Marina Malpica from Mexico is the only gymnast to have competed in all five Sky Grace Cup tournaments.&nbsp;The gymnast shared her favorite things about competing under the Sky Grace International Association rules and how they help athletes reach their full potential.<blockquote>"I really like the Sky Grace International Association tournament rules. This competition is different from the others I participate in. It's interesting because you can try something new. There are elements that I don't use during the year. And then I come here and perform them.&nbsp; I was preparing for these competitions. I think every gymnast has interesting finds. I hope I do too. I hope my ideas will appear interesting to the audience. I really like my programs," Marina said.</blockquote>&nbsp;Marina noted that she met some familiar gymnasts during the tournament.&nbsp;<blockquote>"I know some of the gymnasts who perform here. I have already met them at this tournament, as well as at other international competitions. I am very happy to see them again. I am also so happy to be here. And I am very grateful that I keep being invited to this tournament," the gymnast said.</blockquote>

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Sky Grace

Marina is the only gymnast to have competed in all five Sky Grace Cup tournaments.

Marina Malpica from Mexico shares her favorite things about competing under the Sky Grace International Association rules

The Academy gymnasts have started working on new programs for the upcoming season.Choreographer Natalia Belugina has arrived at the Academy and has already started staging a new exercise with maces for Ksenia Savinova from Gatchina.

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Academy Life

Choreographer Natalia Belugina came to the Academy.

The Academy gymnasts have started working on new programs

Russia’s Honored Coach Natalia Lashchinskaya, who evaluated the athletes' artistry at the Russian Cup, told how the gymnasts' approach to exercises has changed this year:<blockquote>"They've improved a lot. They've started to feel the music. They've even developed their own emotions. Together with their coach and choreographer, they choose the music—the one they'll feel. We've had a lot of lessons that have helped them understand: what kind of music is it, what does it represent, when was it written, by which composer, and so on. The girls have improved a lot!"</blockquote>The specialist also highlighted the tournament's most memorable routines:<blockquote>"I really like Masha Borisova's routine. I like Ulyana Janus's routine, and Anna Vakulenko's hoop routine is good, and so is the ball routine."</blockquote>

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Opinion

She also highlighted the tournament's most memorable routines.

How has the gymnasts' approach to their routines changed this year? Natalia Lashchinskaya tells about it

Due to the emerging cases of mailings sent on behalf of the Alina Kabaeva Charitable Foundation representatives, we’d like to state that the foundation does not send letters and does not practice any fundraising.&nbsp;These letters are sent by scammers and have nothing to do with the foundation, the Olympic champion, the Academy, or the International Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics&nbsp;Association.&nbsp;Please exercise caution.

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Due to the emerging cases of mailings sent on behalf of the Alina Kabaeva Charitable Foundation representatives, we’d like to state that the foundation does not send letters and does not practice any fundraising.

Important information!

Ekaterina Sazonova from Moscow became the bronze medalist of the Russian Cup.&nbsp;The gymnast appreciated her performance at the start in Kazan:<blockquote>"This tournament was a great success for me. I performed all four events without any major errors, which I'm very happy about, and I'm very happy with the result. I like all the programs. I made a really good ball at this tournament. I've never performed it like that before, and it was my last time performing it. I tried to convey the entire image. I have a very profound image there about the feelings of a lost person, the image of lost love. And I was able to fully express myself in this program. I came out with sadness and a desire to give everything I had on the court."</blockquote>She told what helped her to perform without losses, and also summed up the results of the season:<blockquote>"I think it was self-confidence, of course, and my coach's belief in me. And, of course, daily hard work. This has probably been my favorite year of my entire career. I came back from a serious injury and even managed to win a medal at the end of the year. I'm very happy about that. I've been working towards this for a very long time."</blockquote>By the way, Tatyana Sergaeva, the head coach of the Russian national team, <a href="https://skygrace.ru/en/news/mneniya/ya-by-skazala-chto-eto-byla-bitva-harakterov-tatyana-sergaeva-ob-itogah-kubka-rossii" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noted</a> her as the most stable gymnast at these competitions. Ekaterina Sazonova's coaches are Yana Kelperis and Ekaterina Sergeeva.

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By the way, Tatyana Sergaeva, the head coach of the Russian national team, noted her as the most stable gymnast at these competitions. Ekaterina Sazonova's coaches are Yana Kelperis and Ekaterina Sergeeva.

"My favorite year of my career!" Ekaterina Sazonova talks about the results of the season and her performance at the Russian Cup

At the Step to the Dream tournament, Miroslava Monina from Penza and Alesya Naifonova from Vladikavkaz each won two gold medals among gymnasts born in 2012.Miroslava shared her impressions of the competition and noted the progress at the end of the season:<blockquote>"I didn't do very well at this tournament. There are always shortcomings that need to be corrected. My coaches, Alina Gusarova, Irina Gusarova, Alina Protasova, and choreographer Ekaterina Belova helped me. I think my elements are getting better and my risks are getting better. First and foremost, I want to thank Alina Kabaeva for giving me the chance to perform in Armenia, at this tournament. I also want to thank my coaches and choreographer."</blockquote>Alesya told what she had been working on since the previous start, and also appreciated how she had improved this year:<blockquote>"In Yekaterinburg, my boomerang didn't work out in the ribbon; it flew backwards, but here I practiced it and got it right. And in the hoop, I lost my risk, but here I practiced it and it worked. I think my artistry has improved a bit and I've become a little more precise in my execution of elements and risks. I want to say a huge thank you to my coaches Irina Gusarova, Alina Protasova, Alina Gusarova and choreographer Ekaterina Belova. And a huge thank you to Alina Kabaeva for the opportunity to compete."</blockquote>The athletes' coaches are Alina and Irina Gusarova, Alina Protasova, and the choreographer is Ekaterina Belova.

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The athletes won two gold medals each among gymnasts born in 2012.

Miroslava Monina and Alesya Naifonova share their impressions of the performance at the tournament in Armenia and the results of the year

Silva Sargsyan from Armenia shared her impressions of her performance at the Step to the Dream tournament in Yerevan:<blockquote>"I'm incredibly happy to be here and happy they invited me. It's always such a joy to perform in Yerevan because I'm always supported, the gymnasts are always rooting for me. I'm incredibly proud to always compete here. Actually, I've competed so many times that I'm never nervous anywhere, because I'm so used to it. I go out there every time to show my best, everything I've trained for at home in Nizhny Novgorod."</blockquote>Silva also named the Sky Grace gymnasts, which she left an impression on her:<blockquote>"I really like Veronika Malinina, she's a very colorful, artistic girl. All the other girls are great too. I'm really happy that they came here to Yerevan for this competition."</blockquote>In addition, the athlete recalled how the Sky Grace Cup International Tournament and Beijing Top Open 2025 took place for her, where she won silver with rope:<blockquote>"This was my fourth time competing. I'm incredibly happy with my silver medal in the rope finals. I'm always thrilled when Alina Maratovna invites me to this event because it's such an important competition; they have different rules, and it's always so exciting to change things up like this at the end of the year, when all the major competitions have already ended. It's exciting to try it out, and there were so many positive emotions. I remember that I pulled myself together and competed in all four events without any losses in the finals."</blockquote>

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Silva also named the Sky Grace gymnasts that left an impression on her.

"I am incredibly proud to always perform here!" Silva Sargsyan talks about the tournament in Armenia

The mAlinka tournament for the youngest gymnasts of the Academy from the free early development groups has ended.<h1>Results</h1><h4>2018 year of birth:</h4>1st place — Polina Pakhomova;2nd place — Daria Igolkina;&nbsp;3rd place — Anastasia Dieva.<h4>2019 year of birth:&nbsp;</h4><h4>Subgroup 1:</h4>1st place — Eva Vasilyeva, Ksenia Berest;&nbsp;2nd place — Daria Zimina, Ameli Osipova, Mira Tsybulko;3rd place — Victoria Garipova, Ksenia Belyaeva, Dana Panchaykina.&nbsp;<h4>Subgroup 2:</h4>1st place — Monika Nigmanova, Ariadna Ivannikova, Diana Yurkevich;2nd place — Alina Tretyakova, Anastasia Nekrasova, Pelageya Penskikh;3rd place — Snezhana Dunaeva, Varvara Tsygankova, Aleksa Prilomova.

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Competitions

The competition was held on December 10 at the Academy.

Results of the mAlinka tournament among 2018-2019 years of birth

The tryouts for group exercises has started at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy.Maria Kuznetsova from Moscow and Polina Nyn from Yekaterinburg were spotted at competitions and invited to try out for the Academy group exercise team, for those born in 2011.&nbsp;Another tryout participant, Kira Kopteva from Moscow, will soon join the classes.

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Gymnasts are trying out for the Academy's group play team, born in 2011.

Tryouts for group exercises have started at the Academy

The head judge Olga Frolova told which gymnasts' programs she remembered at the Russian Cup:<blockquote>"I really like Masha Borisova's ball routine. It's very interesting, both artistically, and I think it suits her body and personality very well. Also, Ulyana Janus, clubs are simply something very impressive, spectacular, interesting."</blockquote>The specialist also told how the judges' work was structured, and noted the progress of the athletes:<blockquote>"The competition is very important because the Russian national team is being formed, and the gymnasts' rankings are being established. And, of course, everyone is competing for the top spots and the best scores. We try very hard to monitor every tenth score. That's why we call the panels to give the most accurate and correct scores. They've improved a lot. They've noticeably improved both in artistry and technique. The risks have become more challenging. The bodywork elements have become more complicated. The routines in the execution panel have become cleaner. So, the progress is quite obvious. And it's not easy for us, the judges."</blockquote>The Russian Cup was held in Kazan on December 5 and 6.

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The specialist also told how the judges' work was structured, and noted the progress of the athletes.

The head judge Olga Frolova told about the most memorable programs at the Russian Cup

Sofia Bodzhgua, a young gymnast from Abkhazia, told about the Step to the dream tournament in Yerevan:<blockquote>"I performed well. Of course, there were some mistakes. But overall, I think I performed well.I compete with a hoop and clubs. I just love these apparatuses in general, they have such funky music."</blockquote>Sofia recently competed at the Sky Grace Cup International Tournament and Beijing Top Open 2025 in China, and she received the opportunity to participate thanks to the Sky Grace International Association. She shared her impressions of the trip:<blockquote>"So many memories. The hall there was so huge, I'd say. China itself is beautiful. We went to the Great Wall of China, the Temple of Heaven. And overall, competing there was really cool. I was a little scared, of course. But I overcame my fear. My coach prepared me. He told me how to do things correctly, not to be afraid — the most important thing is not to worry. And just go out there and do it. I realized that, of course, I need to work on some of the risks there, work on everything. It didn't go so well in clubs either. I lost the first risk there, and I lost it on the skill. And I worked on that."</blockquote>

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Sofia recently competed at the Sky Grace Cup International Tournament and Beijing Top Open 2025 in China, and she received the opportunity to participate thanks to the Sky Grace International Association.
