If you are not completely recluse, you may have noticed that the Summer Olympic Games are in full swing in Paris. And with a few days left until the closing ceremony, it’s time, among other events, for rythmic gymnasts to start performing. And at least two of them will perform to Eurovision songs.
A Eurovision winner and a French entry
Yesterday afternoon, the IOC released the first official reports on the Individual Qualification rounds for Rythmic Gymnastics. Among these reports is the long-awaited “Music selection” sheet, which indicated the songs chosen by each gymnast for each performance of the individual all-around event, crediting the composer and the performers (with covers being often used).
It is usual for gymnasts to chose songs from the host country of the Olympics, meaning that there are more French songs this year than there was in Tokyo or Rio, for example. Among these will be La Zarra’s “Évidemment”, the French act of 2023, which will accompany Egyptian gymnast Aliaa Saleh during her ribbon routine this afternoon.
This morning, it is Germany’s Margarita Kolosov who will be performing to another Eurovision song, a winner this time, Måneskin’s “Zitti e Buoni”, for her hoop routine.
What are rythmic gymnastics?
Rythmic Gymnastic is a branch of gymnastic which first appeared competitively in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the mid-20th century. It first appeared at the Olympics in Los Angeles, in 1984, and has been dominated by Eastern european athletes since then (mainly from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, although the Soviet Union never actually won a medal before its dissolution).
In the individual all-around events, gymnasts must perform four routines, each with a different apparatus. There are therefore four appartus : the hoop, the ball, the clubs, and the most famous one, the ribbon. Just like artistic gymnastics, points are scored with the evaluation of a jury panel. Rythmic gymnastics is also the last sport at the Olympics to only allow female performers.
Today, 24 gymnasts will perform all their routines in the qualification round, and the top 10 will go to the Final, which will take place tomorrow afternoon. The group qualifications (with five gymnasts, presenting two routines, one with five hoops, the other with three ribbons and two balls) will take place tomorrow, with the eight best groups out of fourteen qualifying for the Saturday final, but no Eurovision songs according to the Olympics website.
Try to watch the Olympics today to catch these breathtaking performances, and tell us in the comments wether they gave them justice!
