Gymnasts hit perfect rhythm in time for Paris

They may go through hoops on the floor but that’s nothing to the ones they have conquered in real life to land their French fairytale. ROBERT CRADDOCK looks at Australia’s gymnastic medal hopes.

Aspire Group chosen in Australian Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics. (left to right): Emma Frroku, Phoebe Learmont, Lidiia Iakovleva, Saskia Broedelet Jess Weintraub.

They started together just two years ago at a suburban Brisbane school hall … now they are off to the greatest sporting show on earth.

This is the unlikely story of a Queensland rhythmic gymnastics team who will become only the second rhythmic gymnastics group to represent Australia at an Olympics when they compete in Paris next month.

The Aspire Senior Group have been training six days a week for four hours a day at the Robertson State School gym in the hope of landing the French fairytale which was officially announced in Melbourne today.

It’s an enchanting story stretching all the way to Russia where team captain Lidiia Lakovleva, 20, was born.

Lidiia began rhythmic gymnastics when she was five years old in Russia before moving to Australia and shone so brightly she competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a teenager.

“Paris has been our goal since the group came together full-time in 2022,’’ Lidii said.

Lidiia Lakovleva at the 2017 Australian Gymnastic Championships. Picture: Joe Castro/AAP.

“Like everyone in the group, we think about it (competing in Paris) every day. Our group has grown close. In the beginning, we had to understand how to work with each other, and the past six months everything has clicked in the big events.”

Three years ago the group was doing group and individual competitions before shelving their individual goals two years ago to have a collective push for Paris.

The group also features Emmanouela Frroku, 16; Jess Weintraub, 17; Phoebe Learmont, 19, and Saskia Broedelet 20.

The girls are used to training and performing at their own gym before family and a few mates but will have the pulsating experience of entertaining a crowd of 8000 fans at the newly constructed $150 million Adidas Arena in Paris.

Aspire Group chosen in Australian Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics. (left to right): Emma Frroku, Phoebe Learmont, Lidiia Iakovleva, Saskia Broedelet Jess Weintraub.

Gymnastics Queensland CEO Chris Rushton said the Aspire Senior Group’s success would create a legacy for the sport.

“The sport is hitting incredible heights, with Aspire actually battling it out with another rhythmic gymnastics group from Queensland for top spot at the Sofia Cup in Bulgaria,’’ Rushton said.

The team is coached by Lulilia Iakovleva (Lidiia’s mother) and Sydney 2000 Olympic silver medallist, Tania Belan from Belarus who settled in Australia in 2014.

“It has been a lot of hard work and sacrifice,” Belan said. “I’m very proud of each of them, as they have quickly gelled into a strong team.

“They have really started to believe in themselves and are motivated to continue achieving success.”