18. September 2022  
Sofia, BUL  
Rhythmic Gymnastics

39th WORLDS of RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS 2022

Since the inaugural event in Budapest in 1963, the 39th WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in Rhythmic Gymnastics 2022 are now on the horizon.
After 1969 and 1987 in Varna, where the 2021 European Championships were held last year, Bulgaria, the once proud leading nation of this sport, will be the host for only the third time and its capital Sofia will experience this major event for the first time. These world championships from September 14-18 will be the conclusion of a season full of historic results in this sport - without the sanctioned Russian stars, without Belarus and with Ukraine heavily burdened by war.
* With the all-around success plus three apparatus victories (hoop, ball and ribbon) by Sofia RAFFAELI, ITALY also presented itself as the absolute No. 1 of these World Championships also with gold in the national ranking.
* The vice-champion title of Germany in the team competition, which is mainly due to the brilliant success of 15-year-old Darja VARFOLOMEEV, also has a historic dimension: After three apparatuses in the all-around competition she was still in the lead by one point, but was beaten by the Italian Raffaeli with her ribbon exercise and thus she won the sensational first all-around silver medal of the reunited Germany. In addition, the world championship title with the clubs, silver with the ball, bronze with the hoop - a German success record like never before in the history of this competition.
* Frenetic shouts of "Stili, Stili", Stili from the Bulgarian spectators celebrated the smallest gymnast in the starting field, the bronze medal in the all-around by Stiliana NIKOLOWA, who already with her three silver medals at the apparatus finals seemed to end an almost two-decade-long lull in the success of the former leading nation ...!
* In the group competition, after the all-around title, host BULGARIA also won gold in the final of the combined exercise. With the 5 hoops won ITALY, which thus concluded these World Championships as the most successful nation!


♦♦  WCh - INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND


♦♦   ALL-AROUND FINAL  (Update: Saturday, Sep 17)
.
RAFFAELI, Sofia          (ITA)  = 133,250
VARFOLOMEEV, Darja  (GER)  = 132,450
NIKOLOVA, Stiliana     (BUL)  - = 128,800
     4. ONOPRIIENKO, Viktoria  (UKR) - 125,050
     5. BALDASSARRI, Milena     (ITA) - 124,900
     6. KATZ, Adi Asya                (ISR) - 124,450
     ...
    15. KOLOSOV, Margarita     (GER) - 115,650

     Detailed Final result
                > Qualification

                                              (1) Sofia RAFFAELI  (ITA)
   
  (2) Darja VARFOLOMEEV (GER)                           (3) Stiliana NIKOLOVA (BUL)
  * * *
.

  FIG VIDEO on demand: WCh ALL-around FINAL:


* Youtube (00778)

* Thursday, (15. 09.) 
♦ Day 2 of  All-around Qualification --:

Sofia RAFFAELI (ITA) leads after four apparatuses in the all-around ahead of Stiliana NIKOLOVA (BUL), Darja VARFOLOMEEV (GER) and Margarita KOLOSOV (GER) in the overall ranking, followed by Viktoria Onoprienko (UKR), Ekaterina Vedeneeva (SLO) and Adi Asya Katz from Israel.
Varfolomeev stood in three finals (out of ribbon), Kolosov made the hoop and club finals ...
Qualification results
.

* daily summaries we will publish at the end of competitions..
   .- the Editors


♦♦  WCh - TEAM ALL-AROUND Competition


* ITALY, as the undisputed No. 1 of these World Championships, also won the Nations Competition, in which both the individual gymnasts Sofia Raffaeli and Milena Baldassarri as well as the Italian group (Martina Centofanti, Agnese Duranti, Alessia Maurelli, Daniela Mogurean, Laura Paris, Martina Santandrea) took part in the scoring.

* GERMANY won a medal for the first time ever in this category with 2nd place, thanks to the two individual gymnasts Darja Varfolomeev (TSV Schmiden) and Margarita Kolosov (SC Potsdam) as well as the group formation with Daniella Kromm, Alina Oganesyan (both TSV Schmiden), Anja Kosan (SC Siemensstadt), Francine Schoening (Berliner TSC) and Hannah Vester (TB 1889 Oppau).

* SPAIN with Alba Bautista, Polina Berezina and the group (Ana Arnau Camarena, Ines Bergua Navales, Valeria Marques, Mirela Martinez, Patricia Perez Fos, Salma Solaun) won bronze, ahead of Ukraine, USA and Azerbaijan.
  * * *
ITALY           - 312,550
GERMANY  - 301,400
SPAIN         - 297,100
 
      Detailed Results
  * * *