"I have become stronger in turns, increased the difficulty of my risks, and improved my artistry." Diana Kotlovskaya talks about her progress at the Academy and the Crystal Rose tournament

Following the Crystal Rose international tournament, Diana Kotlovskaya from St. Petersburg shared her impressions of her performances:

"I really liked it here. The atmosphere here is very pleasant and beautiful. It's so cool when you see the viewers and perform for them to show all the beauty. At this competition, I successfully completed Alina Maratovna’s backward turn and did the Raffaeli turn well in my ribbon routine. I want to thank Evgenia Mikhailovna, Olga Dmitrievna, and Ekaterina Medorovna for their support and belief in me. I also want to say a big thank you to all the Academy staff. And, of course, a huge thank you to our beloved Alina Maratovna, who stayed in touch with us. She psyched us up and supported us."

The gymnast spoke about the advice she received from Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva before stepping onto the carpet:

"Alina Maratovna told me to perform everything boldly, not to leave anything out, and that there are no minor details. To do everything one after another. Evgenia Mikhailovna told me to do everything boldly, with energy, and with artistry, to have the mat 'burning'."

Diana’s father came to support her at this event. She noted that family support is important to her:

"I am very happy that he came here to support me. The support of my nearest and dearest is very important to me."

The athlete also described how she has changed over the past six months at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy:

"I’ve gotten stronger in my pivots, made my risks more difficult, and improved my artistry. I really love training there, and every time I go to practice, I am in a great, positive mood. The most memorable moment was when we went to the Russian junior championship. I performed well there and won my first medals at the Russian Junior Championship."

At the competition, the gymnast won the silver medal in the ribbon among pre-juniors. Diana's coaches are Evgenia Eliseeva and Olga Minigalina, and the choreographer is Ekaterina Belova.

Diana lives and trains at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy.