Exciting Olympic Times For North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
(CBS) -- Balls, hoops, ribbons and batons are strewn on the floor of the gym at the Sach Recreational Center in Deerfield as young girls of all ages practice their routines and work with their coaches, all with hopes of becoming that next Olympian.
"This is one of the best in the world. We produce more champions here at North Shore Rhythmic than any other school in North America," says Coach Natalia Klimouk, a Belarus native who was a rhythmic gymnast herself.
Young girls of all ages come from all over the country to train with Klimouk and her team.
"Some girls train five to six days a week, three hours a day, minimum," she says.
WBBM's Lisa Fielding
The young athletes move to the Chicagoland area with their parents, or they live with host families and enroll in school to be near the training center.
"We have little kids who see how, generation by generation, we have a National Champion, National Champion, World Team Member. And they know it's possible."
On this day, six young girls in their teens practice group routines. They are the next Team USA in training.
"Our first successful group is our first five girls who will be on their way to Rio. They bring home silver medal from Pan American Games 2011. After that group, we select new kids and they train here, and in 3 ½ years we hope they qualify for Olympic Games," Klimouk says.
"For us, being the next group, it's a lot of pressure because we have to start where they left off because they made history this year," says gymnast Ugne Dragunas, 15, of Darien.
"I started doing rhythmic gymnastics when I was 4 years old and loved it ever since."
She and her five partners are the up-and-coming Olympic athletes.
"It's about sacrifice and determination and to understand how to balance school and the sport."
This year, the Team USA Rhythmic Gymnasts made history in that it was the first time they qualified aside from getting the host bid in 1996 in the Atlanta Games.
Libertyville native Laura Zeng will be competing as an individual.
She made history by placing third in hoop and ribbon event finals at the Minsk World Cup, which no American has ever accomplished.
In 2015, Laura became 8th all-around at the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, and secured a spot for the U.S. for the Rio Olympics.
As a sport, Rhythmic Gymnastics originated in the former Soviet Union in 1920s and has been dominated by Russia and other Eastern European countries at the international competitions and the Olympics. Klimouk hopes to bring more attention to the sport in the U.S.
"Problem is, this sport not that popular as artistic gymnastics. It's very popular in Europe and in China, but not in America. Our goal as coaches in United States (is) to show how beautiful this sport is."
Team USA is in Texas training now. Zeng, Klimouk and one other coach will travel to Rio next week.
Rhythmic gymnastics events take place Aug. 19 to Aug. 21.
Twenty-six gymnasts will compete in the individual all-around competition, with the 10 best advancing to the final. Each gymnast in qualification and final rounds performs four routines, with clubs, ribbon, hoop and ball.
In group competition, 14 groups compete in the all-around with eight groups advancing to the finals. Team USA will take part in closing ceremonies.
