S. Korean sports agency signs teen rhythmic gymnast from Cyprus

sports agency-new athlete

S. Korean sports agency signs teen rhythmic gymnast from Cyprus

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- Seoul-based sports agency Next Creative said Tuesday it has signed a teenage rhythmic gymnast from Cyprus as its first international client.

The company said it reached a global management agreement with 17-year-old Vera Tugolukova. She is the first international athlete to be represented by Next Creative, whose clientele includes Olympic speed skater Kim Min-sun, short track world champion Park Ji-won and KLPGA Tour star Park Hyun-kyung.

This photo provided by South Korean sports agency Next Creative on April 28, 2026, shows Cypriot rhythmic gymnast Vera Tugolukova during a competition. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Tugolukova was the youngest rhythmic gymnast to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she placed 16th in the qualification round at age 15.

Last year, she grabbed a silver medal in ball and a bronze medal in ribbon at the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Cup. Then at the International Gymnastics Federation World Cup in Milan in July 2025, Tugolukova captured bronze in ribbon, becoming the first rhythmic gymnast representing Cyprus to reach a World Cup podium.

Tugolukova finished fifth in the individual all-around at another World Cup stop in Tashkent earlier this month, while also qualifying for all apparatus finals and placing fourth in the ribbon final.

She is coached by Elena Yurievna Nefedova, a veteran instructor who has developed multiple Olympic and world championship medalists. Nefedova also worked with two former South Korean rhythmic gymnasts, Son Yeon-jae and Shin Soo-ji.

"Vera Tugolukova is an athlete who combines strong technical ability with a level of expression beyond her age. She has great potential to compete for medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics," Next Creative CEO Park Eun-nim said. "Through this signing, we aim to provide the best possible environment for her to focus on performance while continuing to grow our global sports marketing presence."

Vera Tugolukova of Cyprus performs her ribbon exercise during the rhythm gymnastics individual all-around qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics at La Chapelle Arena in Paris, in this Aug. 8, 2024, file photo by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)