How was the qualification competition in St. Petersburg held? Gymnasts sharing impressions from the Sky Grace Cup tournament

The Sky Grace Cup interregional qualification tournament was held on March 30—31 in St. Petersburg. 

Participants in the competition shared impressions and summarized performances after its end.

Gymnast teams from the Zhemchuzhina Center of Rhythmic Gymnastics won all the three sets of medals under the Candidate Master of Sports program in group exercises.

"We got the gold today! We did it colorfully and with lots of emotions. We have very interesting clubs, we lit them. Our hoop is calm, a waltz. We did them very beautifully. For the Sky Grace rules we changed the fouettés and made six double fouettés. And so we already had prepared programs."

— Zhemchuzhina Center of Rhythmic Gymnastics Team No. 1

"We got silver today! We are very happy. We endeavored, we will endeavor even more. There were some mistakes, but we will correct them, and we still have many competitions ahead. We will get better."

— Zhemchuzhina Center of Rhythmic Gymnastics Team No. 2

"We have bronze, we are third. We were a little worried, but we tried to support each other. This support helped us to pull ourselves together. Elements were changed for us and some collaborations were added. For example, we had a jump added in catching clubs. And they also added it to the hoops so that we could catch them within the jump. We must believe in each other and support each other because we are a team!"

— Zhemchuzhina Center of Rhythmic Gymnastics Team No. 3

One best team in group exercises from the three strongest clubs according to final results will go from St. Petersburg to the All-Russian Sky Grace Cup competition that will be held on April 9—15 in the Academy. Thus, in addition to winners, teams from athletic schools of the Central District No. 1 and the Petrogradsky District No. 1 will come to the tournament in Sirius.

"We represented the Central District Athletic school. We took fourth place. We are very glad that we qualified for the finals at the Sky Grace. We’ve heard a lot about it, that the hall is beautiful. We’ve never been there, and would really like to. We complicated our programs with the help of elements, since they are expensive according to these rules. We didn’t find the rules complicated, but we need to get used to them. We will work on this so that we appear in the Academy with more developed elements and a program that time."

— Central District Sports School No. 1

"We represent a school in the Petrogradsky District. We are very glad that we took part in the tournament and qualified for Sochi! I think that the new rules are pretty complicated. The rules have many elements with stretching and flexibility. These rules give gymnasts more opportunity to be original, more desire, maybe even more patience. We had to change quite a lot in the exercise because not all elements fit. And in many elements you even have to stand on your half-toes so that you don’t get 0.20 off for it. When we were preparing for this tournament, we realized that we must always go forward and never give up, even if something doesn’t work out."

— Petrogradsky District Sports School No. 1

Angelina Ipatova and Alyona Pushilina, the prizewinners of the interregional qualification tournament under the Master of Sports program, told us about their favorite objects and explained how they cope with emotions before appearing on the floor.

"The competition was very inviting. I enjoyed performing under the Sky Grace rules. It was a bit difficult to switch from the Russian rules but we coped with that and perfected the program. Certainly, there are things to work on, and will prepare for Sochi. I am fond of the rope personally. Even when we performed in the category of the candidate master of sports, I managed to perform with the rope. So this is not a new kind for me and I had the experience with the rope. I like my program and staging very much now. We have many good schools in St. Petersburg and there are good gymnasts certainly. We have warm relations, we are supporting and rooting for each other. But as for me, every time I go to the performance stage, the goal is to rise above myself, to enjoy the performance and to make everything properly and skillfully."

— Angelina Ipatova

"I like to perform here, it is cool and comfortable. Everything is convenient and easy. It was somehow easier to practice with the rope from the start; I became accustomed to it."

— Alyona Pushilina

Maria Pavlovskaya and Alisa Minina took the fourth and the fifth places under the Master of Sports program in their turn. The athletes told us how they had revised exercises under the Sky Grace International Association rules.

"I did not get it all but I tried very much. I attempted to make all the turns, to show myself, and I am very pleased. I will keep working. I like elements very much in Sky Grace rules. There is a plenitude of elements one can perform, the different ones, without repeating them. And a sufficient number of risks is there: four risks under the Master’s program."

— Alisa Minina

"I have managed to do almost everything but this day was not very successful. Therefore, I was a bit upset but no worries, I will work and succeed in it all. I liked it very much in the Sky Grace rules that almost all exercises were revised for me and they look more harmoniously. And it is even more convenient for me to perform them."

— Maria Pavlovskaya

Champion Ksenia Savchenko and prizewinners Anastasia Popova and Sofia Zhukovskaya evaluated their performances at the competition under the Candidate Master of Sports program.

"I liked the tournament. It was a great experience for me. I perform under these rules for the first time. I enjoyed. I do not worry before the performance. One should go and do everything calmly. If something does not get right, one should go on and work. I am bracing myself before the competition in such way that I do not look at other gymnasts because this distracts me. I calmly go and perform."

— Ksenia Savchenko

"These rules for me were easier than the Russian ones. They were very interesting. It seems to me that these rules are like FIG rules by half and like Russian rules at that time. But it seemed to me they were easier."

— Anastasia Popova

"These rules were easier but it was hard to change from Russian rules to Sky Grace rules. The program was revised; it turned to be a little bit more interesting, unusual. I did not have much concerns because I perform in the Zhemchuzhina quite frequently and I have already get accustomed to this atmosphere. If you have practiced good, there’s no need for you to worry before the performance, and you will succeed. If something does not get right, then you should go and work."

— Sofia Zhukovskaya

Gymnasts that became champions and prizewinners of qualification competitions in St. Petersburg will perform in the Academy at the All-Russia Sky Grace Cup tournament from April 9 to 15.