Ekandjo steps onto Worlds carpet today
Namibia’s Emilia Ekandjo steps onto the carpet at the 42nd Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships today, beginning her second consecutive appearance on the sport’s biggest global stage in Germany.
The Windhoek Rhythmic Club gymnast has been drawn eighth in Group E, which gets underway at 16:15 at Festhalle Frankfurt. She is scheduled to open her campaign with ribbon at about 16:39, before returning with clubs at around 17:23.
Ekandjo will complete her individual qualification programme tomorrow, when she is scheduled to perform ball at about 18:09 and hoop at around 18:53.
The five-day senior showpiece, which concludes on Sunday, has brought about 350 gymnasts from 73 countries to Frankfurt, including 101 individual competitors and 42 groups.
First feel of the carpet
Namibian Gymnastics Federation (NGF) rhythmic gymnastics president Britt Adonis-Byl confirmed that Ekandjo completed her podium training yesterday, following the team’s arrival in Germany on Monday morning.
The session also gave Ekandjo her first opportunity to go through her routines on the competition floor before today’s opening performances.
Adonis-Byl also had preparations of her own, attending the individual judges’ instruction yesterday before a practical session on the competition scoring system.
The judges are set to return this morning for the draw and briefing ahead of the opening individual qualification sessions.
Adonis-Byl’s personal milestones
Adonis-Byl, an experienced Brevet rhythmic gymnastics judge, is marking another milestone for Namibia in Frankfurt.
This is only her second World Championships judging assignment, after officiating at the third Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, last year.
Her appearance in Sofia made her the first Namibian judge to officiate at the Junior Worlds. In Frankfurt, she now becomes the country’s first to officiate at the senior World Championships.
Ekandjo is accompanied by her coach, Windhoek Rhythmic Club head coach Wietsa Snyman.
