Wheelchair dancer Daniil Akinfiev from Cherepovets returned from Slovakia with a gold medal at the World Cup Integrative Show Dance 2024. He was the sole representative of Russia at the competition. Seven hours of flight to Bratislava, two layovers in Baku and Vienna, performing shortly after landing, and debuting on the international stage – the young man endured it all, delivering a brilliant performance. His routine received high scores from judges from the USA, Poland, the Czech Republic, Georgia, and Slovakia. Daniil outperformed dancers from Belgium, considered leaders in wheelchair dancing, and participants from many other countries. During the flag parade, Daniil Akinfiev participated holding the Russian tricolor, and Russia was announced in three languages, including Russian. The trip was made possible thanks to a long-standing friendship between the organizers of the Slovak World Cup and the Cherepovets dance group “Stupeni,” which strives to create a fulfilling life for people in wheelchairs. Last spring, the president of the Slovak Federation of Wheelchair Sports Dance and director of the National Integration Center of Slovakia, Andrei Michunek, attended the opening of an integration center in Cherepovets. Maria Novoseltseva, leader of the “Stupeni” ensemble, was the only other representative of Russia at the World Cup in Bratislava. Before the competition, she and Daniil were invited to an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of Slovakia’s National Integration Center, attended by prominent politicians and public figures. – I performed a piece called “Broken Happiness,” which tells a story of unrequited love, – Daniil Akinfiev, the competition winner, told Russkiy Mir. – Naturally, I felt a little nervous because it was a high-level competition. It was interesting to see foreign competitors, and I managed to exchange a few words in broken English with some of them. Some even understood Russian. – When Dania walked out with the Russian flag, the hall applauded, – Maria noted. – And the audience also warmly applauded his routine. I think we should not fear participating in international competitions. It’s wonderful that we maintain connections during these challenging times. It’s very important to remain human at all times. We all want peace, and we want to be able to communicate and collaborate openly again. These sentiments were often expressed by athletes from different countries at the competition.