41st FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships | Photo: Richard Souza/GE
[Photo: Richard Souza/GE]
The 41st FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships has come to an end — the very first edition ever held in South America, hosted in the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro.
Yes, it was about rhythmic gymnastics. But it was also so much more. It was about hard training, absolute focus, rigorous evaluations, and routines that seemed to defy the impossible. It was about victories, and about the small mistakes that, at this level, weigh heavily on every gymnast. It was about joy, about tears, about embraces between coaches and their athletes — tender moments that will forever remain in memory.
It was about unforgettable images: young athletes who seem to ignore the laws of gravity, floating in the air. It was about passionate crowds, cheering and applauding without restraint, even shouting “Sua linda!” (“You’re beautiful!”) to athletes who didn’t understand Portuguese but surely felt the warmth behind the words. Passion for the sport and admiration for the gymnasts need no translation.
Throughout these days — from the training sessions before the official start to the five days of competition, held August 20–24 — medals were earned. But the winners were not only the gymnasts and teams. The audience won the enchantment of watching and the thrill of cheering in person. We, journalists, won the privilege of recording history as it unfolded before our eyes. And Rio de Janeiro, together with Brazil and all of Latin America, won the unprecedented achievement of hosting a Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships.
What remains now are memories and longing. An event that did not simply pass by, but left its mark on all of us.
