The long-awaited appointment with the last stage of the international rhythmic gymnastics circuit is approaching. From 21 to 23 June, at the Unipol Forum in Assago, the final act of the 2024 World Cup will be staged with the Butterflies and the blue individualists making the competition even more interesting, in an arena that promises to be sold out.
The Italian stage, staged in Milan for the second time, closes the World Cup circuit, the last step before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Defending the blue colors is the Desio Academy team, made up of Air Force airmen Alessia Maurelli, Martina Centofanti, Agnese Duranti, Daniela Mogurean, Laura Paris and by the agent of the Gold Flames Alessia Russo. Among the individualists, however, the spotlight will be on the vice-champion of Europe and the World, the State Police agent Sofia Raffaeliand on his partner at Fabriano Gymnastics, the sixth airman of the Vigna di Valle Sports Group Milena Baldassarri.
The Italian Gymnastics Federation and the Lombardy Region, in addition to the project to disseminate sports culture, have signed a cooperation agreement called “Parigi2024” for the modernization of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy in Largo Atleti Azzurri d’Italia in Desio, the so-called “Butterfly House”, a world-famous school for more than two decades. The redevelopment project also concerns the S. Guglielmetti Federal Academy, the men’s and women’s artistic facility, located in via Ovada 40, in Milan.
To celebrate the partnership between the doyen of Italian sports federations and the Lombardy Region and to enter the atmosphere of the World Cup at the Assago Forum, the “B” team of the Italian national team, composed of Alexandra Naclerio (Garden Club), Serena Ottaviani ( G. Fabriano), Giulia Segatori (GS Aeronautica Militare), Eleonora Tagliabue (San Giorgiò79 Desio) and Laura Zambolin (Ginnastica Euganea 5 Cerchi) was at the center of a public performance in the square of Palazzo Lombardia under the eyes of the President of the Region Attilio Fontana who declared: “They are very good and play a sport that is enjoying increasing success both among the public and in terms of medals. They are leaving for the Olympics, let’s support them, our country is enjoying excellent results, and we hope there will be many more satisfactions. Lombardy is a point of reference for this sport, which is very popular here, and contributes to keeping the name of the whole country high.” 30 percent of the rhythmic movement is, in fact, Lombard and can count on three centers of excellence in Brescia (female artist), Milan (male artist) and Desio (rhythmic gymnastics), in the province of Monza and Brianza.
At the real metropolitan show, entitled “the Butterfly Region”, also participating were the individualists Viola Sella and Chiara Esposito, both of the over one hundred year old Forza e Coraggio Milano, Sofia Maffeis (GS Aeronautica Militare), Veronica Di Cataldo (Polisportiva Varese), Giorgia Galli (San Giorgio 79 Desio) and Alessandra Rondelli ( Strength and Courage Milan).
Great promoter of the press conference and the performance of the Butterflies in the square representing all the Lombards, it was the Undersecretary of Sport and Youth of the Lombardy Region, Lara Magoni: “Sport represents a backbone of all of our lives. From athletes to enthusiasts, we are all captivated and grateful for the emotions and experiences that sport gives us. We support this world, with the agreement signed today, because we believe that sport is a fundamental pillar for the growth of our children. Today we celebrated the relationship between the Lombardy Region and the Gymnastics Federation and we were thrilled by the skill of the athletes. Excellences such as Farfalle represent an indispensable driving force for the sports sector. Welcoming them in the symbolic square of Lombardy I believe is the best way to thank them and wish the entire movement the best of luck for the upcoming international events. Long live sport, long live gymnastics”.
“There is a lot of competition but we are fearsome – declared the National Technical Director of Rhythmics Emanuela Maccarani on the sidelines of an event at Palazzo Lombardia – The World Cup in Milan is the last competition before the Olympics. The work done in the winter is giving the results we expected. It will be the culmination of the work, and then we will get closer to the Olympic dream of Paris with our girls in top shape. The Olympics are a competition in themselves: it is difficult to make an exact prediction. It will be an emotional race. The team is almost the same as Tokyo, we only changed one gymnast. Tokyo represented a very different type of gymnastics than today. The code has completely changed – has explained – we will see much faster and more technical gymnastics. In any case I can rely on the experience of my gymnasts. The bronze in Tokyo confirmed their value but it is also a huge responsibility precisely because it is almost the same team that will take to the stage in Paris. In short, we are fearsome, the competition is great but when our gymnasts are on the platform they leave a mark“, he concluded.
“Competing in Milan for the World Cup will be a unique emotion – declared the reigning world and European vice champion Sofia Raffaeli – The arena will be full, I can’t wait to get on the platform with all the warmth of the audience that gives you an extra boost, that adrenaline you need to compete more energized and stronger. When we enter the stage there is our name, but there is a whole team behind it, the whole of Italy that we represent. It’s an honor to have the Italian scudetto on your chest. For this season, next week’s World Cup remains, where I hope to be able to bring everything I have done in the gym in recent weeks. And then there are the Olympics – added the 20 year old Chiaravalle coached by Claudia Mancinelli to Fabriano Gymnastics – the most important competition, which comes after these three years which seemed very long, but which went by very quickly. I want to enjoy this experience, every moment.”
“After many unforgettable editions in Pesaro, the Italian stage of the Small Tools World Cup has found a new home in Lombardy for two years, with whose administration we are carrying out a project aimed at spreading sporting culture, Olympic values and valorising of competitive excellence in the Lombardy region, through suitable spaces and adequate professionalism”, said Gherardo Tecchi, president of the Italian Gymnastics Federation. “I hope that the Olympic vocation of Milan, awaiting the winter event of 2026, will pervade the souls of our athletes a few weeks before the Paris Games. I thank the Organizing Committee, the Municipality of Milan, the Lombardy Region and the Department of Sport of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for their efforts to ensure that one of the most beautiful and followed shows on the planet found a home in Milan”, commented the federal president accompanied, for the occasion, by Franco Mantero, national councilor and president of the Federal Installations Commission, Valter Peroni, deputy vice president of the FGI, Oreste De Faveri and the number one of the Lombardy FGI regional committee.
Paola Porfiri president of the ATS Aurora Fano – San Giorgio 79 organizing committee finally paid homage to the undersecretary Lara Magoni with an official down jacket of the Italian National Gymnastics team, which, although out of season, was appreciated by the former ski champion who will soon have to move to the colder Strasbourg to carry out her new functions as a parliamentarian European.
For those who cannot be present at the Unipol Forum, the Italian Gymnastics Federation – which organizes the event thanks to the local Organizing Committee, the ATS formed by the affiliated companies Aurora Fano and San Giorgio 79 – will guarantee complete viewing of all the races. In fact, on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd July, qualifications and the general competition will be broadcast on FGI Youtube channel.
The specialty finals, however, will go to live television, free-to-air, Sunday 23 July from 2pm on La7the flagship network of the Cairo Communication group, which accompanied the Italian rhythm players throughout the 2024 FIG Circuit season.
Many great international rivals will face each other in a sort of preview of the five-ring challenge, starting with the German étoile Darya Varfolomeevnumber one on the planet, after the Valencia 2023 world championship. Eleven teams are competing: the teams of Bulgaria, China, Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Emanuela’s Italy are present Maccarani.
At the end of the conference, Cav. Tecchi and the President of the Auxological Institute Mario Colombo, accompanied by the doctor, psychiatrist and psychotherapist Leonardo Mendolicchio, have announced a new partnership which will bear the name of the Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Care specialized in Eating Disorders (DCA) on the shirts of all national gymnastics teams. The social responsibility agreement will guarantee training services to federal technicians and managers and free assistance to FGI members until the first diagnosis.
Plan:
https://www.rgworldcup-milano.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PROGRAMMA-WC-ITA.pdf
Tickets:
Tickets and season tickets for the three days of the event can be purchased online at this link: https://www.clappit.com/biglietti-coppa-del-mondo-ginnastica-ritmica-2024/showProductList.html
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Official website:
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