Stuttgart, Sept 12, 2015: Russia continued its golden run Saturday at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart (GER), winning the gold in Group All-around competition and exacting revenge for a poor performance that kept them off the podium in 2014.
The Group (Diana Borisova, Daria Kleshcheva, Anastasiia Maksimova, Sofya Skomorokh, Anastasiia Tartareva and Maria Tolkacheva) posted the highest scores for both of its routines with the Five Ribbons (18.016) and Clubs and Hoops (18.250) for a total of 36.266, more than half a point above reigning World champions Bulgaria (35.583).
Spain, winner of the Clubs event at the past two World Championships, took bronze (34.900) after two consistent performances. Italy, silver medallists from 2013 and 2014, had a chance to challenge for a medal, but a dropped Ribbon late in their second routine cost them dearly, and they finished fourth (34.832), ahead of Japan and Israel.
At the end of the competition, 10 countries were named as having qualified for the Rhythmic Group competition at next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.
Event finals in Group Rhythmic (5 Ribbons and Hoops and Clubs) will be held Sunday. With the Group All-around title, Russia has a chance to complete a clean sweep of the golds up for grabs at this World Championships. In the individual competition, three-time World All-around champion Yana Kudryavtseva won every gold except the Hoop, which was taken by her teammate Margarita Mamun. —- FIG
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