Express & Star

Joe Fraser strikes gold again on super Sunday at European Championships

Joe Fraser and Britain’s gymnasts warned they are ready to ‘do some more damage’ after winning a stunning team gold at the European Championships.

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Birmingham star Fraser joined forces with Jake Jarman, James Hall, Giarnni Regini-Moran and Courtney Tulloch to deliver a dazzling display and beat Italy and Turkey in Munich.

Three-time Commonwealth champion Fraser, 23, became Britain’s first male gymnast to claim an all-around European crown on Thursday and continued his remarkable season in the team event.

The same team also grabbed glory in Birmingham and believe they’ve laid down a major marker ahead of today’s individual events and October’s World Championships in Liverpool.

Hall, who competes on the high bar today, said: “This is a strong team, so obviously we can do some more damage.

“These guys are like brothers and my family.

“This is one of the best experiences of my life – to finally get this highly-coveted European gold and share it with these guys is amazing.”

Tulloch, who has qualified for today’s rings and vault finals, added: “We’ve sent a message to the rest of the world.

“We’ve got the World Championships in Liverpool coming up – we’re going to do incredibly and I can’t wait for it.”

Fraser said: “I like to think this is just the beginning – it’s really exciting and fills me with joy and excitement.

“I just want to get back to the gym, see what we can do to improve and challenge on that world stage.”

Britain racked up a total team score of 254.295 after Jarman, who propelled himself into the spotlight with four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, held his nerve on the high bar to clinch victory.

The team will now turn their attention to today’s individual apparatus events, with Fraser competing on the pommel horse and parallel bars and Jarman flying the British flag on the bars.

Regini-Moran has qualified for all three of the floor, vault and parallel bars events as Britain bid to bag more major glory on the big stage.

Fraser has enjoyed an astonishing season after soaring to those three Commonwealth titles just five weeks after rupturing his appendix and three since fracturing his foot.

And he’s continued the momentum in style this week by winning a history-making European all-around gold and now prestigious team event title.

The West Midlands star added: “The main thing that’s kept me going is the team.

“When I doubted myself, they believed in me, and that’s what kept me going through those hard days and those tough days.

“Stood here right now as team European champions makes all those hard times worth it.

“We really pulled together and I think it showcased there in the gym.”

The multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, featuring Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Rowing, Sport Climbing, takes place 11th-21st August on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the German city. Watch daily live coverage across BBC One, Two, Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website