Gymnast Ksenia Savinova became the champion of the Russian championship in the all-around

The future of Russian rhythmic gymnastics has been decided these days in Kazan, where the Russian Junior Women's Championship was held. The results pave the way to the national team and international competitions. The program of each participant is extremely complex. Alina Kabayeva, a pupil of the Heavenly Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy, triumphantly emerged from this ordeal.

Kazan knows how to interest guests: majestic towers, ancient facades, recognizable silhouettes.

"While tourists are exploring the Kremlin, the city is filled with sports excitement: athletes from all over the country came to the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics championships. This is where it will be decided who gets into the national team," said Izvestia correspondent Linar Ginatullin.

This is the start for the strongest juniors in the country. Everyone strives to prove their level and gain a foothold among the best.

"We will test the strongest 10-12 gymnasts in international competitions and will decide based on the results of these competitions and the Russian championship who will represent our country at the European Junior Championships," said Tatyana Sergayeva, head coach of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team.

And so that everyone is on an equal footing, before going to the carpet, they check not only the readiness of the gymnasts, but also the subjects. There are strict parameters for each one.

"The hoop is weighed on them, it has a certain weight, which is minimal. He may weigh more, but he shouldn't weigh less," said Sofya Dolgova, the competition judge and Master of Sports in rhythmic gymnastics.

The favorite of the championship is Ksenia Savinova. Under the guidance of Evgenia Eliseeva and Olga Minigalina, she trains at Alina Kabayeva's Heavenly Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy. The Olympic champion herself supports her and helps her prepare, even from a distance. She becomes an absolute champion and wins gold in all individual sports, but the victory is given in a stubborn competition. The gap with another gymnast Evgenia Eliseeva, Yana Zaikina, is minimal.

"I set myself the task to really have the first and second number of the country in juniors. Because I really want to represent our country at the international level," says Evgenia Eliseeva, coach of Alina Kabayeva's Heavenly Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy.

Eva Chevtaeva closes the top three in the all-around. Her program includes unusual "tricks" that are immediately remembered by the audience. But so far, for some, the championship is a struggle for a podium, for others it is a chance to express themselves and be noticed.

"Yes, I am a seasoned Russian girl."

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"The best of the best are here. And even entering the top 100 is already cool. Someone dreams of getting into 24. 24 gymnasts are already part of the national team, the Russian youth national team," said Honored Coach of Russia Anna Shumilova.

Not only those who have passed the selection have the opportunity to enter this carpet. According to the quota of the International Association "Heavenly Grace", gymnasts who did not qualify for the competition after the qualifying stages, but showed themselves well at other competitions, perform.

"Endless gratitude to the association and, of course, to Alina Maratovna, who gives children the opportunity to prove themselves," said Ekaterina Vedeneeva, bronze medalist at the World and European Championships, participant of the Olympic Games in 2020 and 2024.

"When one gymnast performs, the responsibility is solely on her. In group exercises, every step, every element requires complete harmony of the whole five, and at the same time you need to keep a high pace not for a minute and a half, as in individual exercises, but for two and a half," says Ginatullin.

And, of course, the image is very important. Bright swimsuits with lemons or in the style of "Formula 1", there are also quite restrained jumpsuits without unnecessary details.

This is the first major start for the junior team of the Heavenly Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy of Alina Kabayeva. Under the guidance of Anna Ustsova and Daria Pirogova, the girls have already shown that they can compete with more experienced competitors and deserve places on the podium.

In the all—around, the pupils of the Heavenly Grace Academy won gold in the group matches, the second was from the Omsk region, and the third was from the Nizhny Novgorod Region. At the same time, the athletes of the Academy won the highest awards in individual sports, becoming absolute champions of the championship, as did Ksenia Savinova. All the participants showed character and skill, and their performances proved once again that the future of rhythmic gymnastics is already here.

The international rhythmic gymnastics tournament, the Marbella Grand Prix, ended in Spain on March 23. Maria Borisova, a pupil of Alina Kabayeva's Heavenly Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy, won two medals at these competitions, and she is among the leaders of the Russian national team.

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