Rhythmic gymnastics
Four gold medals: Varfolomeev dominates World Gymnastics Championships
Darja Varfolomeev in action with the ribbon. photo
© Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
Darja Varfolomeev dominates the World Gymnastics Championships with four titles. This is how you succeed in history. A decision is still pending. A second German also gets praise.
At the At the award ceremony Darja Varfolomeev fervently sang along with the German anthem.
With four gold medals in all four apparatus finals, the only 16-year-old exceptional athlete has made history at the World Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics in Valencia: No German gymnast has ever won more World Championship titles. “Four gold medals, that’s unbelievable. I just can’t believe it,” said the native Russian, who came to Germany at the age of twelve without her parents – and without speaking the language.
With her brilliant performances, she has also catapulted herself into the role of favorite for the final all-around this Saturday. There she can achieve what she had previously achieved at the German championships in early July: winning five titles. “All-around is the most important thing. I’m trying to get on the podium. That’s my dream,” the student from Schmiden had said before.
“Slowly at the maximum of difficulties”
After the victories with the ball and the hoop at the start of the World Cup, Varfolomeev could not be defeated with the clubs and the ribbon in the finals on Thursday either. With safety, ease and elegance, she convinced the judges and enchanted the spectators in the well-filled stands. First she defended her clubs title from the previous year with 34,350 points. She then won easily with 33,350 points, also with the ribbon.
Darja Varfolomeev performed the clearly highest difficulties of all eight starters. “When she is ready, she enjoys competing in gymnastics. She kind of enjoys it. The difficulty is very high for her. She is already slowly reaching the maximum difficulty,” said her coach Yuliya Raskina. On the “Kiss and cry” couch, she and her protégé, who is usually just called Dasha, formed little hearts with their hands for the enthusiastic audience and hugged each other happily. “I’m very proud, also of the audience, which was even louder today than yesterday. It’s so nice to see so many German flags,” said Varfolomeev.
For the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB), the result is already historic. So far, Carmen Rischer was the most successful German gymnast with three gold and three silver medals at world championships in the 1970s. Varfolomeev has now far surpassed the tally with four World Championship titles, plus World Championship gold with clubs, silver in all-around, ball and team, and bronze with hoop at Sofia 2022.
Varfolomeev can go one better
In addition, Margarita Kolosov from Potsdam, who came tenth in the all-around qualification, secured the second place at the Olympic Games next year in Paris for the DTB, after Varfolomeev, who finished second in the all-around at the World Championships last year, had already won a quota place. “Dasha’s four World Championship titles are extraordinary. Her lightness and excellent performances stand out, but the performance of Margarita, who was under a lot of pressure because she was supposed to get the second quota place for the Olympic Games in Paris, is no less important.” , said DTB sports director Thomas Gutekunst.
After two days of competition at the World Championships, Darja Varfolomeev has already exceeded all expectations and could go one better in the final decision. The teenager qualified second for the all-around final with 102,600 points, despite presenting lower difficulties in the prelims than in the individual events. The best was Stiliana Nikolowa (Bulgaria/104,300), third in the World Championships, third in the elimination was defending champion Sofia Raffaeli (Italy/101,800). Margarita Kolosov finished tenth in the four-way qualifier with ball, clubs, ribbon and hoop and scored 95.950 points.