Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Saturday congratulated Illia Kovtun on winning gold on the parallel bars at the European Gymnastics Championships in Zagreb.
Jandroković praised Kovtun’s performance, noting that the victory came just days after he won gold in the all-around in his first major international competition representing Croatia.
He said Kovtun’s achievements were particularly significant because they came in front of a home crowd in Zagreb, which had warmly welcomed him in his first competition under the Croatian flag.
Jandroković also congratulated Kovtun’s coaching team and everyone who had supported him, wishing him continued health and success in his career.
Kovtun, who won the all-around title last Wednesday, confirmed on Saturday his status as favourite on the on the parallel bars, having also posted the highest qualifying score.
He improved his routine in the final, earning a difficulty score of 5.8 and 8.8 for execution, plus a 0.1 bonus for his stuck dismount.
The 23-year-old claimed his third European parallel bars title, following victories in Antalya in 2023 and Rimini in 2024, when he represented Ukraine. He also has European silver from Munich 2022 and Olympic silver from Paris.