Slovenia got in the final three mistakes and one disqualification. This reached in the end only for the 8th place.

Team Small (full results)
  Tobias Wüst, Lizandra Ströhle, Maik Brands, Bozena Schröder
  Marissa Figee, Patrick Slokkers, Natasja Ebben, Anouk Herijgers
   Marta Miil, Ekaterina Terekhova, Keida Raamat, Svetlana Kreslina

A similar mixteam won also in the Medium category a medal. There, Svetlana Kreslina was again part of the team and part of the silver medal. Angelina Katutis and Svetlana Tumanova were at her side. They only had to defeat the usual strong Czech medium team around Jitka Hrdinova, Katerina Malackova, Aneta Obrusnikova and Martina Magnoli Klimesova. The medal win is even more gratifying for the latter, as she announced on Friday to refrain from the individual competition and that the team final was the last joint run at a European Open with her dog Kiki. The third-placed from France, with Maelle Desmery, Benjamin Maitre, Cedric Bargoin and Mickael Renaud would have had the better time, but also one more fault.

Team Medium (full results)
  Jitka Hrdinova, Katerina Malackova, Martina Magnoli Klimesova, Aneta Obrusnikova
  Angelina Katutis, Angelina Katutis, Svetlana Tumanova, Svetlana Kreslina
 Maelle Desmery, Benjamin Maitre, Cedric Bargoin, Mickael Renaud

Except for Germany in the Large competition, no team was able to defend the title from the previous year. Even though Nicole Münker, Anna Hinze, Christian Prinz and Jana Kniest have four other names in the first place, there is gold for Germany again this year. No team remained in the final under two mistakes. Germany won thanks to the better time with almost two seconds ahead of France with Sebastien Venat, Synthia Perrier, Gregory Bielle Bidalot and Sebastien Allerme. Just 0.17 seconds behind France are the omnipresent Spaniards around Alejandro Aguado Serrano, Alberto Costas Gonzales, Fernando Saez Jimeno, Oscar Muniz Martinez. Spain have achieved quite strong results trough the whole weekend and have still some hopes in the individual competition.

Team Large (full results)
 Nicole Münker, Anna Hinze, Christian Prinz, Jana Kniest
 Sebastien Venat, Synthia Perrier, Gregory Bielle Bidalot, Sebastien Allerme
Alejandro Aguado Serrano, Alberto Costas Gonzales, Fernando Saez Jimeno, Oscar Muniz Martinez