South Africa is part of the 36th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships set to begin in Sofia, Bulgaria from 10 to 16 September.
More than 350 gymnasts from approximately 60 nations will be battling for honours on all-around, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon, individual events as well as team competitions.
This event will feature both senior rhythmic individual and senior rhythmic group.
This year, South Africa will be represented by four senior rhythmic gymnasts, one coach and a judge.
These gymnasts have been selected based on their performances at the KSG trials, held in Klerksdorp earlier in the year in accordance with the selection policy circulated prior to the competition.
SA gymnasts for the World Championships will include Juniors All-Around Lilica Burger who came first at the 2017 SA Gym Games, and who has already competed at the 14th African Championships in Egypt this year.
This will be her first RG World Championships and she will compete on hoop, ball and club apparatus.
Erin Wakefield, Seniors All-Around bronze medallist at the 2017 SA Gym Games, will wear the green and gold for the first time when she competes on hoop and ribbon apparatus.
And the most senior and experienced South African gymnast at this event is 2014 Youth Olympian Shannon Gardiner, who will compete on hoop, ball and clubs apparatus.
Palesa Mohlamme – who is the national champion of Seniors All-Around and who tied first with Chris-Marie van Wyk at the 2017 SA Gym Games, is the fourth SA team member. It will also be the first time Mohlamme will wear green and gold when she competes on ball and ribbon apparatus.
Tatiana Lavrenchuk-Vizer will serve as senior coach for the RG Worlds, with Maureen van Rooyen representing South Africa as a judge.
PHOTO: Shannon Gardiner, at the 2nd Youth Olympic Games Nanjing, China 2014