Great Britain failed to defend their team title at the Women's European Artistic Gymnastics Championships as they settled for the silver medal on the final day of action in Rimini.
GB edged out Italy to clinch the continental title in 2023, when all-around British champion Ondine Achampong and five-time European gold medallist Jessica Gadirova were part of the troupe alongside Alice Kinsella, Georgia-Mae Fenton and Becky Downie.
However, with the influential pair both absent from the 2024 Championships owing to serious knee injuries, the Brits were over two marks down on their score from last year, totalling 162.162 after four pieces of apparatus.
Home nation Italy finished exactly two marks higher than the Brits to be crowned European champions, while France were down in the bronze medal position with 158.796 on the board.
GB came through their opening vault and uneven bars rotations without any major errors, but while mounting the beam, Fenton counted a fall, thereby receiving a one-point execution deduction.
Kinsella, Ruby Evans and Abigail Martin all impressed on the floor during GB's closing performance, though, and the Brits head home from a worthwhile week in Italy with three medals to boast about.
The team silver succeeds Kinsella's all-around bronze and Fenton's third-placed finish in the uneven bars final, and it is now all systems go for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the artistic gymnastics takes place from July 27 to August 5.
Ben Knapton
