INDIANAPOLIS, August 4, 2021 – The rhythmic gymnastics competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is set to begin Thursday at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre with qualifications for the individual all-around. Group qualifications will follow Friday ahead of the individual all-around final. The group final competition will take place Saturday and will wrap up Olympic gymnastics in Tokyo.

For the first time under the current qualification system, the U.S. has fielded the largest possible rhythmic team with two individual gymnasts and a group. The full team is listed alphabetically by designation below.

Individual
Evita Griskenas, Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Laura Zeng, Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

Group
Isabelle Connor, Manhattan Beach, Calif./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Camilla Feeley, Wheeling, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Lili Mizuno, Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Elizaveta Pletneva, Wheeling, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Nicole Sladkov, Vernon Hills, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

Coaches for the individuals are Natalia Klimouk and Angelina Yovcheva. The group is coached by Margarita Mamzina.

The full schedule is below in eastern time.

Podium training
August 4: Individual, 10:15-11:45 p.m.
August 5: Group, 4:55 a.m.

Individual all-around competition
August 5: Qualification – hoop and ball, 9:20 p.m.
August 6: Qualification – clubs and ribbon, 1:50 a.m.
August 7: Final, 2:20 a.m.

Group competition
August 6: Qualification, 9 p.m.
August 7: Final, 10 p.m.

To prepare for the Olympic Games, last month, U.S. rhythmic gymnasts competed in the Israel Grand Prix and Tournament. Zeng, who participated in the Grand Prix, finished seventh in the all-around with scores of 25.300 on hoop, 26.45 on ball, 25.90 on clubs and 20.75 on ribbon for a combined 98.400. She also qualified for the hoop (23.950), ball (25.850) and clubs (24.650) finals, finishing in seventh in hoop and ball and sixth in clubs. Israel’s Linoy Ashram took the top all-around spot with a 112.75 in addition to all four individual apparatus titles (hoop – 28.000, ball – 29.400, clubs – 28.700, ribbon – 24.100).

The group was also in action, securing the fourth position in the Israel Grand Prix all-around with a combined 76.45 behind scores of 39.150 in five balls and 38.800 in three hoops and two pairs of clubs. The group from Israel paced the field with a 95.650, earning a 49.250 in five balls and 46.300 in three hoops and two pairs of clubs.

Griskenas, competed in the Israel Tournament, claiming the all-around championship with a 96.550. She also posted the highest score on each apparatus with a 24.000 on hoop, 25.650 on ball, 24.350 on clubs and 22.550 on ribbon.

Results