In Bulgaria only Raffaeli and Sella in the individual. Forfait of the Butterflies:: "Pause for reflection"

Wiretaps, accusations, investigations: the dark side of rhythmic gymnastics, week after week, emerges and expands. It is thus essential, for the entire movement, that we also return to talking about the sporting part. While some butterflies take a "pause for reflection", Viola Sella from Milan and Sofia Raffaeli have left for Bulgaria, for the first stage of the World Cup. It will be up to the Lombard, born in 2006, to support the star from Fabriano and begin to gain confidence with international competitions. Sella, who debuted in the last stage in Milan in 2023, trains in her city with the historic Forza e Coraggio company, followed by Daniela Vergani. In the last two years she has collected two bronzes at the Assoluti behind Baldassarri and Raffaeli. In Bulgaria she will be able to learn something from the Olympic bronze medalist Sofia Raffaeli, who in the last few hours, received the closeness of President Andrea Facci who visited the gym in Fabriano where she trains under the guidance of Claudia Mancinelli. For the two (and for the team) the objectives remain the European Championships in Tallinn in June, the World Cup final in Milan in July and the World Championships in Rio de Janeiro in August. They will be the only ones on the platform, while the Butterflies or what remains of the team, Olympic bronze in Tokyo and Paris, will miss the debut. The platform in Desio, the federal center where the team trains, remained empty for a few days and things are slowly returning to normal. The Italian women are postponing their return to competitions to a date to be determined, a technical choice agreed with the federal leaders. "We would like to emphasize that this choice was not motivated by a stance or an attitude of arrogance, but it was a decision supported and shared by the entire team", said Martina Centofanti, Daniela Mogurean and Laura Paris, the three Italians who decided not to participate in the first stage, affected by the dismissal of technical director Emanuela Maccarani, investigated for alleged abuse of athletes: "This sudden change had a strong impact on the entire group, but in particular on us veterans, who have worked for years alongside our coach, who has been a guide and a fundamental point of reference for us. In agreement with President Facci and after having informed the Air Force, our Sports Group, we had the need and the opportunity to take a few days to reflect, metabolize, talk to our families and also take a break from training".

Giuliana Lorenzo