Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and 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.
Irina Viktorovna Tchachina is a retired Russian individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in all-around, a two-time World all-around bronze medalist, the 2004 European all-around bronze medalist and 2000 Grand Prix Final all-around silver medalist.
Olena Ihorivna Vitrychenko, also known as Elena Vitrichenko, is an Individual Ukrainian Rhythmic Gymnast. She is the 1996 Olympics bronze medalist, the 1997 World All-around champion and 1997 European All-around champion.
Irina Ivanivna Deriugina is a former Soviet individual rhythmic gymnast from Ukraine and Ukrainian coach in rhythmic gymnastics. She is the only Soviet rhythmic gymnast to win two all-around world titles, which she won in 1977 and 1979. Her mother, Albina, was her coach. Her success influenced the further development of rhythmic gymnastics in Kyiv.
XXVII World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held in Baku the capital of Azerbaijan, 3–10 October 2005 at the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex.
Natalia Vladimirovna Yurchenko is a retired Soviet artistic gymnast, who won the women's all-around gold medal at the 1983 World Championships. Renowned for her innovative and daring gymnastics, she is best known as the originator of the Yurchenko vault family, which is a round-off back handspring entry onto the vault, and then performing a series of twists and flips off.
Yelena Aleksandrovna Posevina is a Russian former group rhythmic gymnast. She is a two-time Group Olympic champion, who attended Olympic Games on 2004 and 2008. She is a two-time World Group All-around champion and a three-time European Group All-around champion.
Natalia Vladimirovna Zuyeva is a Russian rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic champion in the group all-around.
The XXIX World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships was held in Ise, Mie, Japan, September 7–13, 2009, at the Sun Arena.
Valeria Vatkina is an Individual rhythmic gymnast. She started competitive rhythmic gymnastics in 1986.
Darya Andreyevna Dmitriyeva is a Russian rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2012 Olympic all-around silver medalist, the 2010 World ribbon champion, the 2012 Grand Prix Final all-around champion, 2011 Grand Prix Final all-around silver medalist and 2010 Grand Prix Final all-around bronze medalist.
Irina Alexandrovna Viner, formerly Irina Alexandrovna Viner-Usmanova, is an Uzbek-born Russian rhythmic gymnastics coach who is head coach of the Russian national team, president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, and former vice president of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation.
Rut Castillo Galindo is a Mexican individual rhythmic gymnast. She represented Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics and became the first Mexican, and LGBTQ+ rhythmic gymnast to compete at an Olympic Games. She is the 2021 Pan American all-around champion. At the 2007 Pan American Games, she won the silver medal in hoop and the bronze medals in the all-around and clubs. She is an eight-time Central American and Caribbean Games champion. She has also competed at nine World Championships.
Natália Azevedo Gaudio is a Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2018 South American Games all-around gold medalist, and the 2019 Pan American Games all-around bronze medalist.
Lourdes Mohedano Sanchez de Mora is a Spanish group rhythmic gymnast.
Natalia Nikolaevna Pichuzhkina is a Russian group rhythmic gymnast.
Anna Mrozińska is a retired Polish rhythmic gymnast who competed at the 2004 Olympics and the 2003 Gymnastic World Championship She retired from her professional career in 2006.
Polina Berezina Ksenofontova is a Russian-born Spanish individual rhythmic gymnast. She is a five-time all-around champion at the Spanish Rhythmic Gymnastic Championships.
Natalia García Timofeeva is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast who was a member of Spain's national rhythmic gymnastics team from 2008 until her retirement in 2021. She has been 5 times nation champion counting all categories: 1 in alevín (2005), 2 in children, 1 in junior (2008) and 1 in junior honor (2009). She has also been 6 times national silver medalist as a senior and won bronze in 2019. She retired on 13 November 2021 at the 6th Ciutat International Trophy in Barcelona after more than 20 years in the world of gymnastics.
Sara Llana García is a Spanish rhythmic gymnast who competed in the national team. She has participated in four World Championships, and two Europeans, as well as being 4 times champion of Spain as an individual and 5 times with the group of Club Ritmo.
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