China secures dual annual titles in Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series

(ECNS)— China's rhythmic gymnastics team has topped the annual rankings in both the group all-around and the five-ball event of this year's World Cup Series.

It is the third year in a row that China has claimed the annual group all-around title, cementing its place at the top of the sport. 

At the final series leg in Milan, which served as a crucial warm-up for the upcoming World Championships in Germany, the Chinese squad won gold in the three hoops and two clubs event and also took bronze in the five-ball event.

Those results, combined with earlier dominant performances in Tashkent and Sofia, allowed China to edge out their main rivals in the competition including Russia and Brazil, to seal both annual titles.

Sun Dan, the group's coach, said the team had turned the intense pressure of competition into motivation.

She said the coaching staff will now make targeted adjustments to sharpen the team's routines ahead of the World Championships and the Asian Games.

The World Championships will serve as a qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. 

(By Helen Mo, intern Lin Qiaochu)