The Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships are the world championships for the sport of rhythmic gymnastics. The tournament is promoted and organized by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). It is one of the three tournaments in rhythmic gymnastics officially organized by FIG, as well as the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup and the gymnastics competitions at the Olympic Games (in collaboration with the IOC and the federation of the country organising the Games). The first edition of the World Championships was held in 1963, a time when the sport was known as modern gymnastics. The current program of the World Championships contemplates both individual and group performances. In even non-Olympic years and the year before the Olympics, a team event is also contested. Two events are not competed at the World Championships anymore: individual rope and free hands.
Historically rhythmic gymnastics has been dominated by Eastern European countries, especially the Soviet Union and Bulgaria. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, there was originally a clear dominance of Bulgaria and post-Soviet countries at the World Championships, namely Russia, Ukraine and Belarus but with other nations emerging, for example Italy and Spain. The only non-European nations to successfully achieve medal positions at the World Championships are Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, Brazil and the United States. Only six individual gymnasts (Sun Duk Jo, Myong Sim Choi, Mitsuru Hiraguchi, Son Yeon-jae, Kaho Minagawa, Rin Keys) and four groups (Japan, North Korea, China and Brazil) from outside Europe have won medals at the senior World Championships.
Editions
YearGamesHost cityCountryEventsFirst in the Medal Table Second in the Medal Table Third in the Medal TableComments1963 1 Budapest 3 (individuals only)1965 2 Prague 3 (individuals only)1967 3 Copenhagen 5 1969 4 Varna 6 1971 5 Havana 6 1973 6 Rotterdam 6 1975 7 Madrid 6 1977 8 Basel 6 1979 9 London 6 1981 10 Munich 6 1983 11 Strasbourg 6 1985 12 Valladolid 6 1987 13 Varna 8 1989 14 Sarajevo 9 1991 15 Piraeus 9 1992 16 Brussels 8 1993 17 Alicante 7 (individuals only)1994 18 Paris 8 1995 19 Vienna 9 1996 20 Budapest 7 1997 21 Berlin 6 (individuals only)1998 22 Seville 3 (groups only)1999 23 Osaka 9 2001 24 Madrid 6 (individuals only)2002 25 New Orleans 3 (groups only)2003 26 Budapest 9 2005 27 Baku 9 2007 28 Patras 9 2009 29 Ise 9 2010 30 Moscow 9 2011 31 Montpellier 9 2013 32 Kyiv 8 2014 33 İzmir 9 2015 34 Stuttgart 9 2017 35 Pesaro 8 2018 36 Sofia 9 2019 37 Baku 9 2021 38 Kitakyushu 9 RGF 2022 39 Sofia 9 2023 40 Valencia 9 2025 41 Rio de Janeiro 9 2026 42 Frankfurt 9 2027 43 Baku Future event
Medalists
Dominant nations include the Soviet Union and subsequent post-Soviet states, namely Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Azerbaijan, and Bulgaria.
Individual All-Around
Individual All-Around Medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1963 Budapest, Hungary Ludmila Savinkova Tatiana Kravtchenko Julia Trashlieva 1965 Prague, Czechoslovakia Hana Mičechová Tatiana Kravtchenko Hana Machatová-Bogušovská 1967 Copenhagen, Denmark Elena Karpukhina Ute Lehmann Liubov Sereda 1969 Varna, Bulgaria Maria Gigova Neshka Robeva Liubov Sereda Galima Shugurova 1971 Havana, Cuba Maria Gigova Elena Karpukhina Alfia Nazmutdinova 1973 Rotterdam, Netherlands Maria Gigova Galima Shugurova Natalia Krachinnekova 1975 Madrid, Spain Carmen Rischer Christiana Rosenberg María Jesús Alegre 1977 Basel, Switzerland Irina Deriugina Galima Shugurova Kristina Guiourova 1979 London, Great Britain Irina Deriugina Elena Tomas Irina Gabashvili 1981 Munich, West Germany Anelia Ralenkova Lilia Ignatova Iliana Raeva 1983 Strasbourg, France Diliana Georgieva Galina Beloglazova Lilia Ignatova Anelia Ralenkova 1985 Valladolid, Spain Diliana Georgieva Lilia Ignatova Bianka Panova 1987 Varna, Bulgaria Bianka Panova Adriana Dunavska Elizabeth Koleva 1989 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia Alexandra Timoshenko Bianka Panova Adriana Dunavska Oksana Skaldina 1991 Piraeus, Greece Oksana Skaldina Alexandra Timoshenko Mila Marinova 1992 Brussels, Belgium Oksana Kostina Maria Petrova Larisa Lukyanenko 1993 Alicante, Spain Maria Petrova Kateryna Serebrianska Amina Zaripova 1994 Paris, France Maria Petrova Larisa Lukyanenko Amina Zaripova 1995 Vienna, Austria Maria Petrova Kateryna Serebrianska Yana Batyrshina Larissa Lukyanenko 1997 Berlin, Germany Olena Vitrychenko Natalia Lipkovskaya Yana Batyrshina 1999 Osaka, Japan Alina Kabaeva Yulia Raskina Yulia Barsukova 2001 Madrid, Spain Tamara Yerofeeva Simona Peycheva Anna Bessonova 2003 Budapest, Hungary Alina Kabaeva Anna Bessonova Irina Tchachina 2005 Baku, Azerbaijan Olga Kapranova Anna Bessonova Irina Tchachina 2007 Patras, Greece Anna Bessonova Vera Sessina Olga Kapranova 2009 Mie, Japan Evgeniya Kanaeva Daria Kondakova Anna Bessonova 2010 Moscow, Russia Evgeniya Kanaeva Daria Kondakova Melitina Staniouta 2011 Montpellier, France Evgeniya Kanaeva Daria Kondakova Aliya Garayeva 2013 Kyiv, Ukraine Yana Kudryavtseva Ganna Rizatdinova Melitina Staniouta 2014 İzmir, Turkey Yana Kudryavtseva Margarita Mamun Ganna Rizatdinova 2015 Stuttgart, Germany Yana Kudryavtseva Margarita Mamun Melitina Staniouta 2017 Pesaro, Italy Dina Averina Arina Averina Linoy Ashram 2018 Sofia, Bulgaria Dina Averina Linoy Ashram Aleksandra Soldatova 2019 Baku, Azerbaijan Dina Averina Arina Averina Linoy Ashram 2021 Kitakyushu, Japan RGF Dina Averina Alina Harnasko RGF Arina Averina 2022 Sofia, Bulgaria Sofia Raffaeli Darja Varfolomeev Stiliana Nikolova 2023 Valencia, Spain Darja Varfolomeev Sofia Raffaeli Daria Atamanov 2025 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Darja Varfolomeev Stiliana Nikolova Sofia Raffaeli 2026 Frankfurt, Germany Darja Varfolomeev Stiliana Nikolova Sofia Raffaeli 2027 Baku, Azerbaijan Future event
Group All-Around
Group All-Around Medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1967 Copenhagen, Denmark Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Bulgaria 1969 Varna, Bulgaria Bulgaria Soviet Union Czechoslovakia 1971 Havana, Cuba Bulgaria Soviet Union Italy 1973 Rotterdam, Netherlands Soviet Union Czechoslovakia East Germany 1975 Madrid, Spain Italy Japan Spain 1977 Basel, Switzerland Soviet Union Bulgaria Czechoslovakia 1979 London, Great Britain Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Bulgaria 1981 Munich, West Germany Bulgaria Soviet Union Czechoslovakia 1983 Strasbourg, France Bulgaria Soviet Union North Korea 1985 Valladolid, Spain Bulgaria North Korea Soviet Union 1987 Varna, Bulgaria Bulgaria Soviet Union China Spain 1989 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia Bulgaria Soviet Union Spain 1991 Piraeus, Greece Spain Soviet Union North Korea 1992 Brussels, Belgium Russia Spain North Korea 1994 Paris, France Russia Spain Bulgaria 1995 Vienna, Austria Bulgaria Spain Belarus 1996 Budapest, Hungary Bulgaria Spain Belarus 1998 Seville, Spain Belarus Spain Russia 1999 Osaka, Japan Russia Greece Belarus 2002 New Orleans, United States Russia Belarus Greece 2003 Budapest, Hungary Russia Bulgaria Belarus 2005 Baku, Azerbaijan Russia Italy Belarus 2007 Patras, Greece Russia Italy Belarus 2009 Mie, Japan Italy Belarus Russia 2010 Moscow, Russia Italy Belarus Russia 2011 Montpellier, France Italy Russia Bulgaria 2013 Kyiv, Ukraine Belarus Italy Russia 2014 İzmir, Turkey Bulgaria Italy Belarus 2015 Stuttgart, Germany Russia Bulgaria Spain 2017 Pesaro, Italy Russia Bulgaria Japan 2018 Sofia, Bulgaria Russia Italy Bulgaria 2019 Baku, Azerbaijan Russia Japan Bulgaria 2021 Kitakyushu, Japan RGF Italy Belarus 2022 Sofia, Bulgaria Bulgaria Israel Spain 2023 Valencia, Spain Israel China Spain 2025 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Japan Brazil Spain 2026 Frankfurt, Germany Spain Japan Brazil 2027 Baku, Azerbaijan Future event
All-time medal table
Last updated after the 2026 World Championships.
At the 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, in accordance with a ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), athletes from Russia were not permitted to use the Russian name, flag, or anthem. They instead participated under name and flag of the RGF (Russian Gymnastics Federation).
Multiple gold medalists
Boldface denotes active rhythmic gymnasts and highest medal count among all rhythmic gymnasts (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
All events Rank Rhythmic gymnast Country From To Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 Dina Averina Russian Gymnastics Federation 2017 2021 18 3 1 22 2 Evgeniya Kanaeva 2007 2011 17 1 – 18 3 Darja Varfolomeev 2022 2026 14 4 2 20 4 Yana Kudryavtseva 2013 2015 13 3 – 16 5 Maria Tolkacheva Russian Gymnastics Federation 2014 2021 11 4 1 16 6 Alexandra Timoshenko 1989 1991 10 2 – 12 7 Olga Kapranova 2003 2009 10 1 1 12 8 Maria Petrova 1991 1996 9 9 4 22 9 Olena Vitrychenko 1992 1999 9 7 7 23 10 Galima Shugurova 1969 1977 9 4 1 14
Individual events Rank Rhythmic gymnast Country From To Gold Silver BronzeTotal 1 Dina Averina Russian Gymnastics Federation 2017 2021 15 3 1 19 2 Darja Varfolomeev 2022 2026 13 2 2 17 3 Evgeniya Kanaeva 2009 2011 13 1 – 14 4 Yana Kudryavtseva 2013 2015 11 3 – 14 5 Olena Vitrychenko 1993 1999 9 5 4 18 6 Galima Shugurova 1969 1977 9 4 1 14 7 Maria Gigova 1967 1973 9 2 2 13 8 Maria Petrova 1992 1996 8 7 4 19 9 Kateryna Serebrianska 1993 1996 8 4 3 15 10 Bianka Panova 1985 1989 8 2 1 11
Records CategoryAll eventsIndividual eventsMost medals Anna Bessonova : 27 medals (5 gold, 15 silver and 7 bronze) Anna Bessonova : 22 medals (3 gold, 13 silver and 6 bronze)
See also Official FIG competitions Gymnastics at the Summer Olympics Gymnastics at the World Games Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup Other major competitions African Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships Asian Gymnastics Championships Pan American Gymnastics Championships Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix
References