Russia set to shine at home Para dance sport Continents Cup

Russian Para dancers are ready to show off their form ahead of the 2019 World Championships, as they host the Saint Petersburg Continents Cup beginning Friday. 

The Convention and Exhibition Centre EXPOFORUM will welcome 88 athletes across 16 countries, all looking to impress ahead of the Bonn 2019 Worlds come late November in Germany. 

That would be the target for Russia’s world champion medallists from 2015, such as Galina Ryzhkova and Maksim Sedakov. 

Ryzhkova and Sedakov last won the women’s and men’s singles 2 world titles, respectively, in Rome, Italy. After the Russian delegation missed out on the last Worlds in 2017 in Malle, Belgium, they are aiming to return in force for Bonn 2019. 

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Aleksandra Berdnik will look to challenge her compatriot Ryzhkova in the singles competition over the weekend. For years, Berdnik has danced in the shadows of her Russian counterpart. But Berdnik would hope she can turn her bronze from Rome 2015 into gold, starting with a strong performance in St. Petersburg. 

Her partnership with Sergey Antonov has proven to be a winning combination. Together they became the duo standard 2 gold medallists and also captured duo Latin bronze at Rome 2015.

In the combi events, Belarus’ Darya Kulsh and Aliaksandr Liakhovich; South Korea’s Jang Hye-Jeong and Youngho Lee; and Finland’s Tuuli Harju and Timo Pyykkonen are all expected to put on medal-worthy routines for the judges. 

The Saint Petersburg Para Dance Sport Continents Cup runs until Sunday. 

The Bonn 2019 World Para Dance Sport Championships will take place from 29 November – 1 December.