Laura Paris will lead the new era of Italian rhythmic gymnastics

In the blink of an eye, like that of a butterfly, Laura Paris found herself rising from being the newest arrival to captain of the Italian rhythmic gymnastics team, a new and disrupted lineup. The first to weigh heavily was the retirement of captain Alessia Maurelli , and then the departure of Daniela Mogurean and Martina Centofanti, following the dismissal of Emanuela Maccarani (due to the well-known legal issues). "It's a big change. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to learn from my older teammates like Alessia Maurelli and Martina Centofanti, who were role models from day one to day. That team taught me tenacity, commitment, determination, sacrifice, and teamwork. Now I try to pass on my experience to the other girls, who are full of energy and a desire to learn. In a team, it's important to be consistent, but everyone is different. You have to be able to hone and adapt your personality to the whole, to enhance and bring out each person's strengths and then enhance the collective. On the platform, the goal is to look identical, unrecognizable, but it's nice that no one loses their uniqueness."

Born in Rho in 2002, a bronze medalist at the 1924 Paris Olympics, she will compete this weekend in front of her home crowd at the Unipol Forum in Milan for the final stage of the World Cup (finals Sunday on La7). "Competing in Italy is unique: the warmth of the crowd and our loved ones makes the competition even more exciting. There will be so many people cheering us on, and that's an honor for us, but also a responsibility. It's an important step ahead of the World Championships in Rio at the end of August (20-24, ed.)."

The Italian women are finding their balance after these past few months, and with Mariela Pashalieva's new technique, which led them to bronze at the European Championships in Tallinn. "It's a starting point, a good debut for this team that's just starting out." A journey that leads to Los Angeles, after experiencing their first Olympics firsthand: "I remember every moment, from leaving on the bus from Follonica, saying goodbye to our teammates, to that step to step onto the podium hand in hand with my teammates. It was the realization of a dream and the push to set new goals and build new projects."

The key word for this rhythmic gymnastics course is innovation, with the desire to move past a challenging period. "These have been quite eventful months for the entire Gymnastics Federation, and especially for the rhythmic gymnastics section. The difference lies in how you approach change, identifying opportunities and not just the negatives. All of this has encouraged me to move forward and address this situation in the best possible way, in addition to my passion for what I do."

Looking back, between swinging the ball and hooping, the Lombardy native, who joined the team at 16 and was just a reserve, has come a long way. She admits, she's grown both athletically and, above all, personally. "You learn to live far from home, to share every moment with your teammates. You learn what it means to dedicate yourself completely to a passion and give it your all, you learn sacrifice, to face victories in the best possible way and to accept defeat. The greatest lesson this sport will leave me is knowing how to work as a team, working hard every day, with and for your teammates, all with the same goal." At 9, Paris began wearing leotards and pursuing perfect movements, thanks to her sister and motivated by the desire to always improve and learn. A mettle perhaps inherited from her father, Federico: "He was a track cycling champion; both my parents always placed importance on sport and instilled its values in us."

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