The Martial Arts Academy hosted a swimming competition as part of the student athletic&nbsp; festival.Organizer Anna Makhovetskaya told us what makes the Academy good as&nbsp; a good venue for competitions.<blockquote>"This is our first time here. We thank the Martial Arts Academy for the pleasant welcome. We really liked the Academy, we came yesterday to view the site, they greeted us kindly, showed us everything, told us everything. I am personally very glad that we got this site, it's great, everything is well organized here, everything is professional, so I hope the participants will also be glad that they visited this site," Anna said.</blockquote>And participant Ilya Protsky shared his impressions.<blockquote>"It's cool, these are probably the biggest games in terms of students. I like it. This is my second time taking part. The first time was in 2022 in Kazan. In Sochi for the first time. The venue is important. Especially if we are talking about the length of the pool. This one is 25 meters. I prefer short water, that is, 25 meters," he said.</blockquote>

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MA Academy

Organizer Anna Makhovetskaya told us what makes the Martial Arts Academy a good venue for competitions.

The Martial Arts Academy hosts a swim race as part of the student athletic festival

Alla Feofilaktova from Bryansk is a coach and instructor at the Balance Rhythmic Gymnastics School.She highlighted the opportunities that the Sky Grace International Clubs Association provides to judges and coaches:<blockquote>"It is important for me to support the development of rhythmic gymnastics, share my experience, and discover new things. The Sky Grace International Clubs Association inspires coaches to make programs of gymnasts more difficult and diverse, and offers judges a fair and transparent scoring format that is understandable and rightful."</blockquote>

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Our judges

The specialist from Bryansk is the next character in the Our Judges column.

Our Judges. Alla Feofilaktova

The Soviet and Russian coach. She worked with athletes in the Volgograd Region and then in Portugal and Mexico. She participated in training of bronze medalist of 1996 Olympics Olga Shtyrenko.Galina P. Kuvykina was born on March 21, 1954 in Volgograd. Her sports career began with figure skating. However, this kind of sports was not developing at all in the city at that time. The coach left and the group dissolved.&nbsp; Then Galina, who was already 13, decided to try out for rhythmic gymnastics. The girl went to a section being the closest to her home. This was the Barricades sports club.&nbsp; Nadezhda A. Frolova became the Kuvykina’s coach. Despite the fact that Galina started training fairly late, she qualified for the Category 1. The girl was very diligent and had a real love for work. When the time has come to choose the trade, Kuvykina matriculated in the Volgograd Institute of Physical Culture.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/c50/027/c500270f71e397b45bc0233f21be7e2b.jpg"><figcaption>From the personal archive of Galina Kuvykina</figcaption></figure>Coaching became the lifework for Galina. She devoted almost 40 years to it. Galina Kuvykina started coaching in 1976 in the Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 3 of the city of Tomsk, where she relocated for some time. In 1980s she returned to the Barricades sports club — she trained gymnasts of the Volgograd Region’s team.&nbsp;Participation in training of Russian national team gymnast Olga Shtyrenko became an important part of Galina Kuvykina’s work. The native of Volgograd became the seven-time European champion, the five-time world champion, and the Bronze medalist of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta in group exercises (together with Irina Dzyuba, now the coach in the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy, Evgenia Bochkareva, Angelina Yushkova, and Elena Krivoshei).&nbsp;It is interesting that Galina Kuvykina did not work in her homeland only. She also made a contribution to development of rhythmic gymnastics in Portugal: a group of girls for practicing was formed under her guidance in the sports club of the city of Coimbra in 1990s. This club is now among the leaders in the country. Galina also trained the Mexican national team in early 2000s.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/9d7/213/9d72138852f93cf1be3066919e33c219.jpg"><figcaption>From the personal archive of Galina Kuvykina</figcaption></figure>In 2005, the coach returned to Russia to work where her path had begun — in the Zenit sports club municipal budgetary institution, the ex-Barricades sports club. She fostered many vivid athletes that were Volgograd Region’s team members during the next thirteen years.&nbsp;Galina Kuvykina passed away on October 4, 2015. A school of gymnastics in St. Petersburg bears her name at present.

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Rhythmic Gymnastics Veterans

The Soviet and Russian coach. She worked with athletes in the Volgograd Region and then in Portugal and Mexico. She participated in training of bronze medalist of 1996 Olympics Olga Shtyrenko.

"Rhythmic Gymnastics Veterans". Soviet and Russian coach Galina Kuvykina

Russian judoka won five medals at the World Championships in Budapest — three gold and two bronze.Timur Arbuzov became the champion in the -81 kg category, Matvey Kanikovsky — in the -100 kg category, and Inal Tasoev — in the +100 kg category.&nbsp;Ayub Bliev won bronze medal in the -60 kg category and Arman Adamyan — in the -100 kg category.The Russian team took second place in the medal standings.

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The Russian team took second place in the medal standings.

Russian judoka won five medals at the World Championships in Budapest

Mariia Borisova from St.Petersburg will participate in the 6th Summer Spartakiad of Russian Youth 2025 in rhythmic gymnastics.The Masters of Sports competition will take place from June 21 to 26 in Penza.

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Competitions

The Masters of Sports competition will take place from June 21 to 26 in Penza.

Mariia Borisova from St.Petersburg will participate in the 6th Summer Spartakiad of Russian Youth 2025

Lan Le Mai, a participant of the second stage of the Cup of the Strongest from Vietnam, shared her impressions of the competition.After the competition, the gymnast shared her emotions:<blockquote>"I really liked that I had this a chance to perform here. I performed quite well, but there were mistakes, I will try to correct them. I like the atmosphere here. Beautiful halls, high ceilings, lots of space."</blockquote>She named the athletes she remembered:<blockquote>"I really liked the performances by Sofia Ilteriakova, Niсole Rimarachin Diaz, Kira Yablochnikova. And from the seniors I really liked Anastasia Vlasenko, Vladislava Sharonova, Milena Schenyatskaya and Arina Tkachuk. They perform very beautifully."</blockquote>The gymnast’s mother is from Russia, Lan herself speaks two languages ​​and lives in Krasnodar, although she began doing gymnastics in Vietnam.

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Opinion

The gymnast reached the individual events finals with hoop and ribbon in the junior program.

Participant of the second stage of the Cup of the Strongest Lan Le Mai from Vietnam shares her impressions of the competition

<div data-component="video" data-props="{&quot;materialId&quot;:5850,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Сюжет «РЕН ТВ» о втором этапе «Кубка сильнейших» в Академии&quot;,&quot;video&quot;:{&quot;subDir&quot;:&quot;a5b/13f&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;a5b13f151eb91e94335236.mp4&quot;,&quot;durationMs&quot;:300501},&quot;id&quot;:&quot;e4d882179870ee1e43a7aad8082266b25&quot;}"></div>The second stage of the international Cup of the Strongest tournament was held at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy. The details are in the REN TV News segment.

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The tournament at the Academy was held from June 16 to 18.

The second stage of the Cup of the Strongest: How did it go? REN TV News segment

At the second stage of the Cup of Strongest, Daria Tkacheva, performing in neutral status, won a silver medal in the hoop exercise in the seniors' program.The gymmnast told what images she reveals in her programs:<blockquote>"I have the eastern style hoop. The first part of the routine is very serious. It can be said that I demonstrate the male part in the ballet. I am then like a ballerina in the second part, I try to show different emotions, more happy and joyful. My ball performance is very sensuous. I try to convey love there, such strong feelings; it is very tender. My clubs routine is inspiring. I simply endeavor to show all my happy emotions there, simply to be bright. And my ribbon routine is the Spanish passion. I try to be there in the image of a Spanish flamenco dancer."</blockquote>She also shared whose performances she always watches:<blockquote>"The competition is very strong here. The strongest gymnasts gathered here. I watched the record of Masha Borisova. We watch all her performances and Ulyana Janus. We communicate very well with the girls and are friends with many of them."</blockquote>

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At the competition in Sirius, the gymnast won a silver medal in the hoop exercise in the seniors' program.

Daria Tkacheva talks about the images in her programs at the second stage of the Cup of Strongest

Gymnasts from Uzbekistan took part in the second stage of the Cup of the Strongest.&nbsp;Yasmina Alimardonova won bronze medals with hoop, clubs and ribbon in the junior program. The gymnast shared how the competitions at the Academy turned out for her:<blockquote>"I didn't do very well in the all-around. But in the finals everything went well, I got myself together and did everything."</blockquote>And Lola Djuraeva became the third with hoop and ribbon among the seniors. She told about the element that Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva noted:<blockquote>"I had to go out soon, and Alina Kabaeva called me over. And she asked me to show her gymnast my element. I learned to do these turns with my coach since I was a little girl. I was very little and I could already do them."</blockquote>

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Yasmina won bronze medals with a hoop, clubs and ribbon in the junior program, and Lola became third with a hoop and ribbon among seniors.

How did the second stage of the Cup of the Strongest go for gymnasts from Uzbekistan? Yasmina Alimardonova and Lola Djuraeva talk about it

Mariia Borisova from St.Petersburg became a five-time champion of the second stage of the Cup of the Strongest Cup.&nbsp; After the award ceremony, the gymnast shared how she approached the competition at the Academy.<blockquote>"We worked a lot. More than before. Preparations were hard.&nbsp; It was difficult but truly, the effect is very good. Compared to the first stage, I can say that I am more prepared physically, and mentally also. And also among such visible things, I can say that I started doing elements better," the champion said.</blockquote> Mariia also shared what advice she received from Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva and Russian national team Head coach Tatyana Sergaeva.<blockquote>"When Alina Maratovna comes, immediately forces add up and such motivation, confidence that everything will work out. Plus her setting up, it is valuable for me and important because she indeed knows what words should be said. On the first day, she psyched me up to perform more emotionally, to enjoy being on the floor, to show the character. And on the second day, vice versa, more for doing the job. Tatyana, as I understand, likes this ribbon performance very much. And she requests and requires that I show the character doing the routine and do not smile in any case, do not make my traditional facial expression. And she commended me for becoming better emotionally in this aspect and for greater demonstration of the character," Mariia said.</blockquote>

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The gymnast won all four finals in individual events and became the winner in the all-around.

How did the absolute champion of the second stage of the Cup of the Strongest Cup Mariia Borisova approach the competition at the Academy?

The Academy gymnasts will take part in the International Rhythmic Interclub — 2025 in Mexico.The International Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs Association will be represented by Karolina Tarasova and Yana Zaikina.The tournament will be held in Merida on June 21 and 22.

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The tournament will be held in Merida on June 21 and 22.