Alesya Naifonova from Vladikavkaz and Elizaveta Geraskina from Moscow took fifth and sixth place in the all-around final at the 2026 Russian Junior Championship.At the 2025 Championships, Alesya placed 88th, and Liza 36th.Alesya began training at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy over the summer, and Liza in May. They achieved this progress in less than a year.&nbsp;Alesya's coaches are Alina and Irina Gusarova, and her choreographer is Ekaterina Belova. Liza's coach is Elizaveta Chernova, and her choreographer is Elena Egorova.

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Competitions

Alesya's coaches are Alina and Irina Gusarova, and her choreographer is Ekaterina Belova. Liza's coach is Elizaveta Chernova, and her choreographer is Elena Egorova.

Alesya Naifonova and Elizaveta Geraskina took fifth and sixth places in the all-around final at the Russian Junior Championship

For Academy coach Evgeniya Eliseeva, the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest was a huge success. Her gymnasts Eva Kononova and Ksenia Savinova won 10 gold medals out of 10.The specialist noted the support of the stands during the competition:<blockquote>"A great atmosphere, a really cool crowd. The kids are so supportive of our Sky Grace gymnasts. It's incredible: so many toys, so many posters. They pass me little notes saying how they want to come to my training camp, they give me their phone numbers. It's all so sweet, so valuable. And it really helps the girls and me. This love and support is really motivating, so a huge thank you to these kids who love us so much."</blockquote>She told how international competitions helped to improve the technique of performing expensive elements:<blockquote>"We had some shortcomings at the international level. The judges pointed them out to us. We're working more carefully now because there are important elements, like fouettés, for example. We've taken this into account with the girls, and I see that Eva, for example, has very good results in terms of executing elements that we didn't get at the international level. We've taken this into account and will continue to do better and better."</blockquote>Evgeniya Mikhailovna appreciated the performances of the gymnasts:<blockquote>"I'm happy with Ksyusha because she had a clean run today, just like Eva, a clean run. I really love it when kids can do four events without missing a beat. Yes, there are some flaws, of course, and we can't avoid them, because we're working on them, and there's definitely room for improvement. But a clean four-event performance always shows focus, that the routines are well-rehearsed, and that we just need to improve and refine them. But overall, I'm very pleased. Yana had some flaws, but that's okay, we'll work through them. I always tell kids not to be afraid of making mistakes because they're not robots, they're not programmed. Various factors can cause a child to make a mistake. That happens; it's just work. We'll move on and fix it."</blockquote>She also thanked the Academy and Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva for their help and support:<blockquote>"I really want to thank the entire Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy, our beloved Alina Maratovna, who is always in touch with us, who tries to help us with our elements, and who experiences all of this with us. And a huge thank you to her for giving us the opportunity to work with her. My gratitude to her is immeasurable. I love her very much and I’m very grateful."</blockquote>

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Opinion

For Academy coach Evgeniya Eliseeva, the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest was a huge success! Her gymnasts Eva Kononova and Ksenia Savinova won 10 gold medals out of 10.

"A huge thank you to the kids who love us so much." Coach Evgeniya Eliseeva talks about the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest

Eva Kononova, Alexandra Borisova, Elizaveta Geraskina, Anna Vakulenko, and junior group gymnasts — Elizaveta Malashenko, Alisa Kirpicheva, Anna Gryaznova, Alexandra Ponomareva, Kira Pryn, and Vladislava Gaivoronskaya returned to Sirius after completing the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest.&nbsp;The Academy team welcomed the athletes.At the tournament, the gymnasts, along with Ksyusha Savinova and Yana Zaikina, who went to Baku for the European Cup, won 12 gold, four silver, and one bronze medal.<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/f6e/8b6/f6e8b6604475052a1755619b2c5b90f5.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/566/9fe/5669feb2351ed4295be36aa3fe9af3e6.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/7dc/c2e/7dcc2e9b3cd47ad35436d27432ee64b1.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/ccb/724/ccb7241b48fa96f6e65c15d028ce9516.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/d07/c75/d07c75b349c18528598d04e24f577a4b.jpg"></figure>

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Academy Life

Eva Kononova, Alexandra Borisova, Elizaveta Geraskina, Anna Vakulenko, and the junior group gymnasts returned to Sirius.

The Academy team met the gymnasts after the completion of the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest

On the day of individual finals of the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest judge Olesya Syubayeva from Saransk shared her impressions of the performances:<blockquote>"The competition level is very high, I like it. I am absolutely thrilled by the gymnasts who have come here. The high level of skill, true professionals — it’s indeed a pleasure to judge them. The girls really do grow and improve with every contest. It is obvious that since entering the international stage, they have made some changes to their programs. And I think that at this level, they really can compete for medals. That's great indeed, the high level of difficulty, the difficulty of body, the very high scores, the difficulty of apparatus, and also the artistry — everything has been thought through down to the last detail. These productions are simply spectacular!"</blockquote>She told which gymnasts she particularly liked and what are the strengths of their programs:<blockquote>"The juniors are actually all really cool too, all of them performing with a high speed, they’re very beautiful and each one has her own unique flair. Ksyusha Savinova — with excellent pace, very polished, cool and full of emotion. Yana Zaikina gave a wonderful performance — light, graceful, and so refined; I really enjoyed it too. And then there was Eva Chevtaeva, of course, with the ball — I really liked her routine too; she performed it perfectly. Group exercises are also a distinct art form; I really enjoyed them, the difficulty was big. It’s clear that there’s still work to be done, of course, because these are new events, and they’re quite challenging — both the balls and ribbons. But the programs were actually thought out down to the last detail. These were very beautiful productions. The girls cope with them just fine."</blockquote>She also highlighted the changes in the exercises of Eva Kononova from the Tyumen Region after the World Cup in Uzbekistan:<blockquote>"I think the lessons learned effort was completed, all the panels were reviewed, how the girls fared on the international stage, and, accordingly, adjustments were made and routines were honed. I think she did a really great job yesterday."</blockquote>

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She also highlighted the changes in the routines of Eva Kononova from the Tyumen Region after the World Cup stage in Uzbekistan.


Judge Olesya Syubayeva from Saransk tells which gymnasts she particularly liked at the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest

Academy gymnasts visited the final day of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Cup.The tournament was held at the Sirius Arena.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/db1/bf9/db1bf9638ec439a92be9a6319af10613.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/0b7/6d1/0b76d14b1bc51ff4727e74de1ac54f33.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/39e/804/39e80447f4f0b99d5b9ebaeec401c4e7.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/1e2/8c0/1e28c0af93de6c4b6a673ea9b16e9805.jpg"></figure>

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The tournament was held at the Sirius Arena. 


Academy gymnasts attended the final day of the Russian Gymnastics Cup

Academy athlete Ksenia Savinova from Gatchina shared her emotions from the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest and talked about the preparation:<blockquote>"I enjoy performing in Kazan; there are so many fans here who cheer and encourage me during my performance. Not everything worked out, so I'll continue working. We worked at the Academy and we spent more time practicing the elements, Raffaeli and fouetté, so that they turn out better. Ekaterina Georgievna, a choreographer, visited us at the Academy. She staged technique for us, which really helped us during the competition, many thanks to her. Before our performances, Alina Maratovna called, psyched us up and said, ‘You’ll relax once you’re off the floor’ and ‘Take a step, watch it, do everything attentively and smartly’.” Thanks everyone who helped me prepare for these competitions, Evgenia Mikhailovna, Olga Dmitrievna, Alina Maratovna, and all the choreographers and doctors."</blockquote>The gymnast thanked the fans and told them how many stuffed animals were in her collection:<blockquote>"I really appreciate it when toys are presented to me. And I really love toys. And that's why it's nice that the girls buy gifts for me. I think everything will fit into about two large suitcases."</blockquote>Ksenia Savinova took first place in the all-around, as well as in the finals with the hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon in Kazan.&nbsp;

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The gymnast took first place in the all-around, as well as in the finals with the hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon in Kazan. 

Ksenia Savinova shares her emotions from the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest and thanked the fans

Anna Titova, a judge from the Tula Region, shared her impressions of the performance of the seniors at the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest:<blockquote>"The seniors traditionally delight us with their skill. These are adult gymnasts who can, in addition to doing things very skillfully and technically, also show character, artistry, and charisma. This is very fascinating, of course.Of course, Abracadabra by Milena Shchenyatskaya is memorable one hundred percent. Vladislava Sharonova has memorable clubs. For Eva, probably, the hoop. I think she did well with it. During this competition, she had the particularly good hoop performance and received the highest score for it."</blockquote>She told how the international starts affected the athletes' programs:<blockquote>"The gymnasts performed after international competitions in which they participated, in particular, Eva Kononova, Milena Shchenyatskaya, and Nastya Vlasenko. And I think that they made certain adjustments to their exercises, because, of course, the experience of performing at international competitions is a great experience, and I regret saying our gymnasts have not had it for a long time. And in such a short period of time, the girls managed to refine their programs, making changes that the judges certainly could not help but notice."</blockquote>The specialist also noted the strengths of Eva Kononova from the Tyumen Region:<blockquote>"Eva Kononova is a young gymnast. In my opinion, she is very fast, very technically skilled. An unconditional plus of this gymnast is a very high level of execution of body elements, as well as the pitch-perfect work with apparatus."</blockquote>

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The specialist told how the international competitions affected the athletes' programs.

Anna Titova, a judge from the Tula Region, shares her impressions of the performance of the seniors at the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest

Alexandra Borisova from Moscow won the bronze medal of the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest.Sasha became the third in the final with a ribbon. Her coaches are Irina and Alina Gusarova, and her choreographer is&nbsp;Ekaterina Belova.The competition was held from 24 to 26 April in Kazan.

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Sasha became the third in the final with a ribbon. Congratulations to the gymnast and her coaches.

Alexandra Borisova won the bronze medal of the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest

Group exercise gymnasts from the Volgograd Region competed in the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest under the quota of the Sky Grace International Association and took third place in the five-ball routine.The team consists of Polina Zinina, Anna Belenova, Valeria Spitsyna, Violetta Pleshakova, Adelia Kuldyakina, and Ekaterina Terekhova.The gymnasts shared their emotions after the performances and thanked the International Association for the opportunity:<blockquote>"We are very happy to be here, to perform. But we might not have been here, because not everything went well for us at the Russian championships, and we didn't qualify. But thanks to the Sky Grace International Association we are here, and we even managed to win a medal, the third place. We are very happy, we are glad. Thanks a lot."</blockquote>The athletes talked about the images in the exercises:<blockquote>"We worked on our mistakes. There are some shortcomings, there are some weak points. Every team has them, every girl has them. And we tried to prepare everything at an accelerated pace. What is the strength of the team? Our team has high artistry. We convey an image and that's what hooks people the most. The viewer should feel fear, horror in the program with three hoops and two pairs of clubs. We convey a horror movie, captivate. And in the program with five balls, we convey a state of agony, a state of a person before death, where he recalls all the joyful moments of his life."</blockquote>

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Polina Zinina, Anna Belenova, Valeria Spitsyna, Violetta Pleshakova, Adelia Kuldyakina, and Ekaterina Terekhova shared their emotions after the performances, discussed the characters of their routines, and thanked the International Association for the opportunity provided.


"We might not have ended up here". Group gymnasts from the Volgograd Region talk about the performance at the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest

Sofia Ilteryakova from Moscow, the silver medalist of the all-around of the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest, shared her impressions after competing in Kazan and noted the support of the stands:<blockquote>"The tournament was 75 percent successful. Today the ribbon performance did not work out, but we will be working a lot with the ribbon now. Overall, I am very satisfied. It is nice to be here; we were welcomed very well, and they cheered loudly and supported us. The support here is truly incredible because even before I stepped onto the floor, they were already cheering loudly, which is immensely pleasant and really encouraging. "</blockquote>Recently, the gymnast has undergone changes in the program with clubs. She told me how exercise feels to her now:<blockquote>"After the changes took place, the style changed a bit. This routine feels different. Both internally for me and, I believe, it is very noticeable to the audience as well. Stylistics is immediately apparent. I really like now the changes we have made. And the new leotard, I also like it immensely. "</blockquote>Sonya also shared her plans for the end of the school year:<blockquote>"Does it feel like the end of the school year is coming soon? Of course. I need to complete all the tests for the time I was absent during the competitions and in training camps. In fact, I really love algebra. Very interesting formulas. When you understand this subject, you do well with it, and then it becomes your favorite. I do well in algebra; I understand it."</blockquote>The gymnast took second place in the all-around, as well as in the hoop and clubs finals.

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The gymnast took second place in the all-around, as well as in the hoop and clubs finals.

"The support here is truly incredible". Sofia Ilteryakova talks about the first stage of the Cup of the Strongest

The Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy appreciates the Azerbaijan Federation of Gymnastics for organizing the training camp for the Russian national team that is living and training at the Academy:<blockquote>"For the Russian national team, which is to perform at the European Cup in Azerbaijan, this training camp has become a crucial stage of preparation. Our team was given the opportunity to train in wonderful modern conditions in Baku.&nbsp;We appreciate the Azerbaijan Federation of Gymnastics for the organization and sincere hospitality!Separate words of gratitude are for the wonderful excursion, which gave vivid impressions to the athletes and coaches, introduced them to the culture and beauty of Azerbaijan and left the warmest memories.We appreciate the friendship, cooperation and attention given to our team."</blockquote>

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For the Russian national team, which is to perform at the European Cup in Azerbaijan, this training camp has become a crucial stage of preparation. 

The Academy appreciates the Azerbaijan Federation of Gymnastics for organizing the training camp for the Russian national team that is living and training at the Academy