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27. August 2023
Valencia, ESP
Rhythmic Gymnastics
40th WCh Rhythmic Gymnastics 2023: 5x WCh Gold for Germany's Darja VARFOLOMEEV
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Darja VARFOLOMEEV - after 4 gold also all-around favourite? |
♦ Sensational World Championships successes for Germany!
The 40th Anniversary World Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics 2023, held from 23 to 27 August on the east coast of Spain, in Valencia, the "little sister" of the Olympic city Barcelona, experienced a sensational outcome:
The fivefold success of a 16-year-old German schoolgirl, who, after four apparatus titles with all-around gold, was crowned the most successful German gymnast and World Gymnastics Queen. In one fell swoop she was more successful than the entire historic German World Championships - including the GDR period - of all four World Championships decades together!
<< Germany's Darja VARFOLOMEEV won two World Championships gold medals with hoop and ball on the first day of the finals and relegated the defending champion Sofia RAFFAELI (ITA) to silver place. After her successful title defence with the clubs, she also won the ribbon on the second day of the finals - an almost unbelievable quadruple World Championships apparatus success for a German gymnast (!) in historic dimensions - last year's winner Raffaeli came in a medal-less fourth here.
* In the all-around preliminary competition, which is important for the Olympic qualification, the German champion is also in second place behind Stiliana Nikolova (BUL), followed by Sofia Raffaeli (ITA) and Borjana Kaleyn (BUL) and Varfolomeev is also the top gold favourite of the all-around final on Saturday ...:
* * The victories in the group finals on the final day (Sunday, Aug. 27) went to CHINA (5 hoops) and all-around world champion ISRAEL (combined exercise; → see below).
Darja VARFOLOMEEV - >>
- Already her first day in the finals brought two gold medals (hoop & ball). After her successful defence of the title with the clubs, the victory with the ribbon followed on the second day of the finals - already an almost unbelievable, fourfold World Championships apparatus success of a German gymnast in historic dimensions - last year's winner Sofia Raffaeli came in a medal-less fourth. And due to the sovereignty of her presentation, her above-average technical difficulty increases, which she was able to present with a strong personality, she did not give the defending champion of the previous year, the Italian Sofia RAFFAELI, a chance, who had to be content with silver, however, in an all-around of superlatives, because she also moved at a breathtaking level!
* In the preliminary competition of the all-around, which is important for the qualification for the Olympic Games, the German champion was still in second place behind Stiliana Nikolova (BUL), followed by Sofia Raffaeli (ITA) and Borjana Kaleyn (BUL). Germany's second gymnast Margarita Kolosov improved to rank 10 and was also qualified for the all-around final ( → see below).
* PREVIEW --: Nine World titles and much sought-after Olympic berths are on the table at this week’s Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Valencia (ESP), an event that could be one of the most hotly contested in the sport’s 60-year history.
The different prizes, to be decided at different phases of the competition, ensure a drama that will play out in several acts in the colourful Spanish city known for its warm hospitality. The individual qualification in Valencia will set the table for apparatus and All-Around finals, but also determines which nations grab the 14 spots available at next summer’s Olympic Games, assuring qualifications will be nail-biting affairs on par with the finals.
"All eyes will be on Valencia for the 40th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, since this event is a qualifier for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With sought-after Olympic berths at stake, every point will count, so I'm sure that the level will be high and the performances stunning,” FIG President Morinari Watanabe declared.
♦♦ 40. WCh RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS
- 23. - 27. August 2023, Valencia / ESP -
88 Individual and 24 Groups with 134 gymnasts represented 62 different countries, who were qualified by her continental championships and the different world cup events, are representing the high quality of this WCh participans field in Valencia
♦ WCh S c h e d u l e (local time + Daily results):
| DAY | Local time | Competition (& Results) |
| Wed. 23. Aug. | 09:30 - 19:30 | * Ind. quali.. ►Hoop ►Ball |
| 21:00 - 22:30 | * FINALS: ► HOOP ► BALL | |
| Thu. 24. Aug. | 09:30 - 19:45 | * Ind. quali.. ► Clubs ► Ribbon |
| 21:00 - 22:30 | * FINALS: ► CLUBS ► RIBBON | |
| ► Individual All-around qualification * also on Saturday again: > Live scoring! |
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| Fr. 25. Aug. | 16:00 - 19:30 | ► GROUPS AA FINAL |
| Sa. 26. Aug. | 15:00 - 20:00 | ► FINAL: Ind. All-around (Top 18) |
| So. 27. Aug. | 16:00 - 17:45 | *FINALS Groups: 5 Hoops+3 Ribbona/2 Balls |
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♦♦ IND. A L L - A R O U N D
♦ The ALL-AROUND FINAL --: (Saturday, 2023, August 26)
► Final-Qualifiers; ► Startlist
Who would have thought that even before the all-around final, the 16-year-old student from Schmiden in Germany, Darja Varfolomeev, could be considered the favourite for the gold medal in the all-around? Even though she still had the Bulgarian Stiliana Nikolova in front of her after the preliminaries and the defending champion Sofia Raffaeli (ITA) seemed not to be in last year's form, in the end the unexpected golden fivefold success, concluded with the all-around crown, is of absolutely historic dimension:
The gold final results of the four-time apparatus world champion Varfolomeev already showed in their substantial value not only her top competition form, but were also based on the increased and mastered contents and difficulties that she has worked out with her coach Yulia Raskina. Although so much can happen in this aesthetic but highly demanding technical discipline, in the end hopes and possibilities were not disappointed in front of an exciting and top-class medal match in front of an enthusiastic audience!
It almost goes without saying that medals and placings cannot be disqualified with petty error analyses! The aesthetic little "works of art for the moment" of all the finalists were far too valuable and top-class for that!
But one thing became clear with this example - even if it was surprising in rhythmic gymnastics: top performances are possible in Germany, too, if conditions are created to orientate oneself towards international standards!
So the coach Yulia RASKINA and her protégé not only increased the average difficulty values (D) by 2.25 points per routine (!) compared to the previous year's World Championships in Sofia, but Darja also conjured them up on the current World Championships mat in Valencia in a technically sovereign and expressive manner!
Her closest competitor defending all-around world champion Sofia Raffaeli, on the other hand, lacked these substances, at least in this dimension: in the same period of time she only achieved an increase in the difficulty index of 1 point per routine - with all her world class, that is "almost stagnation".
This is how successes are achieved in the end, even in unusually high dimensions ...! Chapeau, Darja & Yulia!
The second German gymnas in the (B-group Final, Margarita Kolosov from Potsdam did not remain flawless this time after losing the ball and thus fell slightly behind (125.800), but this meant 12th place at the end of the A-group-Final. But the 15th placed gymnast of last year's World Championships in Sofia had improved her score by no less than 10 points (!), which is rightly rewarded with an Olympic starting place and clearly underlines the German gymnasts' will to perform!
* ALL-AROUND FINAL, Results
VARFOLOMEEV, Darja GER) - = 137,450
RAFFAELI, Sofia (ITA) = 135,700
ATAMANOV, Daria (ISR) = 131,400
4. NIKOLOVA, Stiliana (BUL) = 130,650
5. IKROMOVA, Takmina (UZB) = 130,400
6. KALEYN, Boryana (BUL) = 129,950
... 12. KOLOSOV, Margarita (GER) - 155,850
► Detailed Finalresults
> Qualification
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♦ AA Qualification: (August 23/24) -- :
* Day 2--: The results of the all-around qualification are already very exciting at this World Championships, as it is so important for the Olympic participation this year. After four apparatuses Bulgaria's Stiliana Nikolova (104.300) is in the lead, followed by Darja Varfolomeev (102.600) and defending champion Sofia Raffaeli (101.800), and Borjana Kaleyn (BUL; 101.450) is still part of the chasing trio in fourth place. Everything still seems to be open here ...!
Potsdam's Margarita Kolosov improved from 12th to 10th place with clubs and ribbon, will also compete in the all-around final and ensured a second Olympic starting place for Germany in Paris with her TOP-TEN placement.
► AA - Qualification - final standing
* Day 1 --: After half-time and two apparatuses of the first day of the competition, defending champion Sofia Raffaeli was still in the lead (70.100), followed by Stiliana Nikolova (BUL / 69.850) and Darja Varfolomeev (GER / 69.300). Borjana Kaleyn (BUL), Ekaterina Vedeneeva (SLO) and Alba Bautista followed in the other places.
Margarita Kolosov (GER) is currently in 12th place. In tha AA Final.
* Intermediate All-around results after 2 apparatus:
> AA Results after Day 1
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♦♦ APPARATUS FINAL RESULTS (Update: Wednesday, Aug. 23)
One year after becoming the first gymnast from a unified Germany to capture a World title, Darja VARFOLOMEEV added two more on the opening night of the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Valencia (ESP).
The 16-year-old bested European rival Sofia Raffaeli (ITA) with Hoop and Ball, tripling Germany’s number of world titles in the modern era of the sport. Varfolomeev’s Clubs title in 2022 was hailed as the dawn of a new era for German Rhythmic, which had existed in the shadow of stronger nations to that point.
Fanni Pigniczki (HUN) and Stiliana Nikolova (BUL) earned bronzes with the Hoop and Ball, respectively, the first medal for Hungary on the world stage in half a century.
* H O O P
VARFOLOMEEV, Darja (GER) - (18,9) = 35,750 
VIDEO
RAFFAELI, Sofia (ITA) - (18.3) = 35,250
PIGNICZKI, Fanni (HUN) - (17,9 ) = 34,050
► Detailed Final results
> Qualification
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VIDEO- HOOP FINAL
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* B A L L
VARFOLOMEEV, Darja (GER) - (18.9) = 35,800 VIDEO
RAFFAELI, Sofia (ITA) - (18.2) = 35,200
NIKOLOVA, Stiliana (BUL) - (18.5) = 35,150
► Detailed Final results
> Qualification
* 24-08-2023 : DAY 2 : C L U B S & R I B B O N
* C L U B S
VARFOLOMEEV, Darja (GER) - (17.2) =34,350 VIDEO
KALEYN, Borjana (BUL) - (16.5) =33,550
ONOPRIENKO, Viktoria (UKR) - (16,7) =33,550
...
► Detailed Final results
> Qualification
VIDEO- CLUBS FINAL
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The 16 years old German Champion and Vice World Champion of the previous year in the all-around Darja VARFOLOMEEV not only presented herself in a convincing competitive mood. The basis of her sensational success with all 4 apparatuses was also her immense increase in the substance of the difficulty, whose successful presentation is above all the result of highly qualified and sensitive training by her coach Yulia RASKINA at the Schmiden Performance Centre.
The coach, who, following in the footsteps of her equally successful mother Natalja, also celebrated international successes with Olympic silver and 2-times European All-around Champion (for Belarus), is a shining example that successful competitive sport at the highest level can only be realised in Germany through consistent and continuous work and clear goal orientation at the international top level!
* R I B B ON
VARFOLOMEEV, Darja (GER) - (16.4) =33,350 VIDEO
KALEYN, Borjana (BUL) - (15.3) =31,850
VEDENEEVA, Ekaterina (SLO) - (14,6) =31,100
► Detailed Final results
> Qualification
VIDEO- RIBBON FINAL
Now one can be absolutely curious about the medal fight in the all-around, where Bulgaria's Stiliana Nikolova (104.300) leads after the qualification, Darja Varfolomeev (102.600) and defending champion Sofia Raffaeli (101.800 and also Borjana Kaleyn (BUL; 101.450) form the chasing trio. Everything still seems to be open here:
► Individual All-around qualification results
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♦♦ GROUPS COMPETITIONS (Friday, 25. August)
♦ GROUPS AA FINAL & Qualification: ► STARTLIST;
With an outstanding hoop routine, the group from ISRAEL took the lead in the all-around (70.800), benefiting somewhat from the disappointing performance of the co-favourites Bulgaria, who only achieved 12th place with the first routine. CHINA came second after the combined exercise (2 balls/3 ribbons) and won silver with 70.050 points. Bronze went to SPAIN (68.600) after Italy also dropped to 4th place with a faulty combined routine (10th).
Behind Ukraine, Brazil and France, the German girls finished eighth in the all-around, but in 10th and 9th place respectively, they also narrowly failed to make it into the group finals on the final day. There were 24 national formations participating in this group final.
* GROUPS ALL-AROUND FINAL
ISRAEL - 70,800
CHINA - 70,505
SPAIN - 68,600
► Detailed Final results
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♦ GROUP FINALS --: (Sunday, 27. 08. 2023)
* Final-Qualifiers: ► 5 HOOPS; ► COMBI Competition
► Final startlist
| ♦ FINAL 5 HOOPS: | ♦ FINAL 2 BALLS / 3 RIBBONS: |
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(c) gymmedia
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♦♦ TEAM RANKING (Nations)
The group all-around final also decided the team competition.BULGARIA won gold ahead of GERMANY and ITALY, thanks to its strong second group routine and the performances of the individual gymnasts Stiliana Nikolova, Boryana Kaleyn and Eva Brezalieva.
► TEAM RANKING
In addition, the top five groups - China, Italy, Ukraine, Brazil and France - qualified for the group competitions at the Olympic Games next summer.
For Italy, this place was a victory in itself.
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* past events ...:
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