Russia’s Dina Averina established herself as the new queen of Rhythmic Gymnastics in 2017, winning the All-Around title, as well as golds in Hoop and Clubs, plus silvers in Ball and Ribbon.
She might be better in 2018! At the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Sofia (BUL), Averina opened the competition with victories in the Hoop (again) and Ball, moving up from the silver medal last year.
The Russians sent a formidable trio of Dina and Arina Averina and Aleksandra Soldatova to Sofia, but the competition has also improved. Israel’s Linoy Ashram, who was brilliant in the World Cup season, won the silver in Hoop, pushing Arina to third. Soldatova took the silver in Ball, with Italy’s Alexandra Agiurgiuculese claiming the bronze medal.
That’s already a wider spread of medals than in 2017. The remaining schedule includes:
∙ 13 September:
Clubs final ~ 2017: 1. Dina Averina (RUS)
Ribbon final ~ 2017: 1. Arina Averina (RUS)
∙ 14 September:
All-Around final ~ 2017: 1. Dina Averina (RUS)
∙ 15 September:
Group All-Around final ~ 2017: 1. Russia
∙ 16 September:
Group 5 Hoops final ~ 2017: 1. Italy
Group 3 Balls + 2 Ropes final ~ 2017: 1. Russia
Look for results here. Summaries so far:
FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships
Sofia (BUL) ~ 10-16 September 2018.
(Full results here)
Hoop: 1. Dina Averina (RUS), 20.850; 2. Linoy Ashram (ISR), 20.000; 3. Arina Averina (RUS), 19.700; 4. Kaleyn Boryana (BUL), 19.550; 5. Nicol Zelikman (ISR), 19.500; 6. Meliena Baldasarri (ITA), 19.050; 7. Katrin Taseva (BUL), 18.350; 8. Vlada Nikolchenko (UKR), 17.050.
Ball: 1. D. Averina (RUS), 20.300; 2. Aleksandra Soldatova (RUS), 20.200; 3. Alexandra Agiurgiuculese (ITA), 19.900; 4. Baldasarri (ITA), 19.500; 5. Zelikman (ISR), 19.400; 6. Katsiaryna Halkina (BLR), 19.200; 7. Neviana Vladinova (BUL), 19.100; 8. Taseva (BUL), 17.600.
