By Emily Goddard

Ganna Rizatdinova london 2012February 6 - Miss Valentine will this year be held as an International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup for the first time in its 19-year history, as the biggest international gymnastics tournament in Estonia gets the post-Olympic FIG rhythmic gymnastics season underway this weekend.

The event will see 21 individual gymnasts from 15 nations, including Ukraine's London 2012 Olympic all-around finalist Ganna Rizatdinova (pictured top), and Olympians Melitina Staniouta of Belarus and Anna Alyabyeva of Kazakhstan, competing at the Le Coq Sports Hall in Tartu on February 8- until 10 as the first of eight events in 2013.

Rhythmic powerhouse Russia is sending newcomers Elizaveta Nazarenkova and Svetlana Lanshakova to the competition, while 2010 and 2011 World Championships competitor Viktoria Bogdanova and promising youngster Carmel Kallemaa will represent the host nation.

The annual international tournament, which has been held around Valentine's Day since 1994, was the idea of Estonian former elite gymnast, coach and tournament director Janika Mölder to celebrate friendship and a love for gymnastics.

Meanwhile, the 2013 FIG World Cup circuit in rhythmic gymnastics includes one category A event, in Sofia on May 4-5, and seven category B events in Tartu, Lisbon on April 3-6, Bucharest on April 19-21, Pesaro on April 26-28, Corbeil-Essonnes on May 10-12, Minsk on May 17-19 and St Petersburg on August 17-18.

Apart from Tartu, Bucharest and Corbeil-Essonnes, which are for individuals only, all events include both individual and group competitions, with all-around competitions serving as qualifications for the finals by apparatus.

The world ranking points collected by the competitors at their best four World Cup events  will add up to a total, and the top scorers in each discipline will be crowned winners of the overall series at the final event in St Petersburg.

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