At the European Gymnastics Championships held in Varna, Romanian gymnast Andrea Verdes performed her routine to music from the Soviet TV series *Seventeen Moments of Spring*. Her routine, set to "Song of the Distant Motherland," earned her 26.050 points, but this was not enough to place her in the top 10 of the all-around competition.
The competition took place from May 27 to 31, 2026. During the championship, Ukrainian gymnasts staged a protest by covering their faces and wearing headphones while the national anthems of Russia and Belarus were played at the junior women’s awards ceremony.
Ukrainian Varvara Chubarova won a bronze medal in the ball exercise, while Belarusian Kira Babkevich took gold. Sofia Krainska won silver in the ribbon final, finishing behind Russian Yana Zaikina.
The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation announced the launch of a global campaign in memory of war victims. They are calling on sports federations and athletes from around the world to join the movement by taking photos or videos with their eyes or ears covered. For videos, it is recommended to use the sound of a Ukrainian air raid siren. This initiative aims to draw attention to the realities in which athletes train. The campaign’s main hashtags are #CloseYourEyesAndEars and #RememberUkraine.
