42nd WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Rhythmic Gymnastics 2026

* Witness breathtaking skills and artistry from the world’s top Rhythmic Gymnastics stars at the iconic Festhalle in Frankfurt/ Main (GER)
(12-16 August)

The venue, a beautiful listed building more than a century old, will provide a dramatic setting for the 42^nd Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships.
101 individuals and 42 groups from 78 nations are scheduled to compete, a record number to take part in a world championships of this discipline.

* After two qualification days on Friday is follow now the All-around decision in Frankfurt  ..:
With it's star gymnast Darja Varfolomeev – the 2024 Olympic champion, two-time world all-around champion and current three-time European champion – leading the German team, the German hosts are hoping for success in front of their home crowd. With a strong team and strong individual gymnasts, the Germans won the World Championships in the team competition last year.

* ... powered by:

♦  - Partner of GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL
.

♦ 42^nd WORLDS of RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS 2026

* WED/THU, Aug 1/13. August:  - Qualification, Day 1+2
 ♦ Individual All-Around:
<< Darja VARFOLOMEEV (GER; 58.950) took the lead from day 1 on after the hoop and ball routines, ahead of Sofia Raffaeli (ITA; 58.550), Marila Borisova (RUS; 58.050) and Stiliana Nikolova (BUL; 56.900). She managed to defend this lead after the clubs and ribbon events on the second day: Bulgaria’s former 2022 European champion Stiliana Nikolova moved up to second place in the second competition, followed by Russia’s Maria Borisova from the ‘WG 2’ team.
Varfolomeev qualified for three finals, apart from the clubs, and achieved the highest scores in the qualifying round with the ball and ribbon. Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli leads with the hoop, whilst Russia’s Sofia Ilteriakova was the best with the clubs.
* Detailed qualifying results: ►A l l - a r o u n d  qualification
* Apparatus Qualifications:   ►H o o p; ►B a l l; ►C l u b s; ►R i b b o n

♦ On the last day of the finals (see below), she first won the bronze medal with the hoop and then defended her World Championship title from the previous year with the ball, thus evoking memories of Christina Rosenberg-Ahlhaus’s ball gold 51 years ago at the World Championships (1975) in Madrid. She then, with a flawless performance on the ribbon, relegated her closest rival, the Bulgarian Stiliana NIKOLOVA – despite the latter’s most difficult world-class routine (!) – to the silver medal position, and once again became the most successful gymnast with three titles in front of a sold-out crowd – much to the delight of an enthusiastic audience.  → ... see below!
.
* FRIDAY,  14. August:
 ♦♦ ALL-AROUND FINAL
 Although local favourite Darja VARFOLOMEEV did not complete her opening routine in the final with the hoop without making a mistake, and initially had to come to terms mentally with a 14th-place ranking in the highly competitive Group A after the first hand apparatus, the 19-year-old exceptional athlete went on to deliver a breathtaking series of three routines with the ball, clubs and ribbon that is unrivalled in elite sport:  This was followed by three personal bests on each apparatus, including the day’s highest score (31.500) on the clubs – with the most difficult clubs routine (D=14.500) of the entire competition.
As a result, she remained unbeatable in the end and won her 12th World Championship gold medal.

                                 Darja VARFOLOMEEV (GER)
      Stiliana NIKOLOVA (BUL)                      Sofia RAFFAELI  (ITA)
.
The closest to her was Bulgaria’s star Stiliana NIKOLOVA, who struggled in particular with her clubs routine but ultimately emerged as the lucky runner-up.
Italy’s former world champion Sofia RAFFAELI delivered the second-best routines in the competition with both the hoop and clubs, but in the end – trailing the Bulgarian by just -0.05 points – she was still able to celebrate the bronze medal, albeit with a somewhat forced smile.
In front of a sold-out Festhalle, over 4,000 spectators witnessed top-class international sport.
Although not without controversy, the Russian and Belarusian gymnasts made a name for themselves once again after more than half a decade of enforced absence from world-class podiums – albeit under neutral status and, on this occasion, without winning any medals (finishing 5th, 9th and 12th). They are therefore likely to be a force to be reckoned with on the road to Los Angeles. 
♦  FINAL AA RESULTS

 1. VARFOLOMEEV, Darja    (GER) - 119,500
2. NIKOLOVA, Stiliana              (BUL) - 117,600
3. RAFFAELI, Sofia                     (ITA) - 117,550
         4. ONOFRIICHUK, Taisiia        (UKR) - 16,050
         5. BORISOVA, Marila             (WG2) - 116,000
         6. YEREKESHEVA, Akmaral  (KAZ) - 115,800
               ►► Detailed Results

+ + +
♦ TEAMS Nations ranking (Individual & Groups)

1. WG2  (RUS) - 278,300
2. BULGARIA     - 276,050
3. PR CHINA       - 275,400
         4. GER - 271,800;  5. UKR - 271,250;  6. ITA - 270,350
               ►► Detailed Results
  + + +