The event marks the first time Southeast Asian nation has hosted the competition, which brings together athletes from all over the world

The 53rd Artistic Gymnastics World Championship officially kicked off in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sunday at the Indonesia Arena. The competition marks the first time Indonesia or any other Southeast Asian country has hosted the event.

This year's championship will run until October 25 and involves top gymnasts from over 70 countries. There will be no team competitions on the program this time around, with all the focus instead on individual performances.

"We are proud that for the first time in history, 427 of the world's finest athletes have come together in one arena, right here in Jakarta, Indonesia. A total of 77 countries will participate in the championship," the chairman of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), Ita Yuliati, said at the opening ceremony of the competition on Sunday.

For several athletes, who are competing under a neutral flag, the event marks their first major international appearance in four years and for some, it's the first World Championship in their career.

Olympic medalist and World and European champion Angelina Melnikova, who has not participated in a major competition since 2021, said she was stunned by the design of this year's event and noted the friendliness of the people at the championship.

Lyudmila Roshina, the holder of the Strongest Athletes Cup and a national champion, said she feels "amazing" and is happy to be at the World Championship, noting that it's her first one. "The atmosphere is wonderful, and my mood couldn't be better," she said ahead of the opening ceremony.

Athletes also highly praised the organization and overall design of the Championship, with Leila Vasileva, a BRICS Games champion, stating that "the arena is amazing" and "beautiful, with this unique orange-pink color theme."

The World Artistic Gymnastics Championship kicked off with the men's qualification rounds, which began on Sunday and will continue alongside the women's competition through October 21. The men's and women's all-around finals are set for October 22 and 23, respectively, followed by two days of apparatus finals on October 24 and 25, when the individual event champions will be crowned.

(RT.com)