© Tom Theobald

IZMIR, Turkey, Sept. 22, 2014 — Serena Lu of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, led the way for the United States during the first of four days of qualification at the 2014 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Izmir, Turkey. 2014 U.S. all-around co-champions Jazzy Kerber of Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Rebecca Sereda of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, also performed their ball routines in today’s competition.

The United States continues its competition tomorrow with their hoop routines, which get underway at 5:15 p.m. local time/10:15 a.m. ET.

Lu was first to go for the Americans and posted a 15.833 for her well-controlled routine. Sereda followed with a 15.291 for her ball routine. Kerber was last to go for Team USA. She showed a playful routine and great control throughout her turns, which drew gasps from the audience. She posted a 15.641.

At the conclusion of the first day of competition, Kerber is in 40th place in the all-around with Sereda in 50th. Lu is 32nd but will only perform hoop and ball in Izmir. The top 24 advance to Friday’s all-around final, based on their top three scores.

USA Gymnastics will carry more than 15 hours of live web coverage of the finals at the World Rhythmic Championships, beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 23 with the hoop and ball finals on the USA Gymnastics YouTube channel. In addition to live coverage of the medal rounds, USA Gymnastics will provide archived coverage of Team USA’s routines during the individual qualification rounds. 

The complete live coverage schedule for this year’s Worlds is below and all times are Eastern. As the U.S. rights holder, USA Gymnastics’ coverage will only be available to viewers in the USA.

Tuesday, Sept. 23
1 p.m. – Individual event finals (hoop and ball)

Thursday, Sept. 25
1 p.m. – Individual event finals (clubs and ribbon)

Friday, Sept. 26
9:30 a.m. – Individual all-around final (Group B, Rank 13-24)
1 p.m. – Individual all-around final (Group A, Rank 1-12)

Saturday, Sept. 27
8 a.m. – Groups General Competition (Part 1)
10:45 a.m. – Groups General Competition (Part 2)

Sunday, Sept. 28
8 a.m. – Group event finals (5 clubs and 3 balls/2 ribbons)

Fans can also find live scoring, start lists and results at fig-gymnastics.com, as well as extensive U.S. coverage at usagym.org and on the USA Gymnastics Facebook page and twitter feed (@usagym). The FIG’s Twitter handle is @officialFIG, and additional videos will be posted to the FIG’s YouTube Channel.

Rhythmic gymnastics is characterized by grace, beauty and elegance combined with dance and acrobatic elements, while working with ribbons, balls, hoops, ropes and clubs in a choreographed routine to music. The choreography must cover the entire floor and contain a balance of jumps, leaps, pivots and balances. Only four of the apparatus are competed each quad, and the four for 2016 are hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. Each movement involves a high degree of athletic skill. Physical abilities needed by a rhythmic gymnast include strength, power, flexibility, agility, dexterity, endurance and hand-eye coordination.