They were only 16 when they won medals at the Tokyo Olympics. So how are the high-flying sisters balancing stardom and schoolwork?Early on a Friday morning in a large, open gymnasium in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova are stan…
‘A lesson in loss, humility and absurdity’: how rhythmic gymnastics took over my childhood
When I was six, a chance encounter with rhythmic gymnastics – all ribbons, sequins and smiles – opened up a sublime, sometimes cruel new world. By 12, I had quit. What had it all meant?Every four years, the same argument plays out. The Olympics reminds…