SOFIA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The 39th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships will be held here next week in the Arena Armeec Hall, an official said here on Wednesday.
Some 300 athletes from 62 countries and regions, including China, will attend the five-day event, which will kick off on Sept. 14, Rossina Atanassova, Secretary General of Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation said at a press conference.
There are 30 groups and 85 individual gymnasts, Atanassova said.
Atanassova also said that the competition will be the first Olympic Qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as the medal-winning teams in the group and individual all-around competitions will earn automatic berths.
"Outstanding progress has been made by many countries, including several American and Asian teams," she said.
"I think the competition will be very interesting for everyone," Atanassova said.
This will be the fourth time for Bulgaria to host a rhythmic gymnastics world championships. It had been staged twice in the seaside city of Varna in 1969 and 1987 respectively, and in Sofia in 2018. ■
