On the first day of senior individual qualification at the 2019 European Championships in Baku, Dina and Arina Averina led the rankings on hoop and ball. For followers of rhythmic gymnastics in that period, it was no surprise: the twins from Russia were the reference point of the Tokyo cycle.
Two gymnasts, one rivalry
Dina Averina won the world all-around title in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Arina was regularly her closest rival. Competing against a twin sister brings a particular kind of pressure, and both gymnasts spoke over the years about pushing each other in training. On the competition floor, their routines were different in character but similar in quality, and judges often had very little to separate them.
Hoop and ball in the 2017–2020 code
The rules of this cycle rewarded risk elements and dynamic rotations with throws. On hoop, gymnasts rolled the apparatus over the body and caught it from high throws while turning; on ball, the emphasis was on flowing body waves and catches with one hand or without the use of the hands. The Averinas combined very high difficulty with almost no visible errors, which is the hardest combination in rhythmic gymnastics.
How qualification worked in Baku
Senior individuals were split into sets and performed two apparatus on each of the two qualification days: hoop and ball first, clubs and ribbon the next day. Results counted towards the apparatus finals and the team ranking.
In hindsight
The twins went to the Tokyo Olympics as favourites. In the all-around final, Israel's Linoy Ashram won gold ahead of Dina Averina in one of the most discussed results of the Games. Baku 2019 shows the Averinas at the peak of their dominance, before that contest.
What to take from it
- Consistency across apparatus is what wins rhythmic titles. - Two gymnasts from the same programme can still compete with very different artistic identities. - Qualification leads are not titles, but they set the tone for finals.
See the Baku 2019 archive page and our rhythmic apparatus guide.
