News

Interview to Viktoriya Mazur

May 27, 2015 rhythmicgymnasticsinfo

Olympic Ukrainian gymnast Viktoriya Mazur, answers some questions about her sports career. Recently, Viktoriya joined the group – 5 ribbons routine looking forward to compete in Universiade and European Games.

Which is your goal?

My main goal is a place to compete in Olympic Games in Rio 2016

How was your experience in Olympic Games in London?

I was only competing in group. For me it was indeed a incredible experience, I grow up a lot as a gymnast. But I would have loved to compete as an individual gymnast.

What is the difference between an individual gymnast and a group gymnast?

In a group, you have to perform all together, at the same time with your teammates, synchronized. On the other hand, when you are an individual gymnast you have to show the others what you are able to do.

Talk about your old and new routines

This year hoop routine has changed a lot since we didn’t want to reapeat the same style. About ball routine it is for me, the most difficult routine and currently I am still working on it.

What do you think about your coaches?

Both Irina Ivanovna and Albina Nikolayevna are like family to me. My mom lives far from me and she is not related to sport. Irina tries to help me as much as she can before performing, giving me some advice when I feel stressed.

How is the moment before the competition?

For me is very difficult to be mentally ready for the competition, I am often stressed at that moment. My coaches know it and try to help me with that. This year I decided to change in that way, not to be influenced by the atmosphere and trying to calm me down.

What is the difference between All-Around and Finals?

I feel more pressure performing in AA rather than finals. In finals your goal is to reach the podium, so that finals are also more difficult.

What are you doing in your free time?

I always try to do something different: going to the cinema, meeting my friends, listening to music (even before the competitions I love listening music).

Source: UkraineRG

News

Marina Durunda: Ambassador Athlete of Baku European Games 2015

May 26, 2015 rhythmicgymnasticsinfo

Marina Durunda AZE
Photo Copyright Bernd Thierolf

Marina Durunda, senior individual gymnast from Azerbaijan aims to make her nation proud in Baku 2015 European Games. These are the 1st EG in history.

“I love rhythmic gymnastics. I could not imagine myself doing anything else. I started doing gymnastics 13 years ago, when I was 4 years old. At that time, my body was not suitable for sport, as I wasn’t slim and fit enough, but I continued”

Marina is honoured to represent Azerbaijan at the first European Games in Baku and her aim is to win a medal.

“When I heard I had been selected as an ambassador for European Games I was very happy. At the same time, it is a very big responsibility because I am performing for my country, Azerbaijan. I really want the nation to be proud of me. It is an honour to take part in a competition like this. The feeling of the audience cheering me up is amazing. I’ll try to do my best”

Facts

Kudryavtseva is not attending Berlin Grand Prix because of exams

May 26, 2015 rhythmicgymnasticsinfo

Eight-time World Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics, Yana Kudryavtseva, skips Grand Prix Series this week because of her final exams at school. Her aim is to join St. Petersburg University of Physical Education.

At the end of the week, her exams are about Russian Language (28th of May) and Mathematics (1st of June).

“Yana is studying in the morning and training during the evening” – says her coach Elena Karpushenko – “I am afraid she is missing a lot of competitions for the preparation of European Games, but Yana is fit, and trains very hard”

Kudryavtseva skipped for this reason World Cup in Tashkent last week. Her goal is to compete at European games in Baku, in June.

These are the very first “European Games” in history, which are going to be held every 4 years. Rhythmic Gymnastics is scheduled from 17th to 21st of June. On the other hand, Margarita Mamun, Alexandra Soldatova and Veronika Polyakova are attending Berlin Grand Prix this weekend in Germany.

Gymnast of the week

Rebecca Sereda from U.S.A. announces her retirement

May 25, 2015 rhythmicgymnasticsinfo

Six time national U.S.A. champion, announces her retirement from rhythmic gymnastics. Rebecca was dealing for over two years with a serious spine injury. Sereda has been practicing gymnastics for about 13 years being PanAmerican Champion, Junior and Senior national champion and participant in several World Cups.

Unfortunatly I must leave this sport without achieving my ultimate goal of competing at the Olympics and this breaks my heart to pieces. However, when I look back at my career I know I have accomplished so much more than I ever thought imaginable

Becca is very upset with her decision but she tried to do all what she could: visiting doctors all around the country, doing countless procedures to find a solution, but she still was in pain. She wants to be related to the sport, not as an athlete, but as coach or judge.

Letting go of this sport and no longer being able to call myself an athlete makes me very updet but I know if I were to continue my health would decline”

Sereda is very thankful to USA Gymnastics Federation and her RG Club, Isadora. Nowadays US Senior Individual team is: Laura Zeng, Aliya Protto, Cindy Lu and Jasmine Kerber.

News

Interview to Ukrainian Judge, Yuliya Atrushkevich

May 25, 2015 rhythmicgymnasticsinfo

Yuliya Atrushkevich is one of the international judges of Ukraine. Yuliya lives in Odessa, but is often in Kiev helping Irina Deryugina.

– In your opinion, who is the most promising individual gymnast in Ukraine?

– Looking forward the future, I would say our top gymnasts could be Mariya Mulik and Alëna Dyachenko.

–How could you describe Ukrainian leotards?

– Irina Ivanovna (Deryugina) thinks that leotards must be simple, a extravagant leotard distracts. For me, Rizatdinova’s ones are the most beautiful because they have their own style. In my opinion, nowadays leotards are “too much”: different fabrics, glitter, velvet, mesh, sequins… We even have seen this year again, back to 90’s, leotards without skirt (Margarita Mamun, Varvara Filiou).

Anna Rizatdinova wore a new leotard at Los Angeles Lights 2015 Tournament

– What is your opinion about Ukrainian gymnasts choreographies?

– At this moment, my favorite exercise without any doubt is Carmen, performed by Anna Rizatdinova. I would also choose groups exercises and Rizatdinova’s clubs. We will add some new tricks to fill and complete the exercise, but overall, they are very good. Irina Blohina, our choreographer, helps us with dance steps, transitions and music choice’s. Of course we won’t change our choreographer because that means changing the whole team which is ridiculous.

– Who is your favorite gymnast?

– I would say Irina Deryugina, Oksana Skaldina, Aleksandra Timoshenko and Galina Beloglazova. Nowadays, I could not choose between Yana Kudryavtseva or Margarita Mamun. Both are lovely and smiley and i like their relationship with their coaches. Rita and Amina Zaripova seems like two soul in one.

– In addition to Ukrainian team, which gymnasts do you like?

– Salome Pazhava from Georgia, who has really difficult routines, Mariya Mateva from Bulgaria, Varvara Filiou from Greece and Patricia Bezzoubenko from Canada. But of course, my favorite is my whole team!

News

Alina Kabaeva Festival 2015

May 20, 2015 rhythmicgymnasticsinfo

Former Olympic Champion, Alina Kabaeva has recently appeared in public. The reason was that she spent more than 7 hours in a row in her own rhythmic gymnastics festival, called “Alina”. More than 400 gymnasts from all over Russia were invited.

This year, the central theme was about “70 years of Victory”. Famous Russian actors and singers were also invited to perform and even a member of Duma.

“Children are very talented”, said Alina about the gymnasts. Recently, Kabaeva was almost not seen in public, since some months ago.

http://youtu.be/3PKhnGlHPCs

http://youtu.be/OdpXorenaQk

Results

Grand Prix Holon 2015 Results

May 17, 2015 rhythmicgymnasticsinfo

Grand Prix Senior Individual All-Around

Eleonora Romanova (UKR)

Grand Prix Hoop Final

1. Yana Kudryavtseva – 19,050
2. Margarita Mamun Fans – 18,900
3. Neta Rivkin – 18,283
4. Ganna Rizatdinova – 18,200
5. Victoria Veinberg Filanovsky – 17,917
6. Salome Pazhava – 16,617
7. Neviana Vladinova – 16,000
8. Varvara Filiou – 15,233

Grand Prix Ball Final

1. Yana Kudryavtseva – 19,100
2. Aleksandra Soldatova – 18,583
3. Neta Rivkin – 18,433
4. Katsiaryna Halkina – 17,982
5. Victoria Veinberg Filanovsky – 17,850
5. Salome Pazhava – 17,850
7. Ganna Rizatdinova – 17,567
8. Varvara Filiou – 17,167

Grand Prix Clubs Final

1. Yana Kudryavtseva – 19,200
2. Ganna Rizatdinova – 18,400
3. Margarita Mamun – 18,167
4. Katsiaryna Halkina – 18,067
5. Salome Pazhava – 17,983
6. Neta Rivkin 17.433
7. Eleonora Romanova – 17,367
8. Victoria Veinberg Filanovsky – 16,933

Grand Prix Ribbon Final
1. Ganna Rizatdinova – 18,483
2. Aleksandra Soldatova 18,400
3. Margarita Mamun Fans – 18,150
4. Katsiaryna Halkina – 18,117
5. Salome Pazhava – 18,017
6. Victoria Filanovsky – 17,983
7. Neta Rivkin 17.700
8. Jouki Tikkanen – 17,117

Junior All-Around

Information

Information about Berlin Masters Grand Prix 2015

May 10, 2015 rhythmicgymnasticsinfo

Berlin used to be the last stage of Grand Prix Series of the year. But this time, it will be on May, just after Grand Prix in Holon (Israel), where European Championships will take place in 2016.

Participants

ARG – Camila Giorgi
AUT – Nicol Ruprecht
AZE – Marina Durunda
BLR – Melitina Staniouta
BLR – Katsiaryna Halkina
BRA – Angélica Kvieczynski
BUL – Sara Staykova
CAN – Patricia Bezzoubenko
CZE – Monika Mickova
CZE – Anna Sebkova
EGY – Nourhal Khattab
ESP – Carolina Rodriguez
FRA – Kséniya Moustafaeva
GEO – Salome Pazhava
GER – Jana Berezko-Marggrander
GER – Laura Jung
GER – Karin Smirnov
ISR – Neta Rivkin
ISR – Victoria Veinberg-Filanovsky
KAZ – Aliya Assymova
MEX – Karla Diaz
NED – Charlotte Fifis
RUS – Margarita Mamun
RUS – Aleksandra Soldatova
RUS – Veronika Poliakova
USA – Serena Lu
UZB – Elizaveta Nazarenkova