1 Russia 35.550 points
2 China 35.225
3 Belarus 34.900
4 Italy 34.425
5 Bulgaria 33.550
6 Israel 32.100
7 Azerbaijan 31.575
8 Ukraine 31.100
Russia wrapped up their third straight Olympic rhythmic gymnastics group all-around title Sunday, with China finishing second for their first medal ever in the crowd-pleasing discipline.
Over the past few years I’ve tried to gain more appreciation for this complicated sport. Certainly the Team is more appealing than the higher profile individual competition.
The general public is generally dismissive. Like this journalist:
… At first look, the sport of rhythmic gymnastics tends to induce a fit of the giggles. The costumes, the dramatic make-up, the ribbons; what’s the deal? And that flexibility? Well, that’s just freaky. How is this a sport?
Since we mock that which we do not understand, rhythmic gymnastics took a mean battering in the mock department in my life. I didn’t get it. So I mocked it.
And then I watched it.
I have now drunk the rhythmic Kool-Aid and am planning to move to Russia to learn to do the splits. Words I never thought I would utter came spilling out after the first night of qualifying; “Rhythmic gymnastics is really, really cool!”
Confessions of a former rhythmic mocker – Stacey Nash – NBC Olympics
My biggest complaint is the costumes. They distract from the extreme feats of coordination and flexibility, I think.
China’s silver medalists perform with hoops and clubs during the rhythmic gymnastics group competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008.
(AP Photo/Odd Andersen) – ESPN
Looks like China will be future challengers to the domination of Eastern Europe in this sport.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 