Uzbekistan's Takhmina Ikromova took the lead on home soil with a total score of 30.540 at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Tashkent ©Getty Images

The Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series got underway with teenager Takhmina Ikromova leading the standings of the first round of qualifying across rhythmic individual and group competitions at the Tashkent Gymnastics Sports Palace in Uzbekistan. 

Ikromova took the lead on home soil with a total score of 30.540 in the hoop segment before adding 30.350 in the ball qualification. 

European finalist Jelizaveta Polstjanaja of Latvia finished second with 59.200.

Polstjanaja managed 30.350 in the hoop segment and 28.850 in the ball category.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Ekaterina Vedeneeva was the third best with a score of 58.550. 

Vedeneeva scored 29.050 in the hoop before attaining the second best result 29.500 in the ball segment. 

Vedeneeva is Russian born but has competed for Slovenia since 2018. 

Veteran Sabina Tashkenbaeva, who won gold at the 2019 Asian Championships, finished fourth after scoring 28.500 and 29.400 in hoop and ball, respectively. 

Tashkenbaeva became a member of Uzbekistan's national team in 2013 and made her international senior debut back in 2016. 

Italy's Alexandra Agiurgiuculese, who is a four-time medallist at the 2016 European Junior Championships, could not manage to stay on the top and ended the day eighth on 53.300. 


In the group event, Bulgaria leads the standings with a total score of 26.400, with host nation Uzbekistan second with 25.400 and Kazakhstan third with 24.300 to complete the podium, while Azerbaijan sits in fourth with 20.350. 

Bulgaria took two of a possible three titles at last week’s World Cup event in Sofia.

Competition in Tashkent is due to continue tomorrow before concluding on Sunday (April 17). 

After Tashkent, the World Cup series is due to move on to Baku in Azerbaijan from April 22 to 24, before it is scheduled to wrap up in Pesaro in Italy between June 3 and 5.