Copa del Mundo - Kalamata 2010

FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup A - Kalamata (GRE), March 26 – 28, 2010

HELLINIKO (GRE) - LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, March 24, 2010: Just like every year at this time of season, the Greek city of Kalamata (GRE), in the southern part of the Peloponnese, is getting ready to welcome the best rhythmic gymnasts from all over the world. Only this time the challenge will be bigger for both hosts and contestants, since the 2010 “Kalamata Cup” International Rhythmic Gymnastics tournament has entered the FIG World Cup Series for the first time ever.

The 18th annual edition of the tournament, which is going to be held from March 26 - 28 at “Tenta” Sports Hall, is already a success, in terms of participation. Some 100 top-flight gymnasts from 20 countries (Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine, USA and, of course, Greece) are expected to show their unique skills in Kalamata.

Individuals

In Individual Competition, the World and Olympic champion Evgenia Kanaeva from Russia, as well as her acclaimed compatriots Daria Kondakova, Daria Dmitrieva, will be there, along with more medalists of the 2009 World Championships in Mie, such as Belarusian Liubov Charkashyna, Melitina Staniouta, Bulgarian Silvia Miteva and Azerbaijani Aliya Garayeva. On the other hand, Michaela Metallidou is expected to lead the Greek team.

Groups

In Group Competition, most of the international powerhouses will be in Kalamata, too. In total, ten groups are going to compete: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Italy Japan, Russia and Ukraine. As for the Greek group, which has got quite a few new faces, this will be the major test ahead of the RG European Championships (April 13-18, Bremen).

Kalamata Cup

“Kalamata Cup” is held annually since 1993, being the most long-lived international rhythmic gymnastics tournament on Greek soil. It all started as an initiative by the former coach - and later on President - of the local gymnastics club Filogymnastikos Syllogos Kalamatas, Ms Eleni Michopoulou, who actually is a member of the FIG Council and of the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation board of directors.

In the years that followed, “Kalamata Cup” evolved into a point of reference for the Rhythmic Gymnastics community. Even in tough times the flame was always lit and since 2007, having the huge support of the new administration board of the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation, “Kalamata Cup” regained the luster of the past. As of 2010, being part of the FIG World Cup Series, the tournament enters the most glorious era of its history.

The actual President of the co-host club Filogymnastikos Syllogos Kalamatas, Ms Voula Kouvatsou, who took the baton from Ms Michopoulou a couple of years ago, highlighted the importance of the forthcoming event for the local community: “There’s no doubt that this edition of the tournament will be the most glamorous of all. Moreover, this celebration of gymnastics gives us every year the opportunity to show the best of ourselves and of our region to hundreds of visitors from all over the world. With the great help of the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation and the support of the local institutions, we are confident that we will be able to make an unforgettable success out of ‘Kalamata 2010’ World Cup”.

Among the great gymnasts who have shone in “Tenta” Sports Hall in the past, one can find almost all Olympic and World medalists of the last 15 years. Russian Yana Batirchina and Evgenia Kanaeva, Ukrainian Elena Vitrichenko, Ekaterina Serebrianskaya, Tamara Erofeeva, Anna Bessonova and Natalia Godunko, Belarusian Yulia Raskina and Inna Zhukova, as well as Bulgarian Simona Peycheva are just some of them.

This year’s tournament is held by the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation, under the aegis of the General Secretariat of Sports and in collaboration with the Prefecture of Messinia, the Municipality of Kalamata and the gymnastics club Filogymnastikos Omilos Kalamatas.

miagym escribió:Pero el conjunto ruso, no iva a thiais?Al final van a estar todos los conjuntos importantes en Grecia,menos España.

miagym escribió:Pero el conjunto ruso, no iva a thiais?Al final van a estar todos los conjuntos importantes en Grecia,menos España.

rosibelova escribió:

miagym escribió:Pero el conjunto ruso, no iva a thiais?Al final van a estar todos los conjuntos importantes en Grecia,menos España.

Pues si, pero dentro de lo malo, eso significa, probablemente medalla para España