Kazan hosted two wonderful rhythmic gymnastics tournaments this year – the Russia Cup and the 10th anniversary of the “Yoldyz” tournament. These events also marked the opening of the 1st All-Russian Sports Forum “Russia - a Sporting Nation”. It has to be said that Kazan did us proud by laying on a simply magnificent festival – beautiful, flamboyant and spectacular. In addition to Kazan’s many other virtues, we can now add that it is a truly sporting city. In fact, in my opening address I said that Kazan and sport are two sides of the same coin. Tatarstan’s capital has proved itself worthy of being chosen capital city of the 2013 World Student Games.

I was doubly pleased to take part in the opening of that sports forum because it actually began with rhythmic gymnastics – my very own favourite type of sport. In fact, rhythmic gymnastics is very popular in Kazan (and throughout the Tatar Republic). You can imagine the sheer demand for this sport when you consider that they’ve decided to build a sports centre designed specifically for rhythmic gymnastics. In two years’ time Kazan will be fully equipped to host the European Championship, because the new sports centre here will be fully in line with international standards. I’m certain that rhythmic gymnastics will have a great future in Tatarstan.

And how much pleasure the sports festival gave to the kids and their parents! You really needed to see it for yourselves. I just loved the demonstration performances: it’s an enormous pleasure for me to watch the little children perform. They’re all unbelievably talented…all of them so good and beautiful in their own different ways. And the thing I particularly like is that this beauty and grace will remain with them forever, no matter how their lives pan out. And that’s terrific! By the way, the kids these days are performing much more complicated routines than we adult gymnasts did at their age. It just shows how quickly rhythmic gymnastics is developing!


Performance by young gymnasts


Vera Nikolaevna Shatalina - one of my trainers