8th International BLUME Tournament Rhythmic Gymnastics 2022

It is now the VIII. International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament within the framework of the BLUME Festival, in a country where the soul of rhythmic gymnastics seems to be beating, which can be felt more in the enthusiasm of the participants and in the stands than anywhere else!
And it was the youngest, an eight-year-old from war-torn Kiev, who managed to leave the strongest sporting and emotional impression on her first ever trip abroad!
<< Maria KHARTCHENKO, was quite impressed after a long journey, had climbed out of a plane quite tired for the first time in her young life, and immediately conquered the hearts of everyone in the sports hall "Jesus TELO" of the island's capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with her performance ...:.

To the very first time this RG Tournament took place in the in Las Palmas, named in memory of the founder of the BLUME Festival, , SeniorJesús Telo Núñez, who died 14 years ago.

And there this 8-year-old Maria KHARCHENKO from the world-famous Kiev' Derjugina School, who since the beginning of the war has found a new home now in Germany, in the city of Halle / Sa., at the top German gymnastics club there, the SKC TaBeA Halle under head coach Claudia Marx, who predicts a possible great sports career for this girl, left a great impression here in Gran Canaria!

Maria KHARCHENKO - impressive movement study of the 8-year-olds girl,
captured by our GYMmedia photographer Achim Schäfer

Unconcerned and equipped with excellent agility characteristics as well as outstanding coordinative skills, which indicate a meticulous and comprehensive basic training, Mariechen presented herself to an enthusiastic audience in a truly atmospheric competition atmosphere.
Of course, she won in her age group of the newcomers with 21.300 points (exercise without apparatus), which her Canarian opponents from the Santa Brigida Gymnastics Club, Sofia ALAMO (18.100) as well as Celia GUEDE and Valeria NAVARRO (- both 16.500) recognised without envy.
Of course, besides the competition and some show performances on the BLUME Festival stages, there was enough time for little Marie and her fellow competitors from the Halle Sports and Culture Club to enjoy the wonderful sun, the beach and the pleasant Atlantic air in the south of the island (*photo, right: Relaxing is part of top sports!).
Whether the little girl can really switch off from all the stresses and strains of her family and the Ukrainian reality ... (?), because her father is still at home in the war in Kiev, even though she is being taken care of in her adopted home at TaBeA Halle ...!

In addition to Marie Kharchenko, other Ukrainian talents have found a temporary home in Halle at SKC TaBeA; all of them, as well as their new German teammates, have just rehearsed their new choreographies, which they can test here at an international tournament with guests from Denmark and Italy.
All these choreographies come from the mind and pen of the former national team captain, Laure MARX, who has meanwhile matured into a professional coach at the side of her mother boss Claudia MARX. "... she already makes up a large part of the soul of our sport-and-culture club"! - says her mother appreciatively:

* Coach Laure MARX correcting the posture of Yelizaveta HLADCHENKO,
who was here in Las Palmas winner with the ball (23,20) in front of her TaBeA Club-mate and Ukrainian guests - Diana LESHCHINSKAJA (21.30) und Alisa YEFIMENKO (18,80).
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Fabiola Rodriguez is the tireless soul of rhythmic gymnastics in all the Canary Islands.
She also runs the Elegance Gymnastics club "Elegance" in the mountain community of Santa Brigida with many enthusiastic children, the all where participants of these Blume tournament this year, too → ...

And a special appreciation is due to this 60-year-old festival tradition, which feels obliged to the eponym and four-time EX-European champion Joqin BLUME, and especially in the last decade has added these competition forms for the youth to the determining popular sport contents for the more mature age groups, as the guests also know to confirm:
"Here in Spain and also especially in the Canary Islands, rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that comes from the heart," says Germany's RG expert Claudia Marx.

"I have great respect for the achievements, especially also at the grassroots level and across the board, that my colleague Fabiola Rodriguez has been doing here for many years. In any case, this Blume tournament is always worth a visit! This year, the international guests from Denmark and Italy and our friendly Spanish guests also see it that way!
* Report: gymmedia / -ehe-
* Photos: Achim Schaefer
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