Grand Prix Marbella (Spain)- Postponed Official Communication by Organizers:

Dear Friends:

In the last few days some countries don’t allow their sportsmen and sportswoman travel to other countries due to COVID-19 health problema. Italy, Bulgaria, Russia and Georgia were the first who cancelled their participation.

The situation in the city and surroundings is estable, anyways the organization decided to postpone Grand Prix Marbella 2020.

The Organizing Committee deeply regrets this last minute cancellation.

Arina Averina (RUS) at Grand Prix Marbella 2019

Grand Prix Thiais (France)- Cancelled- Official Press Communication by Organizers:

Dear friends,

The situation of the Coronavirus virus – COVID 19 in France leads the Organizing Committee to cancel the 34th edition of the Internationaux de Thiais scheduled for next March 28 and 29, in view of the risks that this could cause the foreign delegations taking part and the public many who attend the event.

Dina Averina (RUS) at Grand Prix Thiais 2019

Several delegations have already canceled their participation in the Brno Grand Prix scheduled for this weekend as well as in the Marbella Grand Prix scheduled for next week. They will do the same for the Grand Prix de Thiais.

Our disappointment is great and that of the gymnasts and their staff and the public will be even greater as we can imagine.

However, we cannot – in the absence of certainty as to the continuation in stage 2 of the epidemic by March 28 – to maintain the competition.

Ekaterina Selezneva (RUS) at Grand Prix Thiais 2019

Stage 3 during which the virus circulates and is transmissible on the whole territory, could be set up in the short term and thus oblige us to cancel the competition a few days before and thus penalize both the delegations and the public who would have bought their tickets.

Beyond the city of Thiais alone, spectators today come from all over the metropolis and even from abroad.

For spectators who have already bought their place, a reimbursement procedure will be put in place by the organizing committee. All information will be present on the site http://www.grandprixthiais.fr and on social networks as soon as possible.

The Organizing Committee deeply regrets this case of force majeure and renounces only forced and forced. He hopes that everyone will understand the position taken and see you all in March 2021

With our best regards.

Grand Prix Deriugina Cup – Kiev- Postponed

Ukrainian Rhythmic Gymnastics National Team coach, Ireesha Blohina confirms that Grand Prix Kiev will be postponed.

Vlada Nikolchenko and Ireesha Blohina (UKR)

Russian rhythmic gymnastics star, Aleksandra Soldatova revealed two days ago she was suffering from an eating disorder: bulimia. Just a few days before she talked to Tass Press Agency, Russian yellow press confirmed that Aleksandra tried to commit suicide and she was admited into a psychiatric ward at a hospital in Moscow. Hours later, her coach Anna Dyachenko published on her Instagram account a video of Sasha, saying that she was at the hospital because she had an accident with a knife during breakfast, rejecting all press declarations. Sasha appeared for a Gala Show at Grand Prix in Moscow this weekend.

However, this recent reports led Soldatova to open up on her battle with bulimia for at least, two years, that has constantly affected her. She confirmed she told to her coaches that she was suffering from this disease in summer of 2018. Anna Dyachenko, her coach, talked to her for up to three hours.

“Every time when I faced the choice: sport or my health, I chose sport.”

She could compete at the European Championships in 2019, getting good results. After this, she was admitted to the hospital again for a month.

“But after training, everything got worse again and Irina Viner said that I should first fully recover, feel more confident about myself”

The alarms lighted up when in September of last year, Soldatova lost consciousness at a World Cup event in Portugal, leading to her being left out of the Russian team for that month’s World Championships. She confirmed that she ate alone and went everywhere alone, ignoring what was going on with her while her health condition was getting worse.

“My life was divided between my battle with the illness and this beautiful sport.”

Soldatova said she is taking a career break and not in a rush with her treatment, acknowledging that “professional sports and bulimia are not compatible, especially when you need to prepare for the Olympic Games.”

Source: Tass Agency