41st FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships | Photo: Ivan Carvalho / CBG
[Foto: Ivan Carvalho / CBG]
The 41st Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Rio de Janeiro crowned the individual all-around champions this Friday (22). The event, which combines all four apparatuses—hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon—saw Germany’s VARFOLOMEEV, Darja win gold, Bulgaria’s NIKOLOVA, Stiliana take silver, and Italy’s RAFFAELI, Sofia secure the bronze.
After clinching the title, VARFOLOMEEV, Darja expressed her satisfaction with her performance. The gymnast stated she was able to execute “four clean routines” and emphasized that the result reflects the hard work put in throughout the year. “I’m so happy because we showed that all the effort for this competition was worth it. Now, the focus is on preparing for the finals, and I hope I can show my best,” said the German, who also commented on feeling confident for her upcoming performances despite the natural anxiety of a major event.
Silver medalist NIKOLOVA, Stiliana celebrated the result and expressed gratitude for the support she received. The Bulgarian gymnast, who also celebrated her birthday during the competition, acknowledged that she wasn’t able to perform all of her routines flawlessly but was still pleased with her performance. “I’m happy with the result, even though I didn’t perform all four clean routines. For the rest of the competition, I’m well-prepared and hope to be able to present all routines in the best way possible,” she stated.
Italy’s RAFFAELI, Sofia, who rounded out the podium with a bronze, also highlighted the consistency of her participation. “I’m very happy about this result and about the entire individual all-around final because I was able to execute my routines without errors, with focus. The crowd is amazing, so I’m really, really happy,” she said, praising the atmosphere created by fans in Rio de Janeiro.
The World Championships will continue until Sunday (24), featuring the world’s top gymnasts in decisive apparatus finals.
