Individual Olympian Evita Griskenas (Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center) was joined by group Olympian Izzy Connor (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) and the Senior National Group at the Palaio Faliro World Cup in Athens, their second competition in Greece in as many weeks.

Griskenas won bronze (31.550) in the ball final behind Bulgaria’s Stiliana Nikolova in first (34.450) and Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli in second (31.600). Griskenas was top 10 in the all-around, finishing ninth with a 120.250, and was sixth in the ribbon final with a 28.000. Olympian Lili Mizuno (Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics) was 17th in the all-around after hoop and ball on Friday but sustained an injury during Saturday’s clubs qualification and could not continue.

The Senior National Group was 12th all-around (51.000) with groups from Israel (65.450), Bulgaria (64.700) and Brazil (63.850) taking the podium. The U.S. group of Connor, Daria Merkulova (Vernon Hills, Ill.), Gergana Petkova (Barrington, Ill.), Katrine Sakhnov (Glencoe, Ill.), Karolina Saverino (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) and Hana Starkman (Deerfield, Ill.) scored a 30.100 in five hoops and a 20.900 in three ribbons and two balls during qualifications.


Evita Griskenas (right), Faliro World Cup ball bronze medalist
© Klodian Lato/Eurokinissi