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With Olympic gold in reach, German superstar Fabian Hambüchen told IG he has decided to skip the upcoming men's European championships to train for the London Games this summer.
Hambüchen, who has struggled with injuries the past three years, will forgo the continental competition, taking place May 23-27 in Montpellier, France. He won the all-around title at the 2009 European Championships in Milan and helped Germany win the team title at the 2010 Europeans in Birmingham.
"I'm skipping Europeans to have a better and longer preparation for the Olympics," he told IG Wednesday.
Since his victory on parallel bars at the 2002 Junior Europeans, Hambüchen has led a revival of the German's men program. He has won 11 European championship medals (six gold) and seven world medals, including back-to-back all-around medals in 2006 (bronze) and 2007 (silver). He was the world champion on high bar in 2007, but came away from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with only a bronze on high bar.
Hambüchen has suffered a series of frustrating injuries over the past few years. In early 2009, he underwent finger surgery for an injury suffered in Beijing. That fall he was forced to withdraw from the world championships after rupturing a ligament in his ankle in podium training. He contributed four events to Germany's team bronze at the 2010 Worlds, then suffered a torn Achilles' tendon in early 2011.
Now training a spectacular 7.7-Difficulty routine on high bar (click for video), the 24-year-old Hambüchen wants to stay healthy in order to peak this summer in London.
"I will miss competing at Europeans, but it's just for my own safety," he said. "The Olympics are so important to me."
Two-time world all-around runner-up Philipp Boy, the 2011 European all-around champion, headlines the German squad in Montpellier. This year's event will follow the 2010 format, with senior team and apparatus titles up for grabs and team, all-around and apparatus titles for juniors.
Russia — which missed the 2010 Europeans because of the Icelandic volcano that interrupted air travel — is favored to regain the title it last won in 2008. The Russians took fourth behind China, Japan and the U.S. at the 2011 Worlds. (Russia will be without the services of 2010 national all-around champion Dmitry Barkalov, who is making his international debut for Belarus in Montpellier.)
"I think the German team is really strong this year, but it will be very difficult to defend the title," Hambüchen said. "In 2010 we had been a little bit lucky that Russia couldn't compete there because of the volcano."
The unforgiving three-up, three-count format of team finals means several countries can challenge for the title. Great Britain (second in 2010) and France (third in 2010) are both missing key gymnasts, however; British star Daniel Keatings is suffering from an ankle injury while French world champion Thomas Bouhail suffered a broken leg and torn knee ligaments in December.
"It will be a big fight between Russia, Great Britain, France and Germany for the title this year, but Germany has a good chance if they hit all their routines!" Hambüchen said.
External Link: Official Website
2012 Men's European Gymnastics Championships Roster
May 23-27, Montpellier, France
| Senior Competitors |
| Vahagn Davtyan |
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| Artur Dvtyan |
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| Harutyn Merdinyan |
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| Vahagn Stepanyan |
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| Vahan Vardanyan |
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| Marco Baldauf |
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| Xheni Dyrmishi |
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| Lukas Kranzlmüller |
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| Fabian Leimlehner |
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| Matthias Schwab |
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| Shakir Shikaliyev |
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| Thomas Neuteleers |
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| Kristof Schroe |
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| Jonas Toeback |
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| Donna-Donny Truyens |
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| Jimmy Verbaeys |
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| Dmitry Barkalov |
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| Pavel Bulavsky |
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| Dmitry Kasperovich |
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| Andrei Likhovitsky |
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| Alexander Tsarevich |
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| Emil Hristov |
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| Hristos Marinov |
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| Emil Stoimenov |
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| Velislav Valchev |
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| Yaroslav Vovk |
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| Marko Brez |
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| Tomislav Markovic |
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| Marijo Moznik |
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| Robert Seligman |
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| Filip Ude |
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| Irodotos Georgallas |
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| Georgios Georgiou |
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| Jiri Bomer |
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| Martin Konecny |
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| Joao Marcus Fuglsig |
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| Mathias Lee Hansen |
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| Mikkel Sondergaard |
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| Helge Vammen |
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| Joachim Winther |
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| Nestor Abad |
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| Javier Gómez |
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| Fabián González |
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| Rubén López |
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| Sergio Muñoz |
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| Kasper Holopainen |
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| Juho Kanerva |
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| Jouko Koskinen |
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| Heikki Niva |
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| Tomi Tuuha |
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| Samir Ait Said |
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| Yann Cucherat |
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| Gael Da Silva |
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| Hamilton Sabot |
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| Cyril Tommasone |
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| Ruslan Panteleymonov |
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| Daniel Purvis |
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| Louis Smith |
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| Kristian Thomas |
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| Max Whitlock |
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| Shalva Dalakishvili |
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| Mikheil Kharabadze |
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| Nodar Lionidze |
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| Paata Nozadze |
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| Philipp Boy |
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| Sebastian Krimmer |
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| Marcel Nguyen |
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| Thomas Taranu |
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| Andreas Toba |
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| Eleftherios Kosmidis |
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| Vlasios Maras |
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| Dimitrios Markousis |
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| Eleftherios Petrounias |
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| Vasileios Tsolakidis |
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| Adam Babos |
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| Krisztian Berki |
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| Vid Hidvegi |
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| Attila Racz |
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| Attila Vlacsil |
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| Kieran Behan |
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| Luke Carson |
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| Christopher O'Connor |
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| Rohan Sebastian |
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| Andrew Smith |
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| Felix Aronovich |
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| Alexander Shatilov |
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| Andrea Cingolani |
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| Matteo Morandi |
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| Paolo Ottavi |
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| Paolo Principi |
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| Lorenzo Ticchi |
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| Vitalijs Kardasovs |
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| Dmitrijs Trefilovs |
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| Raimundas Burinskas |
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| Vladislav Esaulov |
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| Evgenij Izmodenov |
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| Sascha Palgen |
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| Oliver Waldbillig |
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| Kevin Crovetto |
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| Bart Deurloo |
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| Anthony van Assche |
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| Yuri van Gelder |
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| Jeffrey Wammes |
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| Epke Zonderland |
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| Haakon Andreassen |
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| Marcus Conradi |
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| Lars Jorgen Fjeld |
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| Joachim Hanche-Olsen |
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| Stian Skjerahaug |
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| Lukasz Borkowski |
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| Adam Kierzkowski |
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| Roman Kulesza |
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| Marek Lyszczarz |
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| Adam Rzepa |
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| Luis Araujo |
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| Manuel Campos |
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| Bernardo Loy Da Graca |
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| Ricardo Martins |
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| Gustavo Simoes |
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| Cristian Bataga |
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| Marius Berbecar |
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| Ovidiu Buidoso |
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| Vlad Cotuna |
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| Flavius Koczi |
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| Denis Ablyazin |
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| Alexander Balandin |
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| David Belyavsky |
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| Emin Garibov |
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| Anton Golotsutskov |
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| Sašo Bertoncelj |
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| Žiga Britovšek |
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| Alen Dimic |
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| Rok Klavora |
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| Mitja Petkovšek |
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| Pablo Brägger |
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| Pascal Bucher |
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| Claudio Capelli |
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| Nils Haller |
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| Oliver Hegi |
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| Samuel Piasecky |
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| Semih Akdogan |
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| Ferhat Arican |
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| Coskun Boncuk |
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| Umit Samiloglu |
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| Ozgur Sanli |
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| Nikolai Kuksenkov |
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| Vitaly Nakonechny |
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| Igor Radivilov |
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| Oleg Stepko |
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| Oleg Vernyayev |
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| Junior Competitors |
| Vigen Khachatryan |
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| Aram Movsisyan |
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| Armen Petrosyan |
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| Florian Braitsch |
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| Dirk Kathan |
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| Daniel Kopeinik |
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| Severin Kranzlmüller |
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| Johannes Mairoser |
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| Maxime Gentges |
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| Daan Kenis |
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| Florian Landuyt |
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| Bram Louwije |
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| Jonathan Vrolix |
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| Uladzislau Karpuk |
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| Mikita Kavaliou |
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| Aliaksei Kushneryk |
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| Artsiom Tsiareshka |
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| Dzmitry Zayats |
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| Yordan Aleksandrov |
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| Martin Angelov |
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| Dragomir Peyev |
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| Vladimir Tushev |
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| Veliko Tushev |
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| Andrei Korosteljev |
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| Anton Kovacevic |
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| Leonardo Kusan |
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| Renato Prpic |
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| Tin Srbic |
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| Kallinikos Kallis |
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| Michalis Krasias |
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| Charalampos Melanarkitis |
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| Christos Soleas |
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| Ondrej Janeczko |
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| David Kardos |
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| Daniel Radovesnicky |
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| Jakub Samsa |
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| Radomir Sliz |
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| Radek Smekal |
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| Martin Taftl |
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| Jacob Buus |
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| Mathias Christiansen |
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| Marcus Frandsen |
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| Mathias Johansen |
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| Stig Kjeldsen |
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| Roberto Alvarez |
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| Javier Hinojosa |
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| Andres Martin |
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| Julian Perez |
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| Borja Torregrosa |
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| Nico Jakovleva |
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| Olli Kanerva |
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| Aaro Lamberg |
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| Heikki Saarenketo |
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| Milo Siivonen |
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| Edgar Boulet |
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| Remi Clerc |
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| Paul Degouy |
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| Stephen Micholet |
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| Oanthony Randrianasol |
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| Frank Baines |
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| Brinn Bevan |
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| Gaius Thompson |
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| Courtney Tulloch |
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| Nile Wilson |
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| Mike Hindermann |
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| Tim Leibiger |
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| Felix Pohl |
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| Lukas Schlotterer |
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| Daniel Weinert |
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| Matzint Michail Al Zubeydi |
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| Nikolaos Kranitis |
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| Vasileios Tantalidis |
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| Antonios Tantalidis |
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| Georgios Votsis |
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| Norbert Dudas |
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| Botond Kardos |
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| Laszlo Makra |
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| Bank Selmeczi |
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| Levente Vagner |
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| Adam Dalton |
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| Daniel Fox |
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| Shane Lyndon |
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| Jack Neil |
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| Luke Pearce |
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| Eythor Baldursson |
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| Valgard Reinhardsson |
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| Sigurdur Sigurdarson |
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| Tom Arnon |
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| Artem Dolgopyat |
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| Eyal Glazer |
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| Yair Hilel Shechter |
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| Moran Yanuka |
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| Nicola Bartolini |
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| Simone Bresolin |
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| Filippo Landini |
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| Andrea Russo |
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| Michele Sanvito |
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| Germans Buculis |
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| Aleksejs Pajada |
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| Viaceslav Chanin |
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| Tomas Kuzmickas |
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| Ernestas Liaskinas |
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| Robert Tvorogal |
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| Karl Kosztka |
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| Frank Rijken |
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| Casimir Schmidt |
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| Kaz Willer |
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| Justen Zuidema |
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| Arian Bedzeti-Olsen |
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| Pietro Giachino |
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| Odin Kalvo |
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| Torry Andreasse Larsen |
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| Oliver Frostad Udbye |
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| Patryk Rabstajn |
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| Bernardo Almeida |
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| Vasco Barata |
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| Tiago Barbosa |
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| Pedro Dourado |
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| Rafael Sá |
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| Emanuel Badila |
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| Andrei Groza |
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| Adrian Popa |
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| Daniel Radeanu |
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| Andrei Savu |
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| Vladislav Polyashov |
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| Kirill Prokopev |
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| Sergei Stepanov |
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| Ivan Stretovich |
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| Grigory Zyryanov |
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| Luka Kisek |
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| Peter Lampret |
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| Matic Pecan |
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| Miha Smigoc |
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| Jure Weingerl |
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| Bojan Dejanovic |
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| Dusan Djordjevic |
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| Gavrilo Ilic |
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| Bozidar Marovic |
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| Petar Velickovic |
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| Christian Baumann |
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| Henji Mboyo |
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| Taha Serhani |
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| Marco Walter |
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| Eddy Yusof |
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| Eduard Marcak |
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| Ivan Vargovsky |
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| Arsalan Chenarakipoor |
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| Carl Green |
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| Oskar Kirmes |
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| Christopher Soos |
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| Michael Trane |
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| Abdulkadir Bas |
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| Ibrahim Colak |
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| Yunus Emre Gundogdu |
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| Ahmet Onder |
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| Hamza Samil Yilmaz |
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| Volodymyr Grybuk |
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| Vladyslav Kotsyuban |
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| Ruslan Kulakhizov |
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| Illya Yegorov |
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| Eduard Yermakov |
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