"Rhythmic gymnastics is not just a sport, it’s an art!" Lala Kramarenko about the at the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship

During the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics  Championship, we spoke with the captain of the national team, Lala Kramarenko. She spoke about her impressions of the competition.

"My emotions are strictly positive. There are some things that I, unfortunately, cannot do due to health reasons. But I’m going out and trying a new program," Lala said.

The athlete shared her thoughts on the competition between the gymnasts.

"The competition is always really very strong. And Russia has always had the strongest gymnasts, the strongest athletes. So, we compete, perform, we are all friends - we have a very friendly team. I want to say that we always compete with ourselves first, and I try not to look at other girls. But I know that there are a lot of great athletes who are just reaching the senior level, the adult level. So, I want to wish everyone the best of luck so that everything works out, most importantly, without injuries. And it’s always very interesting to watch the competition and young athletes," she said.

Lala Kramarenko spoke about her attitude towards rhythmic gymnastics.

"I believe that rhythmic gymnastics is not just a sport, it is an art form! And we must always develop and move forward. Showing new programs, for me this is the most important thing. Show the audience emotions, feelings and the beauty of rhythmic gymnastics," Lala said.

The Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship runs from February 26 to March 2. The Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy is represented at the tournament by Anna Vakulenko from Volgograd, Kristina Voitenko from Novosibirsk and Karolina Tarasova from Donetsk.