Maria Kitkarska capped a sparkling performance at the rhythmic gymnastic Junior Cup in Montreal on Sunday, with two fourth-place finishes against a top international field includling strong teams from Russia and Belarus.

Maria came very close to winning a bronze medal in the ball competition, her favourite apparatus, but was edged out by Nataliya Leshchyk of Belarus for the final spot on the podium.

After the competition, the 14-year-old high school student from Montreal was all smiles as she toyed with the white teddy bear in her hands and talked about what it was like to compete against some of the best young rhythmic gymnasts in the world.