"Doing it for fun and concentrate on every move." Eva Kononova talks about her performance at the second stage of the Cup of the Strongest

Eva Kononova from the Tyumen Region summed up her performance at the second stage of the Cup of the Strongest, noting the tournament's special atmosphere and the support of the stands:
"The competition went quite well. I think the atmosphere here is very warm. And the fans are very supportive. I really enjoy competing here. I performed quite well in all events. The ball wasn't quite right, but we'll work on it even more. The atmosphere is very nice and the fans are great, everyone's so supportive. They say: 'Can I please take a picture or can you sign this?' And then, when they're leaving, they say, 'Eva, you're the best, we really like you.' I really appreciate it when people say that. I never throw away any of the posters, of course. I keep them all in my room, looking at them."
The gymnast spoke about the preparation and changes in the program:
"We worked on the cleanliness, made the routine more challenging, and tried to bring everything into focus. We changed the clubs a bit and created a really dynamic second sequence. There's no program that I can really single out. But I really enjoy doing the ribbon. It's very interesting and has a new style."
Eva shared that her friend had come to support her in the stands:
"My friend came here, we trained together with Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina and Ekaterina Valentinovna. We get along very well. Her name is Alya, Alexia Pashko. She offers a lot of support after every competition. She texts me, generally asking how I'm doing, how I'm feeling."
The athlete noted the support of Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva and thanked everyone for their help in preparation:
"She helps me so, so much. Today she told me to do it for fun, just not think about anything, but concentrate on the apparatus, on every action, and also be present with my emotions. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Alina Maratovna, who always chimes in, tells me something, and supports me. Also, to Ekaterina Konstantinovna for her tremendous support. A big thank you to Evgeniya Mikhailovna and Olga Dmitrievna, who spend every day with me in the gym and help me so much. I want to thank Ekaterina Medorovna for practicing the elements with us. Overall, I'd like to thank everyone who helps me. I'd like to thank my family for their support."
At the Moscow tournament, Eva won silver in the all-around and ball finals, as well as gold in the hoop, clubs, and ribbon finals. She is a member of the Russian National team and lives and trains at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy.