2021 Rhythmic Challenge & Invitational
February 27-28, 2021 - Des Moines, Iowa
February 27-28, 2021 - Des Moines, Iowa

Results
- 2006 Invitational
- 2007 Invitational
- 2008 Invitational
- 2009 Invitational
- Junior Challenge
- Senior Challenge
- Junior Group
- Senior Group
Participant Webinar
COVID Protocol & Competition Structure Webinar Recording
Schedule and Rotations
- Competition Schedule – Updated Feb 24, 2021
- Rotations – Updated Feb 24, 2021
- Group Warm-up Rotations – Updated Feb 24, 2021
- Saturday Individual Warm-up Rotations – Updated Feb 24, 2021
- Sunday Individual Warm-up Rotations – Updated Feb 24, 2021
- February 8, 2021 – Rhythmic Challenge & Inv. Registration Deadline (NOTE: by registering for the 2021 Rhythmic Challenge & Invitational, athletes, coaches, and any parents who attend to watch their athletes are agreeing to follow the COVID protocol at the event.)
- February 8, 2021 – Music Upload Deadline (via KSIS)
- February 12. 2021 – Hotel Reservation Deadline
- FAQs for Rhythmic Challenge
- COVID Screening Questions
- Participant Letter with COVID-19 Protocol Summary
- Full COVID-19 Protocol
- 2009 Invitational
- 2008 Invitational
- 2007 Invitational
- 2006 Invitational
- Junior Challenge
- Senior Challenge
- Junior Group Challenge
- Senior Group Challenge
- 50% Refunds for entry fees will be provided in the case of injury or illness with a doctor’s note. Notification must be provided to jvincent@usagym.org at least 1 week prior to the event.
- 50% Refunds will automatically be issued if USA Gymnastics has to cancel the event (we do not foresee this as the event has been strategically placed in a city that historically has not instituted gathering restrictions).
- Senior National Team
- Stella-Luciana Ceo
- Katherine Cheng
- Erica Foster
- Nerea Francis
- Evita Griskenas
- Lennox Hopkins-Wilkins
- Alexandria Kautzman
- Esther Kiseleva
- Victoria Kobelev
- Daria Merkulova
- Lili Mizuno
- Isabelle Richardson
- Elena Shinohara
- Naomi Skotnikov
- Mya Tam
- Laura Zeng
- Jenna Zhao
- Junior National Team
- Gemma Gow
- Sarah Mariotti
- All FIG Groups (as a first step to USA Gymnastics Championships Qualification – group members must be USA Citizens)
- Erika Rusak
- Megan Chu
- Rin Keys
- 2006 – Top 6 from 2020 Inv, excluding those invited to the 2021 Rhythmic Challenge
- Nayenne Pollini Ashenaffi
- Camiah Kuno
- Irina Fesyun
- Ashley Wang
- Elizabeth Balikian
- Emily Beznos
- 2007 – Top 6 from 2020 Inv, plus Victoria Gonikman (unable to compete in 2020 Challenge due to illness, represented USA Internationally in 2019) and Kaylee Forest (2019 Level 8 Champion, but eliminated from the pathway for qualification to the 2020 Rhythmic Invitational due to injury)
- Lauren Kramer
- Tiziana Greppi
- Alexandra Ebert
- Jaelyn Chin
- Defne Yavuz
- Milana Abayeva
- Victoria Gonikman
- Kaylee Forest
- 2008/2009 – All from 2020 Rhy Inv, excluding those invited to the 2021 Rhythmic Challenge
- Aurora Vitrychenko 2008
- Sophia Pyrig 2008
- Anastassia Kim 2009
- Anna Shuvalova 2008
- Ksenia Pototski 2008
- Any Level 10 junior not already accounted for in the above
- Ava Khlopin 2007
- Top 8 Level 7s from 2019 USA Gym Champs born 2007, 2008, 2009
- Natalie Shtrimer 2008
- Taya Kim 2007
- Ivanka Tarasyuk 2008
- Anna Tang 2008
- Kyra Sidon 2008
- Katrina Sinkevic 2008
- Kaylee Yen 2007
- Sophia Zyman 2009
- Top 4 Level 6 from the 2019 Junior Olympic Championships born in 2009, 2008, and 2007, if they are competing as Level 9 in 2021
- Ruby Freshwater 2009
- Arina Markovich 2009
- Julia Evin 2008
- Stefania Mishtal 2009
Deadline Summary
Venue
Iowa Events Center – Grand Ballroom730 3rd St
Des Moines, IA 50309
COVID Protocol
Registration and Entry Fee
Registration Deadline: February 8, 2021 (by registering for this event, participants agree to follow the event’s COVID-19 protocol)
$175 per gymnast
$200 per group
Step 1: Register athletes and pay registration fees through the Meet Reservation System on the USA Gymnastics website
Step 2: Register athletes and upload music to the KSIS website
NOTE: The Rhythmic Challenge and Invitational is by qualification only. Please see the list of eligible athletes below. Registration will be cancelled for any athletes who are ineligible and entered in KSIS or the Meet Reservation System. Any participants who do not feel comfortable attending in person have the option of virtual participation (ranked separately and without consideration for international selection). Coaches/club administrators must inform Jayme Vincent (jvincent@usagym.org) at the time of registration if any participants from their club would like to participate virtually. If any Junior athletes do not feel ready to compete either virtually or in person in February, they have the option of participating in the March online tournament instead.
Tickets
To reduce the number of attendees to this event, audience attendance will be limited to up to 2 parents of the qualified athlete pending restrictions by the local health authority. If both parents will not attend, the extra ticket is void and may not be used for a sibling, grandparent, teammate, friend or other individual.
Hotel
Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel401 Locust Street,
Des Moines, IA, 50309
$104 Single room with 1 Grab and Go Breakfast
$109 Double room with 2 Grab and Go Breakfast
Click Here to book rooms
Reservation deadline is February 12th, 2021
Coach Membership
Coaches and athletes must hold a current membership/safety/background check/U100 certification with USA Gymnastics to participate in the 2021 Rhythmic Challenge & Invitational.
Coach Attire
All coaches must be in club or athletic apparel with athletic shoes to be on the competition floor. Please remember to bring layers as temperatures can vary in the gym.
Music/Difficulty Forms
Electronic music files will be used for this competition. Upload deadline: February 8, 2021. All music must be uploaded to KSIS by this date. Please be sure to check the music files after they are uploaded and bring back-up files to the event just in case (on a phone or CD).
KSIS Music Upload Link
Music Late Fee: $25/gymnast for any uploads/changes after February 8, 2021.
Difficulty forms will NOT be used for this competition.
Awards
Per the Rules & Policies.
Top 50% of each age group, with a minimum of top 3 will be awarded in the following categories:
Replacement Apparatus
Hoops – Pastorelli/Venturelli 89cmBalls – Chacott
Clubs – Chacott (rubber/plastic combo)
Ribbons/sticks – Chacott/Sasaki
Inquiries
Per the Rules and Policies
Refunds
Additional information
Additional information on the Des Moines area can be found HERE on the venue website.
Eligible Gymnasts
2021 Rhythmic Challenge Eligible Participants (Group & Individual Competition)
Eligible participants for the 2021 Rhythmic Challenge are per the Rhythmic Rules & Policies.
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Gymnasts will compete in their valid age-divisions based on the year of the Challenge. 1. If either the Junior or Senior divisions in the year of the Challenge have less than 6 gymnasts, the next gymnast(s) in all-around rank-order from the respective age-division of the Championships will be invited.
These three gymnasts are:
(Targeting athletes who are Level 9/10 Juniors in 2021-2024 by most current results. All athletes must be USA Citizens to participate in the 2021 Challenge & Invitational. Athletes who placed in the criteria below, but do not have USA Citizenship will be eligible for the online invitational in March, not the 2021 Rhythmic Challenge & Invitational in February and we will drop down to the next athlete who is a USA Citizen for the February 2021 Rhythmic Challenge & Invitational)
From the 2020 Rhythmic Invitational (Most Current Competition Results)
From the 2019 USA Gymnastics Championships (Second Most Current Competition Results, which target athletes who were level 7 at that time and are now level 9 and age eligible)
From the 2019 Junior Olympic Championships (Third Most Current Competition Results, which target athletes who were level 6 at that time and are now level 9 and age eligible)