The municipality of Los Realejos in Tenerife played host to a landmark event on Saturday as it welcomed the regional final of the junior rhythmic gymnastics’ competition within the framework of the 62nd Canary Islands School Sports Championships.
More than 200 gymnasts and around 50 coaches, representing 30 clubs from Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and La Palma, took part in a day marked by exceptional technical skill, vibrant atmosphere, and record participation.
The event took place at the Basilio Labrador Sports Complex, where the grandstands were packed with enthusiastic spectators supporting the young athletes. The competition crowned both individual and team champions across various levels, including school, base, elite, and adaptive categories.
The Club Batistana of Tenerife emerged as one of the standout performers, securing team titles in both the base and elite categories, alongside multiple individual victories. In the school category team competition, Deportivo Intara claimed the gold medal, followed by Tenesay Adeje (Tenerife) and Corza’s Maspalomas (Gran Canaria), who took silver and bronze respectively.
In the base category, Club Batistana clinched its first collective title of the day, joined on the podium by Club Odisea (Tenerife) and once again Corza’s Maspalomas. Batistana also dominated the elite category, securing another team gold, with Club Corarenal Tenerife taking silver.
Individual accolades in the school category all went to Club Batistana, with Lucía Torres winning the rope event, Lucía Sánchez triumphing in hoop, and Martina Méndez taking gold in ribbon. In the base category, Martina Dimova from Aura Costa Adeje won gold in hoop, Olivia Boari of Tenesay Costa Adeje in ball, and Enma Soria of Batistana in ribbon.
Additional notable performances included Karla Díaz from Club Deportivo Daisán (Gran Canaria) winning in hoop, Marina Pérez from Corza’s Maspalomas in rope, Inka Wilke from Daisán in ribbon, Gabriela Rodríguez from Batistana in hoop, and Ariana Guedes from Corza’s Maspalomas in clubs.
A significant highlight of this year’s competition was the inclusion of the adapted category. Dafne Alvarado from Club Gadae (northern Gran Canaria) claimed the top spot, with Sofía Brito from Club de Gimnasia Rítmica Gricia in La Guancha, Tenerife, taking second place.
The event was organised with the support of the Canary Islands Government’s Department of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sport, led by Poli Suárez, in collaboration with the Canary Islands Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation. It was hailed as a valuable platform for promoting athletic excellence while reinforcing values such as teamwork, inclusion, and perseverance.
Ana Margarita Cabrera López, President of the Canary Islands Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, emphasised the importance of “bringing competition closer to school and base categories” and applauded the choice of Los Realejos as the host location, citing its “organisational quality, excellent facilities, and dedicated volunteer support.” She also noted the event's value in shaping the regional teams that will represent the Canary Islands at the upcoming national championships scheduled for late May.
