Coach Anna Ustsova speaks about the preparation of the Academy's group gymnasts for their debut at the Gracia Fair Cup in Hungary

Before leaving for the capital of Hungary for their first joint start, the Academy's group skaters had their final training session. After that, coach Anna Ustsova shared details about the preparation of the programs.

"Tatyana Sergaeva put together one program for us, the clubs. And Irina Zenovka did the hoops. Complicated programs. We try to complete the tasks every day for consistency and quality. I see that they are getting stronger every day, this is very important. They have a team captain, she also plays a very important role. She has to get the team ready from the inside. It's great that we have this opportunity to go to an international tournament thanks to Alina Kabaeva. And it will also be very interesting for the girls — to go abroad, especially for their first competition. For them, it's a great responsibility and excitement," Anna said.

And the gymnasts talked about their spirits ahead of performing at their first international competition.

"There is a little excitement. It’s not in vain that we train two sessions every day, working on programs with both clubs and hoops. We hope that everything will work out for us," she said. 

The team will debut at the Gracia Fair Cup, which will be held from February 14 to 16 in Budapest. The International Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs Association has covered all expenses for the gymnasts’ flights, accommodation and participation fees.