Shining faces, glittering medals and bright prospects: in the midst of a smouldering scandal surrounding allegations of abuse, five teenage girls have ensured unprecedented success for German women's gymnastics at the home European Championships in Leipzig. Young star Helen Kevric, Karina Schönmaier, Janoah Müller, Silja Stöhr and Lea Marie Quaas celebrated the silver medal in the team competition.
The quintet, whose average age is just 17.8 years old, thus trumped bronze at the 2022 championships in Munich - the first ever European Championship medal in the women's team all-around competition. "I really have goosebumps all over my body, I'm still shaking and still have a gut feeling, everything is fluttering," said Karina Schönmaier.
The Chemnitz native, who like her club colleague Quaas is 19 years old, also drew a comparison with the previous home European Championships. "When I look back, they came third in Munich. Now we're a very young team and we've come second. That makes me very proud," said the team captain.
