Spain's leap to gold in a more mathematical rhythmic gymnastics: "Young, but seasoned"

Inés Bergua (21 years old) stands out for her “persistence and invisible work”. Andrea Corral (16) is the “good character, positivity, energy”. Lucía Muñoz (16) is the “talent”, which makes the difficult simple. Salma Solaun (20) is the “delicacy, sweetness in movement”. Andrea Fernández (19) is the “charisma, expressiveness, the one who grows through competition”. Marina Cortelles (18) is the “elegance, clean execution”. They are the six European champions (33 years later) in the general classification of rhythmic gymnastics and those who begin the path to Los Angeles after the bitter taste of Paris 2024. Alejandra Quereda has a clear roadmap in this year of “transition”, which began with three golds in Tallinn, a week ago.

A placebo for what happened in Paris . Spain arrived with the challenge of fighting for the podium at the Bercy Arena and didn't even make it to the final as a team. There was disappointment, but Quereda wasted no time in renewing hope. “We didn't change much. We believe there was a high level of pressure in Paris, but we had worked hard. In 2023, we competed in the World Cup at home, in Valencia, and won medals. It was a result of the moment, of the circumstances, not of preparation,” he reflects.

We didn't change much, what happened in Paris was a product of the moment" Alejandra Quereda, Spanish rhythmic gymnastics national team coach

For this reason, the first thing she did was revamp the team. She kept some veterans , but brought in young athletes who had been part of the group dynamic for some time. As Quereda says, "young, but seasoned." "The apparatuses changed. Now there's a mixed combination with balls and hoops, and five ribbons. And we've had to adapt the new choreographies to the code of points," Quereda explained. These rules make the artistic movement more "mathematical" and benefit Spain because of the importance of "artistic" techniques.

“We're forced to reach the maximum level of difficulty, so we must improve our execution,” she adds. “We've tried to make everything more objective, leaving less up in the air. I think the best teams can reach a high level of difficulty, even if the mistakes weigh just as much ; I think they'll be less noticeable,” she added. That's why the creative aspect is essential to making a difference, and in that, Quereda acknowledges she's an outstanding student: “Ever since I was a little girl doing rhythmic gymnastics, I liked being myself and creating new elements. My mind works at 2000 miles an hour when I'm out at night,” she affirmed.

Rhythmic gymnastics will have a busy summer. After a week off following her success at the European Championships, it's now time to return to the mat, with exhibitions in Spain, training camps, and a World Cup stop in Romania. And in August, the World Championships in Rio de Janeiro (August 20-24), a city redolent of success for Quereda. In 2016, she was one of the leaders of the team that won Olympic silver: "For me, it's a unique memory, one of the best of my career. I'm afraid to relive the emotions I've experienced; I'm one to hold on to the moment. It was wonderful. The arena isn't the same, but the character and the warmth of the crowd will be similar," she imagined at the time, thinking ahead to more medals.