August 19th Individual AA Qualification (Hoop and Ball) - 10:20 BRT (-3 GMT) Individual AA Qualification (Clubs and Ribbon) - 14:30 (2:30 PM) BRT (-3 GMT)
August 20th Group AA Qualification (5 Ribbons) - 10:00 BRT (-3 GMT) Group AA Qualification (6 Clubs + 2 Hoops) - 12:40 BRT (-3 GMT) Individual AA Final - 15:20 (3:20 PM) BRT (-3 GMT)
August 21st Group AA Final - 11:00 BRT (-3 GMT)
Individual Gymnasts: RUS - Yana Kudryavtseva* RUS - Margarita Mamun* BLR- Melitina Staniouta GEO- Salome Pazhava UKR - Ganna Rizatdinova AZE- Marina Durunda ISR - Neta Rivkin USA - Laura Zeng ESP - Carolina Rodriguez BUL - Neviana Vladinova KOR - Son Yeon Jae FRA - Ksenia Moustafaeva GRE - Varvara Filiou BLR - Katsiaryna Halkina JPN - Kaho Minagawa KAZ - Sabina Ashirbayeva AUT - Nicol Ruprecht ITA - Veronica Bertolini FIN - Ekaterina Volkova UZB - Anastasia Serdyukova ROU - Ana Luiza Filiorianu CHN - Shang Rong GER - Jana Berezko Marggrander AUS - Danielle Prince CPV - Elyane Boal BRA - Natalia Gaudio
Groups: RUS BUL ESP ITA JPN ISR BLR CHN UKR USA GER UZB GRE BRA
1:00 p.m.: Brazil's Natalia Gaudio, the host country entry in Rhythmic individual, prepares for her big Olympic moment in podium training.
Natalia Gaudio (BRA)
.....
Melitina Staniouta on the unpredictablity of the Games
12:20 p.m.: As one of a handful of returning Olympians, Belarus's Melitina Staniouta is one of the most experienced in the 26-woman field. But everyone starts from a clean slate when the Olympic curtain rises, says Staniouta, a three-time World bronze medallist.
"The Olympic Games is a really unpredictable competition," she added. "There were so many people in the past that were expected to win a medal, but it did not happen. I have 13 World Championship medals. It was all in the past. It is something good to remember. I will tell it to my children one day. But I need to live now, in this moment."
Melitina Staniouta (BLR)
.....
At the FIG Gala, Rhythmic is the sight to see
11:20 a.m.: Spectators at Wednesday's FIG Gala got a foretaste of the Rhythmic competition, thanks to Ukraine's Ganna Rizatdinova and Belarus's Melitina Staniouta, both of whom gave exhibition performances. The Italian Group -- the famous "Butterflies," as they are known in Italy -- also performed, as did the Belarusians, while the Ukrainian Group joined Rizatdinova on the carpet.
The Belarusians took it as one more chance to practice before the big day. "I am happy that I could perform on the podium and actually feel the response of the crowd," Staniouta said. "Everyone is just more relaxed. It gave us a good advantage to do the gala, because we know how the spectators will react." The spectacle in photos: The Italian GroupGanna Rizatdinova (UKR)
Melitina Staniouta (BLR)
The Belarusian Group
.....
Under the Russian sun
11:00 a.m.: Since 2000, when Yulia Barsukova upset superstar teammate Alina Kabayeva for gold in Sydney, the top step of the Olympic podium in Rhythmic Gymnastics has been occupied exclusively by Russian gymnasts.
Kabayeva waited four years for her golden upgrade. She was succeeded in 2008 by Evgeniya Kanaeva, the only gymnast in the sport's 32 year Olympic history to successfully defend her Olympic title. Kanaeva went out in a blaze of glory at the London Games, leaving behind an exceptional CV: Kanaeva won every single gold medal up for grabs at the World Championships twice, in 2009 and again in 2011.
2008 and 2012 Olympic champion Evgenia Kanaeva (RUS)
In Yana Kudryavtseva, Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics found a new heir apparent. The lithe blonde Kudryavtseva, daughter of a 1992 Olympic swimmer, proved precocious when at 15 she became the youngest Rhythmic gymnast ever to win the World All-around title in 2013. She hasn't relinquished it since, making her one of just four gymnasts to have won three consecutive World titles.
Yana Kudryavsteva (RUS)
Trailing in Kudryavtseva's wake is another Russian star, her best friend and training partner, Margarita Mamun. For all the gold Kudryavtseva has accumulated during the past three years, Mamun has most often come up with the silver. Their styles are different -- Kudryavtseva is the ballerina, Mamun's nickname is "the Bengal tiger" -- but together they have kept their country on top of the world in this graceful Olympic discipline. Rhythmic Gymnastics was born in the Soviet Union but is now practiced on every continent, with gymnasts from 57 countries competing at the most recent World Championships. The best still mostly hail from the east: in addition to Kudryavtseva and Mamun, Ukraine's Ganna Rizatdinova, Belarus's Melitina Staniouta and South Korea's Son Yeon Jae have been the major medalwinners at the World Championships and World Cup events over the past four years. They'll face off again here in Rio.
.....
The FIG recommends...
10:45 a.m.: Don't know much about Rhythmic Gymnastics? Don't worry! Here's an overview to help you understand more about this dazzling sport.
.....
Rhythmic Gymnastics by the numbers
10:30 a.m.:
Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual competition by the numbers
Rhythmic Gymnastics Group competiton by the numbers
.....
Rio goes Rhythmic
RIO DE JANEIRO, 10:15 a.m.: Ninety six gymnasts -- 14 Groups of five gymnasts and 26 individuals -- will dance on the Rhythmic floor installed in the Rio Olympic Arena during today's podium training, the final dress rehearsal for the qualification rounds beginning Friday.
For the past 16 years, Russian gymnasts have reigned supreme in this discipline, winning every Olympic gold medal in individual and Group competition. Rhythmic was born in the east, and eastern European countries continue to produce the best in the world. That title presently belongs to Yana Kudryavtseva of Russia, who comes into this event unbeaten in World All-around competition since she became a senior in 2013.
Rhythmic competition at the Rio 2016 Olympics gets underway Friday.
Пластика, грация и красота: российские "художницы" поборются за олимпийские награды
РИО-ДЕ-ЖАНЕЙРО, 19 авг - Р-Спорт, Елена Соболь. Сборная России по художественной гимнастике в качестве фаворита стартует на олимпийском турнире в Рио-де-Жанейро, где будут разыгрываться два комплекта наград.
В пятницу пройдет квалификация личного многоборья, в субботу в квалификации выступят группы, а финалистки личных состязаний разыграют первый комплект наград. В воскресенье соревнования завершатся финалом в групповом многоборье.
Россию представят Яна Кудрявцева и Маргарита Мамун, а также команда в групповых упражнениях - капитан Анастасия Максимова, Анастасия Близнюк, Анастасия Татарева, Мария Толкачева и Вера Бирюкова.
"Выступают девочки, которые попали в сборную по результатам, никакие имена, никакие прошлогодние результаты не играли роли; все результаты свежие, которые девочки показали в этом году. Попали все, кто действительно этого заслужил", — прокомментировала состав главный тренер команды Ирина Винер-Усманова.
Идиллия в исполнении красавиц
Основными претендентами на золото в личном первенстве будут россиянки Мамун и Кудрявцева. Спортсменки провели последние недели подготовки в Сан-Паулу и перебрались в Рио-де-Жанейро за несколько дней до старта, где провели официальные тренировки. В олимпийском сезоне спортсменки подготовили новые программы, которые они представят зрителям и судьям. Одни из самых захватывающих - это патриотическая композиция под песню "Конь" группы "Любэ" в обруче у Кудрявцевой и зажигательная программа с булавами под We will rock you группы Queen у Мамун. Для обеих спортсменок выступление на Играх станет дебютным.
На медали будут претендовать украинка Анна Ризатдинова, белоруска Мелитина Станюта, сильного выступления можно ждать и от Сон Ен Чже из Южной Кореи
В групповых упражнениях россиянки под руководством старшего тренера Татьяны Сергаевой представят программу с пятью лентами под необычное сочетание музыки, которая из бразильских ритмов переходит в русские, упражнение с шестью булавами и двумя обручами, которое также состоит из двух половин - первая часть под Игоря Стравинского, вторая под "Время вперед". Спортсменки выступают в текущем сезоне впятером - без запасной, и ставят перед собой задачу повторить "золотой" успех Лондона-2012. Из того состава в команде осталась только Близнюк, которая брала паузу в карьере, но вновь вошла в состав команды в олимпийском сезоне.
"У нас сплоченная команда, несмотря на то, что состав меняется — девочки всегда поддерживают новичков. Это помогает в работе", — отмечала Сергаева.
Основными соперницами россиянок будут команды Испании, Болгарии, Украины и Белоруссии.
5:00 p.m.: Russia's Yana Kudryavtseva has never been beaten in World All-around competition. Here she is at her first Olympic podium training session. Rhythmic Individual qualification begins tomorrow morning at 10:20 a.m. in Brazil.
Yana Kudryavtseva (RUS)
.....
The Russian connection
2:00 p.m.: Though practiced throughout the world, the center of the Rhythmic universe still lies in Russia, where the sport evolved during the early 20th century. Many of the athletes in Rio, from Cape Verde's Elyane Boal to South Korea's Son Yeon Jae to the Japanese Group, are guided by Russian or former Soviet coaches or train part time in the country.
"I went to Russia because Rhythmic Gymnastics in Russia is the top," said Varvara Filiou of Greece, who has spent the past three years living and training in Moscow. "I train with the Russian national team and I try for the best. I'm far from my family and friends, and far from everything, because my dream is to compete very well in Rio."
Varvara Filiou (GRE)
Others, like Australia's Danielle Prince, have taken advantage of invitations to train in Russia for extended periods of time. "In Russia and in a lot of the eastern European countries, Rhythmic Gymnastics is like swimming in Australia or rugby: It's one of the pinnacle sports," said Prince. "Their facilities are just incredible, dedicated facilities where you live, eat, breathe, train Gymnastics. That environment allows you to really focus and concentrate on Gymnastics, compared to at home where you have a lot of outside factors like university, part-time work as well as life as a 24-year-old."
.....
Brazilian presence
1:00 p.m.: Here's Natalia Gaudio, the host country entry in Rhythmic individual, as she prepares for her big Olympic moment in podium training. Brazil's best finish by an individual in Rhythmic Gymanstics was 24th, back in 1984.
Natalia Gaudio (BRA)
.....
Melitina Staniouta on the unpredictablity of the Games
12:20 p.m.: As one of a handful of returning Olympians, Belarus's Melitina Staniouta is one of the most experienced in the 26-woman field. But everyone starts from a clean slate when the Olympic curtain rises, says Staniouta, a three-time World bronze medallist.
"The Olympic Games is a really unpredictable competition," she added. "There were so many people in the past that were expected to win a medal, but it did not happen. I have 13 World Championship medals. It was all in the past. It is something good to remember. I will tell it to my children one day. But I need to live now, in this moment."
Анна Ризатдинова: "За страну хочется всех порвать"
В олимпийском Рио стартуют соревнования по художественной гимнастике.
Олимпийский комитет Украины накануне соревнований по художественной гимнастике на Олимпиаде в Рио, выпустил ролик, главной героиней которого стала Анна Ризатдинова.
Чемпионка мира рассказывает, что занимается гимнастикой 17 лет, а обычный "рабочий день" спортсменок – с 9 утра до 8 вечера. Также она признается, что изначально в ней не видели звезды.
- Выступать за Украину большая ответственность, потому что именно здесь в тебя вложили столько сил. И да, за страну хочется всех порвать, - говорит Ризатдинова.
Соревнования по художественно гимнастике начнутся в 16:20 19 августа. Их откроет индивидуальное многоборье.
Бороться за медали будут также Анастасия Возняк, Евгения Гомон, Александра Гридасова, Валерия Гудым и Алена Дмитраш в групповом многоборье. Соревнования по художественной гимнастике продолжатся до 21 августа.
Yana Kudryavtseva (RUS)
Varvara Filiou (GRE)