Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon or rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordinated. Rhythmic gymnastics is governed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), which first recognized it as a sport in 1963. It became an Olympic sport in 1984, with an individual all-around event. The group all-around competition was added to the Olympics in 1996. At the international level, rhythmic gymnastics is a women-only sport. The most prestigious competitions, besides the Olympic Games, are the World Championships, World Games, European Championships, European Games, the World Cup Series and the Grand Prix Series. Gymnasts are judged on their artistry, execution of skills, and difficulty of skills, for which they gain points. They perform leaps, balances, and rotations along with handling the apparatus.
VI World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held from 15 November to 18 November 1973 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
1981 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held in Munich, West Germany on October 17 – 20th 1981.
1985 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held in Valladolid, Spain on October 10–13, 1985.
The Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships are the world championships for the sport of rhythmic gymnastics. The tournament is promoted and organized by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). It is one of the three tournaments in rhythmic gymnastics officially organized by FIG, as well as the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup and the gymnastics competitions at the Olympic Games. The first edition of the World Championships was held in 1963, a time when the sport was known as modern gymnastics. The current program of the World Championships contemplates both individual and group performances. In even non-Olympic years and the year before the Olympics, a team event is also contested. Two events are not competed at the World Championships anymore: individual rope and free hands.
The Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup is a competition for rhythmic gymnastics sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). It is one of the few tournaments in rhythmic gymnastics officially organized by FIG, as well as the World Championships, the gymnastics competitions at the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympics, and the rhythmic gymnastics events at the World Games. The World Cup series should not be confused with the Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix series, which is neither officially organized nor promoted by FIG.
FIG World Cup refers to a number of events organized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) across seven competitive gymnastics disciplines: 1) acrobatic gymnastics, 2) aerobic gymnastics, 3) men's artistic gymnastics, 4) women's artistic gymnastics, 5) women's rhythmic gymnastics, 6) trampoline and tumbling, and 7) parkour.
Kelly Garrison-Funderburk, formerly known as Kelly Garrison-Steves, is a retired American artistic gymnast. An elite gymnast for eight years, she represented the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. In addition to her Olympic experience, she participated in the 1983, 1985 and 1987 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She was a two-time winner of the Honda Sports Award.
The Pan American Gymnastics Union organizes Pan American Gymnastics Championships in different disciplines of gymnastics: men's and women's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, as well as aerobic gymnastics. The Pan American Gymnastics Championships are considered by the International Gymnastics Federation to be the official continental championships for the Americas. Pan American Championships have also been organized for the sport of aesthetic group gymnastics.
The 2012 FIG World Cup circuit in Rhythmic Gymnastics includes one category A event (Sofia) and six category B events. Apart from Corbeil-Essonnes, all events include both, individual and group competitions, with all-around competitions serving as qualifications for the finals by apparatus.
The 2011 FIG World Cup circuit in Rhythmic Gymnastics includes one category A event (Sofia) and nine category B events. With stopovers in North America, Europe and Asia, the competitions took place on January 29–30 in Montreal (CAN), March 25–27 in Pesaro (ITA), April 15–17 in Kalamata (GRE), April 23–24 in Nizhny Novgorod (RUS), April 28 – May 1 in Portimão (POR), May 6–8 in Kyiv (UKR), May 13–15 in Corbeil-Essonnes (FRA), August 20–21 in Sofia (BUL), August 26–27 in Tel-Aviv (ISR) and September 5–7 in Tashkent (UZB). Two events were open to individual athletes, two were open to groups and six were open to both individual athletes and groups. In all of the events, all-around competitions served as qualifications for the finals by apparatus. The world ranking points collected by the competitors at their best four World Cup events added up to a total, and the top scorers in each event were crowned winners of the overall series at the final event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The 1983 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup was the first edition of the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup, held from April 15 to April 17 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The competition was officially organized by the International Gymnastics Federation and followed the steps of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, first held in 1975.
The 2010 FIG World Cup circuit in Rhythmic Gymnastics includes six category A events and two category B events. With stopovers in North America and Europe, the competitions took place on January 30–31 in Montreal (CAN), March 6–7 in Debrecem (HUN), March 11–14 in Portimão (POR), March 26–28 in Kalamata (GRE), April 3–4 in Saint Petersburg (RUS), May 7–9 in Corbeil-Essonnes (FRA), May 21–23 in Minsk (BLR) and August 27–29 in Pesaro (ITA). Two events were open only to individual athletes, while six were open to both individual athletes and groups. In all of the events, all-around competitions served as qualifications for the finals by apparatus. The world ranking points collected by the competitors at their best four World Cup events added up to a total, and the top scorers in each event were crowned winners of the overall series at the final event in Pesaro, Italy.
The 2009 FIG World Cup circuit in Rhythmic Gymnastics includes six category A events and two category B events. With stopovers in Europe only, the competitions took place on March 6–8 in Budapest (HUN), April 4–5 in Saint Petersburg (RUS), April 16–19 in Portimão (POR), April 25–26 in Maribor (SLO), April 30 – May 2 in Pesaro (ITA), May 8–10 in Corbeil-Essonnes (FRA), August 15–17 in Kyiv (UKR) and August 21–23 in Minsk (BLR). Two events were open only to individual athletes, while six were open to both individual athletes and groups. In all of the events, all-around competitions served as qualifications for the finals by apparatus. The world ranking points collected by the competitors at their best four World Cup events added up to a total, and the top scorers in each event were crowned winners of the overall series at the final event in Minsk, Belarus.
The Four Continents Gymnastics Championships refers to two distinct competitions, organized by different federations in different disciplines. In rhythmic gymnastics the tournaments were organized from 1978 to 2001 by the International Gymnastics Federation. In aesthetic group gymnastics the tournaments have been organized by the International Federation of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics since 2014. The events gather competitors from four different continents: Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania.
The 2007–2008 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series was a series of stages where events in rhythmic gymnastics were contested. The series consisted of a two-year long competition, culminating at a final event — the World Cup Final in 2008. A number of qualifier stages were held. The top 3 gymnasts and groups in each apparatus at the qualifier events would receive medals and prize money. The organizing committees were free to host all-around competitions, but these were not eligible for the assignment of World Cup points. Gymnasts and groups that finished in the top 8 also received points which were added up to a ranking that qualified for the biennial World Cup Final.
The 2005–2006 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series was a series of stages where events in rhythmic gymnastics were contested. The series consisted of a two-year long competition, culminating at a final event — the World Cup Final in 2008. A number of qualifier stages were held. The top 3 gymnasts and groups in each apparatus at the qualifier events would receive medals and prize money. The organizing committees were free to host all-around competitions, but these events were not eligible for the assignment of World Cup points. Gymnasts and groups that finished in the top 8 also received points which were added up to a ranking that qualified for the biennial World Cup Final.
The 1999–2000 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series was a series of stages where events in rhythmic gymnastics were contested. The series consisted of a two-year long competition, culminating at a final event — the World Cup Final in 2000. A number of qualifier stages were held. The top 3 gymnasts in each apparatus at the qualifier events would receive medals and prize money. Gymnasts that finished in the top 8 also received points which were added up to a ranking that qualified for the biennial World Cup Final.
The 2003–2004 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup series was a series of stages where events in men's and women's artistic gymnastics were contested. The series was a two-year long competition culminating at a final event, the World Cup Final in 2004. A number of qualifier stages were held. The top 3 gymnast in each apparatus at the qualifier events would receive medals and prize money. Gymnasts who finished in the top 8 would also receive points that would be added up to a ranking which would qualify individual gymnasts for the biennial World Cup Final.
At the 1986 Goodwill Games, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics.
Lilia Ignatova 
Galina Beloglazova 
North Korea