9/05/2015

United States Strongest Rhythmic Gymnasts Ever Ready for Their Most Important 2015 Event

The United States has taken a firm position as one of the world's leading nations in artistic gymnastics with the great and unforgettable stars from the 1990s, Shannon Miller and Kim Zmeskal, followed by the astonishing Olympic champion Nastia Likuin, a true personification of both strength and grace, and the new generation of female super heroes: Gabbie Douglas, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross and all the other girls on the national team.

I believe that the only reason rhythmic gymnastics has not followed into the glorious footsteps of its artistic sister discipline is quite simply because rhythmic has not gained enough popularity in the United States (yet!). I think rhythmic might just be biding its time before thousands of girls in America discover its charm. I have written about some terrific American gymnasts in the past, such as Rebecca Sereda and Ronit Shamuilov. I liked some of their work quite a bit, but this year, at the 2015 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, which are about to start on September 7th, the United States is going on the world gymnastics carpet with its best foot forward because the two gymnasts who represent us are Laura Zeng and Jazzy Kerber.

Laura and Jazzy have both gone very far in developing all the qualities that a rhythmic gymnast needs: from flexibility and natural elegance to apparatus work to sheer strength of body and mind. I would like to take this moment to wish them luck, but, more importantly, to share with the fans that, as a true fan, I expect many great achievements from both for them and I do hope that this World Championship will mark the start of an upward-climbing path. Keep going forward and on to the next milestone! Both of you are ready, and you are wonderful!



Laura Zeng in Moscow