Gymnast Ilteryakova took gold in the hoop exercise at the European Championships

The Russian rhythmic gymnastics team has triumphantly returned to the international arena. At the European Championships, which ended in Bulgaria, our athletes became the best in terms of the number of medals won. Two gold, four silver and three bronze medals — and this was at the first major tournament in five years, where the team performed with a flag and an anthem. And immediately such a success. Thanks to what it was achieved, in a report by Igor Baldin, a correspondent of Izvestia.

For several years, the world forgot about a serious competitor. Here, in Bulgarian Varna, I had to remember about him. Finally, justice has been restored. Now our gymnasts are participating in the European Championships again under the Russian flag.

Everyone here has remembered what Russian gymnastics is. The return to the world stage was bright. We are the first in the number of medals at the European Championships — there are nine of them: two gold, four silver and three bronze. The audience chanted, applauded, and even shouted to be heard.

The championship is over. And we can safely talk about the success of the Russian national team. Our gymnasts returned confidently and brightly to the world podium under the Russian anthem and flag.

It's a busy day — finals, the individual program of our seniors. Spectacular performance by Sofia Ilteryakova with a hoop, coach Natalia Glemba. Filigree precision and not a single blemish.

It's gold! The Russian national anthem sounded.

Sofia's brilliant performance with the ball brought another medal — already a bronze one — to the piggy bank of our national team.

"I even started crying a little bit. It was an incredible emotion that after so many years we returned to the international arena with a flag and an anthem," said Sofia Ilteryakova, European champion in rhythmic gymnastics in the hoop exercise.

Unique work with maces, incendiary dance, incredible energy. That's all — Maria Borisova, who is coached by Irina Gusarova. The athlete rises to the podium — a well-deserved silver.

The audience also watched Maria Borisova's passionate bolero with bated breath. The bronze is another medal from the star of Russian gymnastics.

"We are all already fighting for our flag, for our country, and, of course, this gives us more strength," said Maria Borisova, silver medalist at the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in the mace exercise.

Maria Borisova trains at Alina Kabayeva's Heavenly Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy. The legendary Olympic champion practiced programs and complex elements with her and other athletes. This happens before every competition — and, of course, it was like this before the European Championships. Attention to every detail and every movement.

Incredible synchronicity and precision of the group team. She's very young. But she has already won the Russian championship, which opened the way for the athletes to join the main national team and enter the international arena.

Silver in the group all-around. The mentor is Anna Ustsova.

"We took the European Championship very seriously, we prepared hard. We were worried, of course, whether everything would work out, but the result that we have now is very worthy," said Anna Ustsova, coach of the group exercises team, coach of the Heavenly Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy.

The performance of our team of group exercises with hoops and clubs was beautiful and challenging. The result is another silver.

"Thank you very much to everyone who supported us. The stands were full. We've seen it all. And it is a great joy for us that they are rooting for us," said Alina Proschalykina, silver medalist of the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships final in group exercises with hoop and clubs.

In the team competition — bronze. For the first time in five years, we performed abroad under our own flag — and immediately took third place.

The difficult, proven work of our gymnasts impressed everyone, even the strongest competitors.

"I believe that the level of Russian gymnastics is very high, and your girls, as always, are beautiful," says Yulia Raskina—Rizo, coach of the European rhythmic gymnastics champion Daria Varfolomeev.

Our juniors performed triumphantly in Varna. Yana Zaikina, who won gold, and Ksenia Savinova, who won silver, are coached by Evgenia Eliseeva. Olympic champion Alina Kabayeva trained them at the Heavenly Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy.

The successful performance of our gymnasts guarantees the Russian national team a place at the World Championships. There are dozens of names behind this triumph, and the work of a large team — coaches, doctors, and psychologists. These are the ones who also made victory possible.

The triumph of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team at the European championships, and serious work lies ahead — preparing for the World Championships in Germany.

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Yana Zaikina won gold at the European Championships in ribbon exercises on May 28. During the competition, the gymnast conquered everyone with her complex technical exercise, which she prepared together with coach Evgenia Eliseeva. The champion said she was very happy for her country and for the fact that for the first time in a long time athletes heard their anthem at the tournament.