Baku takes over hosting duties for Rhythmic Gymnastics Worlds From Germany to Azerbaijan

The World Championships, held from August 12 to 16 in Frankfurt am Main, rightly served as a fitting send-off for the German gymnast of Russian origin, Darja Varfolomeev, who won three gold medals on home soil at the Festhalle Frankfurt, including the most prestigious one — for her victory in the individual all-around. Moreover, she accounted for all of the German team’s medals, enabling the hosts to top the overall medal table.

The 14-time world champion missed out on gold in just one of the events she contested, taking bronze in the ribbon final. Ukraine’s Taisiia Onofriichuk won gold, while Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli claimed silver.

Another standout of the World Championships was Bulgarian gymnast Stiliana Nikolova, who won the clubs title. One of the sport’s most energetic and charismatic performers, Nikolova, who turns 21 on August 22, was close behind Darja both on the scoreboard and in the hearts of the crowd.

The two gymnasts received more stuffed toys from spectators than anyone else, with volunteers struggling to clear them from the floor after their routines.

And what about Azerbaijani gymnasts? We have already written that Fidan Gurbanli, competing at senior level for the first time, finished 43rd among 94 competitors. It is certainly not a standout result, but there is no reason to be too harsh on the 16-year-old athlete.

A mistake in her hoop routine cost her dearly, but perhaps by 2027, Fidan could break into the top 20.

It is worth noting that the 43rd Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships will be held in Baku from September 15 to 19 next year. The handover of the flag was a symbolic moment at the ceremony, marking the transfer of hosting rights for the World Championships to Azerbaijan.

As for the group event, few expected Azerbaijani gymnasts to finish as low as 28th. The one consolation is that all six members of the team — Ilaha Bahadirova, Zahra Jafarova, Alina Mammadova, Sofia Mammadova, Shams Muvaffagi and Ilona Zeynalova — are still very young and are only beginning to make their way toward success, dreaming of major victories.

And if those dreams begin to come true, perhaps the day when we have something to celebrate will not be far away. Wouldn’t you agree?

By Vugar Vugarli, exclusively for Caliber.Az

Frankfurt am Main