Rhythmic athletes are in Mexico for the last phase of this year’s Pan Am Championships and in Egypt for more action, while U.S. acrobats take on World Cup competition in Poland.
Olympians Evita Griskenas (Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center) and Izzy Connor (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) lead the 16-athlete delegation representing the U.S. at the 2023 Pan American Championships June 8-11 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The 2020 Olympians will be joined in senior competition by Alexandria Kautzman (Simi Valley, Calif./California Rhythms) and the Senior National Group of Daria Merkulova (Vernon Hills, Ill.), Gergana Petkova (Barrington, Ill.), Katrine Sakhnov (Glencoe, Ill.), Karolina Saverino (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) and Hana Starkman (Deerfield, Ill.).
Highlighting the individual junior field are Megan Chu (San Diego, Calif./Pacific Stars Rhythmic Academy), Rin Keys (Porter Ranch, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics) and Erika Rusak (Auburn, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics). The group from North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center of Goda Balsys (Northbrook, Ill.), Annabella Hantov (Northfield, Ill.), Kristina Lee (Woodridge, Ill.), Greta Pavilonyte (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) and Alaini Spata (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) will participate in group competition.
Griskenas and Kautzman also will compete as a senior team while Chu, Keys and Rusak will compete as a junior team.
Competition kicks off with junior individual, with the U.S. in Group A at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 8 followed by junior groups at 3 p.m. ET. Juniors take the floor on Friday again at 11 a.m. ET and groups at 3 p.m. ET. Individual seniors will continue Friday’s slate at 6 p.m. ET, with senior groups at 10 p.m. ET.
Saturday, June 10 is slated for junior finals beginning at 11 a.m. ET; senior qualifications will resume at 6 p.m. ET for individuals and 10 p.m. ET for groups. Sunday is reserved for all senior final competition starting at noon ET.
The 2023 Rhythmic Pan American Championship will be live streamed here.
The 2023 Pharaoh’s Cup June 9-11 in Cairo, Egypt, will feature Olympian Lili Mizuno (Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics). Qualifications are set for Friday, June 9 through to Saturday, June 10, followed by finals on Saturday, June 11.
After gold-medal performances at the Maia and Puurs World Cups, reigning World champions Angel Felix (Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy) and Braiden McDougall (Riverside, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy) look to go three-for-three at the 2023 Rzeszów World Cup June 9-11 in Poland. Felix and McDougall will be joined by women’s pair Mo Arthur (Rolla, Mo./Mid America Acro Tumbling) and Ariana Katsov (Owensville, Mo./Mid America Acro Tumbling) and the women’s group from Emilia’s Acro Gymnastics and Cheer of Mariam Tutberidze (Owings Mills, Md.), Grace Vonder Haar (Laurel, Md.) and Kayla Vonder Haar (Laurel, Md.).
Qualifications will be held Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10 beginning at 10 a.m. ET on both days. Sunday’s finals are slated for 8 a.m. ET. The top six pairs and the top eight groups, with only two units per country, will advance to finals.
Visit akrobatykarzeszow.pl for all information about the competition. Live scoring will be available here.