BLÁTHNAID HIGGINS’ ROUTE to the European Gymnastics Championships has been about finding a way to make two demanding ambitions fit together. While fellow Galwegian and Ireland team-mate Emma Slevin has lately – and very successfully – embraced the American collegiate system, Higgins has chosen to build her gymnastics career around her studies here. “Like, you can’t do gymnastics forever, so I’m really happy that I’ve been able to balance both and have something I can fall back on after I’m finished competing.” But gymnastics remains a significant part of her life, and the European Championships in Zagreb offer another opportunity to showcase what she can do. Higgins knows that competitions become easier to manage with every appearance, and she is determined not to repeat the mistakes of earlier years.