One of the top gymnasts from Ukraine in the last years, Vlada Nikolchenko, is back after suffering from health problems. The decision was determined last weekend by Irina Deriugina after the control training of the Ukrainian Rhythmic Gymnastics Team.
Vlada was recovering from COVID-19 consequences that made the gymnast stop training for a few weeks. It was quite clear that Khrystina Pohranychna and Viktoriia Onopriienko were the ones selected for representing Ukraine at Europeans, but it was a last time minute decision including Vlada in this competition.
Vlada Nikolchenko (UKR)
Team Ukraine for European Championships 2021 in Varna, Bulgaria are:
The International Gymnastics Federation confirmed after the conclusion of World Cup Series the participants for Olympic Games. Ekaterina Vedeneeva (Serbia) and Sabina Tashkenbaeva (Uzbekistan) are qualified via the World Cup Series. Their spot is a nominative quota. Japan, has got also a non-nominative spot.
There is still place for an European, Asian, Oceanian and American gymnasts, which are yet to decide. Africa already confirmed the gymnast qualified via African Championships, Habiba Marzouk from Egypt. The Olympic Committe already released that Marcia Alves Lopes from Cape Verde should go to Olympic Games.
Salome Pazhava (GEO)
The countries that already qualified for the Olympics Games, regarding Individual Senior Gymnasts are:
Russia with two spots. They will compete as “Russian Olympic Committee”.
Israel with two spots.
Bulgaria with two spots.
Ukraine with two spots.
Italy with two spots.
United Stated with two spots.
Belarys with two spots.
Azerbaijan one spot.
Japan with two spots.
Ekaterina Vedeeneva from Serbia.
Sabina Tashkenbaeva from Uzbekistan.
Habiba Marzouk from Egypt.
At the moment, only six places are open:
One from Europe
One from Oceania
One from Asia
One from America
Reallocated spot from host country.
Tripartite invitation place
The spot from the host country at the moment goes from Salome Pazhava (GEO) and, the one from Tripartire invitation rolls to Marcia Alves Lopes from Cape Verde.
Stiliana Nikolova is a promising rhythmic gymnasts from Bulgaria. She is the current 2020 European Junior champion with ribbon and silver medalist with ball. This year, she is already competing in senior level, looking forward to qualify for Tokyo Olympic Games.
When did you start doing rhythmic gymnastics?.
My mother is a coach, so I grow up in the gym. I was always playing around with apparatus and looking to the other girls as they were stars. My mum is my inspiration and I would like to be like her. She is twice world European Champion.. I started doing gymnastics at four years old.
How do you calm down before competitions?
I get really nervous before competitions, but I need to manage all this stress. I even cry before competitions. I try to open to myself but sometimes it doesn’t work.
My mother was twice European Champion and World Champion
Which is your favorite apparatus?
I like all my routines, but my favorite one is clubs, especially my clubs 2021 exercise.
Do you like the current code of points in rhythmic gymnastics?
Not really, if I could do it, I’ll change all those throwing and catching. I would rather prefer to have more artistic and body difficulty. I feel like we are in the circus right now. I would also add more rhythmic steps.
Is your family living with you?
I was born in Cairo, Egypt, and my family is living over there. I have a lot of friends from Egypt and even if they are not living in Bulgaria, I feel that they close to me.
Stiliana Nikolova at Kiev European Championships 2020
Ukrainian senior group member, Valeriya Yuzvyak (21 y.o.) was recently diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer. This type of sarcoma made up of cells that normally develop into skeletal (voluntary) muscles. For the last weeks, she was not training and the fans started to be suspectful of this situation. Yesterday, she confirmed what was happening. Valeriya needs an urgent and expensive treatment in Germany.
“To be honest, I write and my hands are shaking … I was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. I know that there are many kind and sensitive people among you, so I want to ask you for financial help, as the amount is really very large. Thank you very much in advance. I love you all very much. Be healthy. “
Valeryia Yuzvyak
DONATIONS:
▶️ 5363542015389795 UAH
▶️ 5363542015389787 EUR
Valeriya Yuzvyak
Bank Name: Privatbank
Account Holder Name: Yuzyak Valeriya
IBAN: UA633052990000026202898581190
SWIFT Code: PBANUA2X
Adress: UKRAINE, Kyiv, 1D Hrushevskoho str.
PayPal: vynogradna@gmail.com
Российская карта Тинькофф: 5536 9139 1788 2702, получатель Наталья А.
Achievements:
2016 Olympics: reserve team.
At the 2020 European Championships in Kyiv: gold at Team Competition
2020 European Championships, European Champion in 5 balls with Senior Group
2020 European Championships: Bronze in the group exercise. all-around. As a result, the national team of Ukraine won a gold medal in the team championship.
Yuzviak also won two silver medals in the team competitions at the 2018 European Championships in Guadalajara and a bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup in Sofia.
Here you can find some of the top exercises of 2020, in some cases there are included two exercises of the same gymnasts. Choose your favorites before February 1st!
Four-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics, Alexandra Soldatova announces retirement. She still wants to be linked to gymnastics, but not in a competitive way, because as she said, Rhythmic gymnastics is my life, my love, my passion. will never go anywhere from my life. She confirmed this information on December 24th.
The last time she gave an interview, to Russia Today she talked about her long-lasting battle with an eating disorder. She recognised that she needed help against anxiety, that was caused by a rigorous weight control. This issue has seriously damaged her mental and physical health.
“I officially announce the end of my sports career. It was a wonderful journey of 16 years. Now I remember only good things, because the other simply cannot be. I have nothing to regret and nothing to be sad about – I have achieved what I could not even dream of in childhood. “
Soldatova was one of the gymnasts most beloved by the audience. She has lots of fanclubs all around the world. “Thanks to my fans all over the world. You have always been my support and motivation. I performed for you! I ask you not to be sad, but to be happy for me and wish me luck in my new life stage!”.
She really appreciates her relationship with her former coach, Anna Dyachenko (Shumilova). The path was not easy. Soldatova injured her leg two years ago and missed the European Championships. The doctors confirmed that she had a fracture.
Anna Dyachenko and Aleksandra Soldatova
“Special thanks to my personal coach, Anna Dyachenko”
Soldatova is a very taleted gymnasts and she realized about this since she started doing rhythmic gymnastics. Her inner flexibility and her charisma made her unique.
When I started doing gymnastics I didn’t know Kabaeva, Kanaeva… I just liked gymnastics and that’s why I focused on it. I even wasn’t interested in Olympic Games or World Championships.
The third international tournament ended with the triumph of Russian Team. It was a great option to all teams that do not want to risk the health of their children and their coaches, but still want to compete. Each new edition there are more and more participating countries, both in number and in composition. One of the strongest gymnast from Bulgaria, Katrin Taseva, took part in this tournament and took third place in the all-around competition. Ekaterina Selezneva is increasing her physical shape since she was ill and still recovering. Daria Trubnikova and Diana Simoshina are in the same situation, that’s why they didn’t compete in the 3rd International Online Tournament. On the other hand, Sofia Agafonova, was diagnosed with a stress fracture.
Daria Trubnikova (RUS)
Sofia could, of course, perform on painkillers, but we did not risk it, because the girl is still a junior. Therefore, we decided not to risk her health. “
Irina Viner Usmanova said
Anastasiya Guzenkova tested positive in COVID and she spent 14 days in isolation. She was tested three times, hoping the first one was false positive. So it was with Simakova. But every time she had a positive result. Although outwardly she was absolutely healthy. Therefore, I just sat at home in quarantine, now everything is fine.
Unfortunately, Covid indirectly greatly influenced, of course. We have never had so many injuries.
Explained by Irina Viner Usmanova
Anastasiya Guzenkova
What is your opinion about the Senior Russian Team?
This is an established team, they are a mountain for each other, they understand each other perfectly, they are very motivated, they are very good children. But, unfortunately, their program leaves much to be desired in terms of difficulty. However, they are ready. Some have been ill with covid, some were injured, because they still have an adult program. We made it easier precisely so that they could do it in the composition in which they are now. They performed pretty well. But yesterday, by the way, their coaches wrote to me that they would not be responsible for their performance. Because their training was not compatible, first of all, with injuries. I made a decision that they will still perform, because they have been preparing so much … Otherwise, it would not be right. And it could hit their nerves so that they would take a very long time to recover. We talked and decided that they would perform.
What is your opinion about the Italian and Bulgarian Team?
Italians, like us and refused to participate in the European Championship. The Bulgarians did not go with the group exercise either. A girl in Bulgaria immediately after Kiev fell ill, the judges fell ill, other children in different countries fell ill. I refused in July, I understood everything. They gathered everyone and even asked if they could take gymnasts from one team and move them to another team. Everything is possibe!
Ekaterina Selezneva (RUS)
An International Tournament, “Moscow Cup” will be held on December 17th. Some gymnasts will perform once again except for Arina and Dina. And the group will also perform. In February, if everything goes well, the Grand Prix of Moscow will be online.
Full Results of 3rd International Online Tournament
Irina Viner-Usmanova, president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, received the Prize of Russia prize in the “Coach of the Year” in Russia at a ceremony held by the Russian Ministry of Sports. The National Sports Award was founded by the government of the Russian Federation in 2010.
The winners are awarded with this title of laureate win a prize of 1 million rubles. Eleven people were nominated for this award. Team Russia did participate in the 2020 European Championships. European Championships of Kiev was not a part of the Olympic Qualification Proccess. Russia was already qualified.
The 3rd INTERNATIONAL ONLINE RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS TOURNAMENT is a competition through livestream that will be for senior and junior individuals and both senior and junior groups. The countries that will take part in this competition are SUI, UZB, RUS, ITA BUL, SRB, FRA, LAT and FIN.
Some of the most popular gymnasts of the world are confirmed for this tournament such as Dina Averina, Arina Averina, Ekaterina Selezneva, Katrin Taseva, Milena Baldassarri and Alexandra Agiurgiuculese among others. Boryana Kaleyn finally withdrawn from the competition because of temperature.
Rhythmic Gymnastics Info 