27. August 2018  
Kazan, RUS  
Rhythmic Gymnastics

FIG Challenge Cups Rhythmic Gymnastics 2018

After the fourth and last FIG World Cup Event in Baku, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) started its first of four so-called "Challenge Cups" of Rhythmic Gymnastics.
This year's first event took place in the Spanish city of Guadalajara, followed by the second in Portimao (POR), Mai 11 - 13, but the third in Berlin at the end of May was cancelled in 2018 January already by the German organizers.
So in the middle of August followed No. 3 in Minsk (BLR) and at the End of August the last Challenge Cup of the 2018 circuit in Kazan, Russia.
Best of all gymnasts at the end was Alexandra SOLDATOVA from Russia, followed by the winner in Minsk, Linoy Ashram from Israel ...

F.I.G. RG World Challenge Cup 2018

24-26-August 2018
(4) - Challenge Cup - Kazan  /  RUS

Alexandra Soldatova best at the end of World Challenge Cup Circuit 2018

ig-report--: Alexandra Soldatova (RUS) and the Italian Group captured the All-around titles via tiebreaks Saturday at the 2018 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Kazan (RUS), where Dina Averina and the Russian group swept the apparatus finals on Sunday.
The event at the Kazan Gymnastics Centre, the fourth and final stop of the 2018 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup Series, attracted more than 125 gymnasts from three dozen nations and served as a final warm-up for many gymnasts prior to next month’s World Championships in Sofia (BUL).
Originally an alternate for the event, Alexandra  Soldatova also clinched the overall 2018 World Challenge Cup series, based on the top three performances at World Challenge Cup events, in another tie-break victory over Linoy Ashram (ISR).

* Youtube (4.018)
Russia’s star twins Dina and Arina Averina were unable to repeat their 1-2 finish from last year’s World Challenge Cup in Kazan, after a lingering shoulder injury forced Arina out of competition (replaced by Aleksandra Soldatova). Russia did finish 1-2 in the Individual All-around, but it was Soldatova who eclipsed Dina Averina, the reigning World All-around champion.

Soldatova and Averina both posted 80.400, but the gold went to Soldatova on a tie-break that favoured the higher Execution score. Ashram won the bronze in the All-around (78.800) and her exquisite performance with the Ball brought 20.750, the highest of any individual during the All-around.
* R E S U L T S: ►► Ind. All-around;    ►► Ind. FINALS

G R O U P S
Italy and Russia also tied in the Group All-around (43.950), but Italy (- with Anna Basta, Martina Centofanti, Letizia Cicconcelli, Agnese Duranti, Alessia Maurelli, and Martina Santandrea) came out ahead in the tie-break, bumping their Russian rivals (- with Anastasiia Tatareva, Mariia Kravtsova, Evgeniia Levanova, Kseniia Poliakova, Anastasia Shishmakova, and Maria Tolkacheva) to second. World championships host Bulgaria (- with (Elena Bineva, Simona Dyankova, Stefani Kiryakova, Madlen Radukanova, and Laura Traets) won the bronze.
In the Group final on Sunday for 5 Hoops, Russia won gold over Bulgaria and Italy.
Russia took also gold in the 3 Balls / 2 Ropes final over Italy and Japan (Riko Oda, Rie Matsubara, Sakura Noshitani, Sayuri Sugimoto, Ayuka Suzuki and Kiko Yokota), reigning world silver medallists in this event.
►► Groups, all

17-19-August 2018
(3) - Challenge Cup - BSB Bank Cup - Minsk / BLR

* Individual:
Linoy Ashram from Israel was the all-around winner of the World Challenge Cup in Minsk with a score of 77,800.
On second place came Alexandra Soldatova from Russia (77,650), followed by Katsiarina Halkina from hos Belarus with a total of 73,950 points.
> Ind. Final;  > Fin Hoop;   > Fin Ball;   > Fin Clubs;  > Fin Ribbon

* Groups:
Winner of the all-around group competition was the team from ITALY (44,300). On second place came Russia (43,850)., followed by Japan (40,800) and Belarus (38,400).
> Results: > Groups All-around;  > > Groups 3ball/2ropes  > Groups 5 hoops
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25-27-May 2018
(-) - Challenge Cup - Berlin Masters / GER

!! .... CANCELLED !
* NEWS, 2018-Jan-18--: The Berlin Masters RSG, one of the most prestigious international tournaments in rhythmic gymnastics for 17 years, will in future no longer be held as a tournament of the FIG World Challenge Cup series. "The organization and the financial security for such a top tournament became increasingly difficult for us as host in the past two years, the effort for the largely volunteer team in the tournament year 2017 barely lift," said Jens-Uwe Kunze, CEO and longtime tournament director. "In addition, FIG sanctions for a fault in the equipment, so we have decided against remaining in the World Challenge Cup series."
* look at  the >> GYMmedia NEWS
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11-13-May 2018
(2) - Challenge Cup - Portimao / POR

* Russia's Maria SERGEEVA leads after the all-around competition in front of Nicol ZELIKMAN (ISR; 67,500) and Polina Khonina (RUS/66,450).
At the final day Sergeeva won three apparatus finals; only the gold medal with the ball went to Nicol Zelikman from Israel.
* In the all-around of the groups CHINA was on top with a score of 36,750, followed by FINLAND (34,350) and AZERBAIJAN (33,650).
China dominated the final event with 5 hoops, bat Azerbaichan beat China in the combination ecercise ...
► Individual All-around  ► Groups, all-around
► Individual Finals        ► Groups Finals.
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AA Winners in Guadalajara (ESP)

04-06-May 2018
(1) - Challenge Cup - Guadalajara / ESP

Ashram and Bulgaria earn All-around golds in Guadalajara
* f i g - report --: There were notable performances from Israel’s Linoy Ashram and the Bulgaria group of Stefani Kiryakova, Elena Bineva, Simona Dyankova, Madlen Radukanova and Laura Traets, who were winners of the respective All-around events at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Guadalajara, Spain over the weekend.
The 2017 World All-around bronze medallist, Ashram continued her impressive season by winning her first All-around gold at a World Cup event at the Pabellón Multiusos.

Narrow victory margin
In Saturday’s All-around, Ashram prevailed by the narrowest of margins from Russia’s Aleksandra Soldatova, outscoring her by 72.800 to 72.750 – or 0.05 points. The 18-year-old had the best scores in each of the Hoop, Ball and Clubs qualifying events, with Soldatova scoring highest with the Ribbon. 2017 World All-around silver medallist Arina Averina of Russia made up the podium. Ashram went on to win her second gold of the weekend with the Ball – an event which also featured breakthrough performances by Italy’s Milena Baldassarri and Ashram’s compatriot Nicol Zelikman, who claimed their first medals at this level, with the silver and bronze respectively.

Golds but mixed fortunes for Russia
There were two gold medals for Averina in the apparatus finals, as she won gold with the Hoop with a score of 19.500, edging ahead of Ashram (19.400) by virtue of her fractionally superior execution. Anatastiia Salos of Belarus won the bronze. The 19-year-old Averina earned her second gold on Sunday with the Clubs (19.150), with Soldatova taking silver and Baldassarri bronze. It was a disappointing weekend for Averina’s compatriot Soldatova – the first World Cup event she had participated in this year where she failed to win the All-around and Hoop and Ball competitions. There was some consolation for Soldatova in the shape of a gold medal with the Ribbon (17.950) – an event in which Ashram claimed the silver and Averina the bronze.

Groups --: Bulgaria on top
The Bulgaria ensemble finished with the All-around gold medal, outclassing the field with both the Five Hoops and Three Balls/Two Ribbons to earn a score of 43,800 – over four points ahead of Italy, with Russia completing the podium. Bulgaria were head and shoulders above their opponents in the Three Balls/Two Ribbons final too, asserting their class with a score of 21.700. With Russia and Belarus finishing at the foot of the rankings, after collecting penalties, Italy finished second and Azerbaijan took advantage to grab the bronze.

Italy on form again
Russia also missed out on the medals in the Hoops final. Delivering another impressive weekend’s work, Italy won gold with a score of 21.500, with Bulgaria taking silver and Belarus pipping the Russians to the bronze, posting a score of 17.800 to their rivals’ 17.700.
>> R e s u l t s