Nazar Chepurnyi has written his name into the history of Ukrainian artistic gymnastics by becoming the winner of the 2026 European Championships in the vault. The competition was held in Zagreb, and the Ukrainian was the only member of the national team to qualify for the individual finals of the tournament. In the decisive performance on the apparatus, Chepurnyi competed last among the eight finalists and, after executing two vaults, scored a final total of 14.566 points. This score allowed him to edge out all his rivals and claim the top spot on the podium. The silver medal in this discipline was won by Russian gymnast Alexei Ushakov.
The road to his first individual European "gold"
For the 27-year-old Chepurnyi, this victory marked his first individual gold medal at the European Championships in his career. At the qualification stage he finished second with a score of 14.466 points, trailing only Armenian gymnast Artur Davtyan. However, in the final the Ukrainian managed to add a full 0.1 point and dominate the apparatus convincingly. Prior to this, his medal tally included bronze medals at the 2024 and 2025 European Championships, bronze medals at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships, as well as a team "gold" at the 2024 European Championships. Thus, Chepurnyi finally overcame the psychological barrier and achieved his main individual goal at the continental level.
Parallel bars final: a showdown with a former teammate
Chepurnyi's competitive schedule at the 2026 European Championships is not yet over. Ahead of him is the parallel bars final, where he faces a particularly emotional showdown. Among the main contenders for the medals will be Ilya Kovtun — his former teammate on the Ukrainian national team, who is competing at this tournament under the flag of Croatia. This clash between two gymnasts who once trained and competed on the same team adds extra drama to the bars final and makes it one of the most anticipated events of the tournament.
The context of Ukraine's performance at Euro-2026
Chepurnyi's performance in Zagreb became the main achievement of the Ukrainian delegation at the 2026 European Championships. The fact that he was the only gymnast from Ukraine to advance to the individual finals underscores both his individual superiority and the tough competitive environment of the tournament. Moreover, his success in the vault — a discipline he considers his specialty — confirms his status as one of the strongest on the continent. Ahead are the parallel bars, where Chepurnyi will once again fight for medals, and the showdown with Kovtun may become one of the most memorable episodes of the European Championships.
