No Italian athlete has won the women's all-around medal since Vanessa Ferrari in 2007, a year after taking the world all-around title.

Ferrari, who earned Olympic floor exercise silver last year aged 30, was unable to compete at the second multi-sport European Championships because of injury.

D’Amato, 19, who was a member of the team that won historic bronze in the 2019 World Championships and won world silver in the vault last year, totalled 54.732 points to earn victory over Britain’s Alice Kinsella, who totalled 54.132.

Kinsella, 21, who won European balance beam gold in 2019, arrived in the Bavarian capital on the crest of a wave having helped England to earn a hugely well appreciated team gold at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and claiming individual floor exercise gold.

D’Amato’s compatriot, Martina Maggio, earned bronze in 53.965 ahead of France’s Carolann Heduit, who scored 53.699.

Ferrari meanwhile was full of praise for the exploits of her younger compatriots. "

Italian gymnastics is constantly developing, the new generations are growing, and the movement is getting better and better," she said.

Artistic gymnastics was one of five sports to get underway on day one of the event that embraces nine sports and runs until August 21.

In BMX freestyle, France’s defending champion Anthony Jeanjean kept his nerve immediately after Britain’s Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Declan Brooks crashed out of contention.

The 24-year-old from Beziers concentrated his resources to go through to tomorrow’s final at the Olympiapark in top spot with 89.00 points.

Two other Britons, Shaun Gornall and Kieran Reilly, did proceed, however, and will have a shout at medals.

Home riders Rebecca Gruhn, Kim Müller and Lara Lessmann all reached tomorrow’s women’s freestyle final, which will comprise of eight riders.

European champion Nikita Ducarroz of Switzerland and Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington of Great Britain also through the qualifications, with the former posting an average score of 82.30, while the Brit had an average of 81.00.

In track cycling, the German women pleased an enthusiastic home crowd at Messe München as they topped qualifying in both in the team sprint and the team pursuit events.

In sport climbing, Germany's Yannick Flohé led off the men’s boulder competition and impressed before finishing seventh to book his place in the semi-finals.

Manuel Cornu of France finished in first place, with Austria's Nicolai Unzik, who only recovered from COVID-19 last week, placing second.

Women’s lead qualification was topped, inevitably, by Slovenia’s Tokyo 2020 champion Janja Garnbret, who led compatriot Mia Krampl, Jessica Pilz of Austria and Manon Hily of France.

German single sculler Oliver Zeidler took his first rowing strokes on the waters of the Olympic Regatta Centre six years ago.

He has arrived at the European Rowing Championships as reigning champion, intent on winning on the same water where his grandfather Hans-Johann Färber won Olympic gold 50 years ago.

Despite a poor start, Zeidler won his heat of the men's single sculls this morning to progress to tomorrow’s semi-finals.

Earlier, Croatian brothers Martin and Valent Sinković won their heat of the men's double sculls.

The brothers were Olympic champions in this boat class at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games before switching to the men's pair, and winning the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last year.

Now they're back in their preferred boat class and are enjoying the experience.