From April 10 to 12, the 27th International Sports Aerobics Tournament, the "Slovak Aerobic Open," took place in Bratislava. Nearly 450 athletes from 15 countries took part in the competition.
The Donetsk region was represented on the international stage by leading athletes—members of the regional national team, students of the Regional Children’s and Youth Sports School for Orphans, and the Kurakhiv City Council’s Comprehensive Children’s and Youth Sports School.
In the individual junior category, Dmytro Bohan took second place, while Maksym Kutsev finished just short of the podium, placing fourth.
The most successful performance came in the “Aerostep” category, where the Donetsk Oblast team won first place. The team consisted of Dmytro Bohan, Maksym Kutsev, Kamila Kharchenko, Maria Melnyk, Alina Vasyunina, Veronika Smolenska, Anastasia Petriy, and Ulyana Matyushkina. In the “Aerodance” category, the team took fourth place.
In the group exercises, the region’s representatives finished eighth. Competing in this event were Kamila Kharchenko, Alina Vasyunina, Maria Melnyk, Anastasia Petriy, and Veronika Smolenska.
The coaching and judging staff played a crucial role in the athletes’ preparation and performances. Ilona Karpenko served as an international-level judge at the competition, while Olena Kutseva supported the athletes as the head coach.