With the 30th edition of the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships approaching, AcroPesaro 2026 welcomed Team Belgium for another special live interview on the road to Pesaro.

The meeting brought together four Belgian formations:

Senior Men’s Group
Ayden Dupont, Lars Maes, Dieter Geens-Hemeleers and Kobe Multael

Senior Women’s Pair
Milla-Julie Sem and Benthe Van den Heede

Junior Women’s Group
Paulette Masschelein, Tara Demuynck and Tille Verhougstraete

Junior Women’s Pair
Aliya Nassir and Zoë Bynens

They were joined by Head Coach Sergey Tretjakov, coach Philippe Van Vynckt and choreographer Mira Bancheva.

Trust, friendship, consistency, choreography and the responsibility of representing Belgium emerged as central themes of a team preparing to arrive in Pesaro with a new generation of athletes.

Sergey Tretjakov: More Than 25 Years Developing Belgian Acrobatic Gymnastics

Head Coach Sergey Tretjakov has worked with Belgian Acrobatic Gymnastics for more than 25 years.

Asked what emerging nations need in order to develop the discipline, he placed knowledge and qualified coaching at the foundation of the process.

Experienced coaches, World Gymnastics education, international training camps and cooperation with established acrobatic nations can help countries build the technical structure needed to progress internationally.

From Pesaro 2021 to a Completely New Belgian Generation

Tretjakov was in Pesaro for the 2021 European Championships, held during the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He remembers the city, the organisation and the hospitality, but also a competition without the atmosphere normally created by spectators.

For the Belgian juniors who competed there, Pesaro nevertheless became an important step in their development.

Five years later, Belgium returns with a largely new and very young team.

For the current athletes, AcroPesaro 2026 will be their first competition experience in Pesaro.

Philippe Van Vynckt: Before Results, Build the Formation

Coach Philippe Van Vynckt explained that building a pair or group starts with understanding the athletes: their strength, flexibility, technical abilities and personalities.

Acrobatic Gymnastics depends on much more than individual talent.

Athletes need to communicate, cooperate and trust each other completely.

Sometimes a formation works immediately. In other cases, changing the combination can completely transform the dynamic.

With Pesaro approaching, another key element has become essential: repetition.

The objective is to make every element so familiar that confidence remains even under the pressure of a World Championship.

Mira Bancheva: Every Routine Needs a Story

For choreographer Mira Bancheva, creating an exercise begins by understanding the athletes themselves: their movement quality, personalities and ability to communicate emotion.

For Belgium, choreography is not simply movement between acrobatic elements.

An exercise must tell a story.

Music, expression and technical difficulty need to become part of one complete performance.

Tretjakov also highlighted the contribution of choreographer Irina Shadrina, whose work has helped shape Belgium’s artistic identity over the years.

And because athletes, skills and difficulty continue to evolve, a routine is never truly finished.

Ayden, Lars, Dieter and Kobe: Four Athletes, Four Pieces of the Same Men’s Group

Belgium’s Senior Men’s Group — Ayden Dupont, Lars Maes, Dieter Geens-Hemeleers and Kobe Multael — has competed in its current formation only since December 2025, yet it has already achieved third- and fourth-place finishes at World Cup events.

Ayden Dupont: Previous Experience Accelerated the Process

Ayden Dupont explained that he, Lars Maes and Kobe Multael had already competed together in a previous Men’s Group.

When Dieter Geens-Hemeleers joined them, that existing connection helped the new formation develop quickly.

Lars Maes: Trust Begins with Friendship

For Lars Maes, difficult elements require physical preparation but also a strong relationship between the four athletes.

Friendship and repeated training allow trust to grow.

Representing Belgium internationally also gives him a strong sense of pride, especially knowing that younger gymnasts and supporters are watching them.

Dieter Geens-Hemeleers: Consistency Before Pesaro

For Dieter Geens-Hemeleers, the group’s biggest priority before Pesaro is consistency.

Performing an element successfully once is not enough.

The aim is to reproduce the same quality and confidence in competition that they show every day in training.

Kobe Multael: A Childhood Dream That Became His Sport

Kobe Multael discovered Acrobatic Gymnastics while practising trampoline as a child.

He remembers watching acrobatic gymnasts training and thinking that he wanted to do the same.

Eventually he changed discipline, a decision he now considers one of the best he has made.

When training becomes difficult, remembering that childhood dream continues to motivate him.

Milla-Julie Sem and Benthe Van den Heede: Learning to Grow Together as Seniors

Milla-Julie Sem and Benthe Van den Heede began working together in August 2025, initially as juniors, before moving into the senior category.

For Milla-Julie, the biggest challenge has been adapting to a much higher international level.

Her connection with Acrobatic Gymnastics began through her older sister, whom she watched practising the sport before deciding to follow the same path.
For Benthe, their first senior competition became an important lesson.

The result was not what they hoped for, but it showed them that a young partnership needs patience, experience and greater trust in each other.

As the base and older athlete, Benthe also feels responsible for remaining calm and supporting Milla-Julie during difficult moments.

Representing Belgium at the World Championships in Pesaro will be a major honour for both of them.

Paulette, Tara and Tille: Winning — and Knowing That Winning Is Not Enough

Belgium’s Junior Women’s Group — Paulette Masschelein, Tara Demuynck and Tille Verhougstraete — has been together since August 2025.

The trio has already won its regional and national competitions as well as international events in Puurs and Poland.

Paulette Masschelein: Results Created Confidence

For Paulette Masschelein, those victories have given the trio greater confidence.

But trust is also built when things do not go perfectly.

Knowing that Tara and Tille continue supporting her during difficult moments strengthens their connection as a team.

Tara Demuynck: Poland Taught Them About Each Other

For Tara Demuynck, their competition in Poland was particularly important.

It was the first time the new formation travelled abroad together.

The experience — including the mistakes — helped them understand each other better both as athletes and as teammates.*-

Tille Verhougstraete: Success Cannot Stop the Work

For Tille Verhougstraete, early success is not a reason to relax.

Communication, teamwork and continuous improvement remain priorities.

Their objective is to arrive in Pesaro as the best version of their formation.

Aliya Nassir and Zoë Bynens: Years Together, Now Growing at the National Centre

Aliya Nassir and Zoë Bynens have already competed together for several years.

In August 2025, they joined the Belgian National Centre, strengthening both their sporting partnership and their friendship.

They have reached the podium at almost every regional and national competition of the season and won the international tournament in Puurs.

In 2025, they also finished second in the Youth category at the European Age Group competitions.

Aliya Nassir: Training Together Made Them Closer

For Aliya, training together more frequently at the National Centre has improved their communication and made their friendship even stronger.

Her own journey into Acrobatic Gymnastics began after a coach suggested she try the discipline while she was practising gymnastics at another club.

She immediately loved it.

Zoë Bynens: Family and Friends Bring Extra Confidence

For Zoë Bynens, having family and friends in the stands provides additional motivation and confidence.

Their presence makes important competitions feel even more special.

That will be particularly meaningful in Pesaro, where Team Belgium will finally experience the atmosphere of a World Championship with spectators.

“The Biggest Judges for Us Are the Public”

One of the strongest messages of the interview came from Sergey Tretjakov when he spoke about the importance of spectators.

For him, athletes ultimately perform for the public.

They want to show their skills, artistry and emotion, which is why he described spectators as, in many ways, the athletes’ greatest judge.

Pesaro 2021 showed how different competition feels without an audience.

In 2026, Team Belgium will experience another atmosphere.

And as Zoë explained, having family and supporters present can give athletes extra confidence and motivation.

Being in the arena matters.

What Would Make Belgium Proud in Pesaro?

Asked what would make him return home proud after AcroPesaro 2026, Sergey Tretjakov was clear: results matter.

They are what athletes train for and they can create new motivation throughout the programme.

But Belgium also wants to perform for the parents, supporters and fans who believe in these young athletes.

Lars Maes expressed the same feeling from an athlete’s perspective: representing Belgium means being proud of the country and knowing that others are watching and supporting the team.

This is the Belgian generation coming to Pesaro.

Ayden, Lars, Dieter and Kobe, building a Senior Men’s Group in record time.

Milla-Julie and Benthe, discovering together what it means to become seniors.

Paulette, Tara and Tille, turning early victories into motivation to keep improving.

Aliya and Zoë, transforming years of partnership into an even stronger connection.

In September, Team Belgium will arrive in Pesaro with a new generation, new stories and one shared objective: to represent its country at its best and live its AcroDream.

ACROPESARO 2026 – EVENT INFORMATION

The AcroPesaro 2026 competitions will take place at the Vitrifrigo Arena in Pesaro, Italy.

Junior World Championships & World Youth Competition

17–20 September 2026

30th Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships

24–27 September 2026

Tickets Available Online Only

Tickets for AcroPesaro 2026 are available exclusively online through Vivaticket.

There will be no physical ticket office at the Vitrifrigo Arena, so spectators are encouraged to purchase their tickets online in advance.

Esatour also offers accommodation solutions and packages combining hotel stays and event tickets.

Come to Pesaro, support your country and let the athletes feel the difference that a full arena can make.

Follow AcroPesaro 2026

Website: www.acropesaro2026.com

Instagram & Facebook: @acropesaro2026

Acrodream is something to cheer for!

See you in Pesaro!