I already wrote about Maria Kitkarska, a young Canadian gymnast in my Bulgarian language blog (http://ludafenka.blogspot.com/2011/02/blog-post_26.html). A friend has informed me that she did great at the Pan American games in Guadalajara, placing 7th. The medal winners were Julie Zetlin from the United States, Cynthia Valdez from Mexico, and Angélica Kvieczynski from Brazil. Kitkarska's teammate, the more experienced Canadian, Mariam Chamilova, took 4th place. The elegant Shelby Kisiel from the USA took 5th place, while Ana Milagros Carrasco Pini, the fierce new prima of Argentina came in sixth.
Here are some pictures of Maria from the Montreal World Club event this winter. She looks especially stunning in her red ribbon leotard. Maria, who just started competing as a senior this year, performs with a big smile in every routine, a bit like the famous Israeli gymnast, Irina Risenzon. I am really happy that Maria made the top 8 at the Pan American Games and hope to she continues improving and smiling.
