By Vera Atkinson FIG Editor.

WILL RUSSIA STAY ON TOP

Beijing (CHN) NIS FIG Office, August 12, 2008: Two sets of medals, one for Individuals and another for Groups, will be at stake in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Olympic Tournament, which will be held at the newly build Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium, from 21 until 24 August, 2008.

The Olympic premier of Rhythmic Gymnastics for Individuals took place in Los Angeles 1984, where Lori Fung (CAN) wrote her name in the history of the sport as its first Olympic Champion.

The Eastern European countries, which, due to the boycott, did not participate in Los Angeles, have excelled in all the following Olympic Games. Statistically, there are two gymnasts who have won medals at two consequent Olympic Games, but no one has managed so far, to win the title twice: Alexandra Timoshenko (UKR) - Bronze in Seoul'88 and Gold in Barcelona'92 and Alina Kabaeva (RUS)- Bronze in Sydney'00 and Gold in Athens'04. Gymnasts from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Spain, Romania and FRG are the countries who have also won Silver and Bronze medals in the Individual competition.

In Beijing 24 gymnasts will compete with Rope, Hoop, Clubs and Ribbon.
Last year, at the World Championships in Patras (GRE), which also served as Olympic Qualification, the Ukrainian Anna Bessonova finally managed to break the long lasting Russian dominance in the All-around. However, the reigning World Champion will be far from safe in Beijing.

She will be strongly challenged by the latest Russian prodigy Evgenia Kanaeva, who deservingly won the European title in Torino (ITA) in June, her teammate, the 2005 World AA Champion Olga Kapranova, or 'the pirouettes' Queen' Vera Sessina, multiple World Champion on various apparatus. If anyone is to break this status quo, then think of Irina Zhukova (BLR), Alja Garayeva (AZE), Natalia Godunko (UKR) and Simona Peycheva (BUL).
The Olympic Games in Beijing will be the fourth in a row in the career of the Spaniard Almudena Sid Tostado: an impressive record by the 28- year-old from Madrid who is very much respected and loved throughout the Rhythmic Gymnastics world.

The Groups arrived at the Olympic Games 12 years later, in Atlanta 1996, where Spain won the first Gold medal, followed by Bulgaria, Silver, and Russia, the Bronze.

12 Groups will challenge for the All-around title in Beijing, performing two routines: one with 5 ropes, and the second, with 3 hoops/ 2 sets of clubs.
The 'Big Four' in the Groups, Russia (Olympic Champions in Sydney and Athens), Bulgaria (Silver in Atlanta and Bronze in Athens), Italy (Silver in Athens) and Belarus (Silver in Sydney), should beware the challenge from China in Beijing.

Last autumn the host- team won the Bronze medals at the 'Good Luck Beijing' tournament with a spectacular performance in the Final.  At the Olympics, the Chinese may go even further.

Closest to these nations are Spain, Israel, Azerbaijan and Japan.