LIMA, Peru, Sept. 27, 2018 – 2016 Olympian and four-time U.S. champion Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill., Nastasya Generalova of Los Angeles/California Rhythms, and Lili Mizuno of Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics, along with the U.S. senior rhythmic group, are looking to secure berths to the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, when they take the floor at the 2018 Senior Pan American Championships, Sept. 28-30, also in Lima.
In addition to berths to the Pan Am Games, the Senior Pan American Championships will award team, all-around and event medals for individual rhythmic gymnastics, and all-around and event medals for group gymnastics. Each country ranked in the top six countries in the all-around qualification round qualify for a maximum of two gymnasts and the next four countries in the all-around qualification round will qualify one gymnast for the 2019 Pan Am Games for a total of 16 gymnasts. The top six-ranked countries in the group all-around qualification round will earn berths to the Pan Am Games next year.
The U.S. senior rhythmic group, which trains at North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, includes Dasha Baltovick of Highland Park, Ill.; Isabelle Connor of Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Ugne Dragunas of Darien, Ill.; Connie Du of Deerfield, Ill.; Elizaveta Pletneva of Caldwell, N.J.; and Nicole Sladkov of Vernon Hills, Ill. Kristina Sobolevskaya of Deerfield, Ill., is the alternate.
The competition schedule is as follows; all times listed are local to Lima, which is the same as the central time zone
Sept. 28
- 9:30 a.m. – Opening ceremony
- 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. – Hoop and ball qualifications, Group 1 at 10 a.m. and Group 2 (includes USA) at 12:30 p.m.
- 2:30 p.m. – Group, five hoops
Sept. 29
- 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. – Clubs and ribbon qualifications, Group 2 (includes USA) at 10 a.m., with Group 1 at 12:30 p.m.
- 2:30 p.m. – Group, two ropes and three balls
- 3:40 p.m. – Awards for individual all-around and team, group all-around
Sept. 30
- 11 a.m. – Group, five hoops final
- 11:30 a.m. – Hoop final
- 12 p.m. – Ball final, followed by awards for the first three events
- 1 p.m. – Group, two ropes/three balls final
- 1:30 p.m. – Clubs final
- 2 p.m. – Ribbon final, followed by awards for these three events
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The organization is committed to creating a culture that empowers and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority, the safety and well-being of the athletes. USA Gymnastics has already taken specific, concrete steps to strengthen its safe sport policies and procedures. The organization’s disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and gymnastics for all (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, log on to usagym.org.