Isabel Benavente facts for kids
Isabel Benavente is a former Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She was one of the first Spanish gymnasts to compete at a world championship.
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Early Days of Spanish Rhythmic Gymnastics
The sport of rhythmic gymnastics started to become popular in Spain for high-level competitions thanks to a school in Madrid called Julio Ruiz de Alda. In 1963, Isabel Benavente, along with Rosa Ascaso and Rosa Jiménez, represented Spain at the first-ever World Championship in Budapest.
Later, in 1974, the Spanish Gymnastics Federation decided to create a national rhythmic gymnastics team. This was so Spain could compete in the World Championship held in Madrid in 1975 and the European Championship in Madrid in 1978. The first national coach was Ivanka Tchakarova from Bulgaria. She coached the team from 1974 to 1978, with help from Carmen Algora and Teresa de Isla. The gymnasts first trained at the National Sports Delegation, then moved to the Moscardó Gymnasium in Madrid.
In 1975, Spain held its first national rhythmic gymnastics championship. That same year, in November, the World Championship in Madrid was a huge success for Spain. The Spanish team won six medals in both group and individual events. After 1978, Meglena Atanasova, another Bulgarian coach, took over from Tchakarova and coached until 1981.
Isabel Benavente was an important part of the Royal Spanish Gymnastics Federation (FEG) from 1962. She was chosen to compete in the first rhythmic gymnastics world championship in Budapest in December 1963. She competed alongside other Spanish gymnasts like Rosa Ascaso and Rosa Jiménez.
In the competition, gymnasts perform routines with and without special equipment (like a ball or ribbon). Isabel Benavente finished in 27th place in both the routines with equipment and the routines without equipment. Overall, she placed 27th in the individual competition, out of fewer than 28 participants.
International Competition Results
Isabel Benavente's results at the Budapest 1963 were:
- 27th place in freehands (routines without equipment) with 8.266 points.
- 27th place with apparatus (routines with equipment) with 8.666 points.
- 27th place in the All-Around (total score from all routines) with 16.932 points.
See also
In Spanish: Isabel Benavente para niños
