Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

Template:Short description 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 and South Korea. Only five individual gymnasts (Sun Duk Jo, Myong Sim Choi, Mitsuru Hiraguchi, Son Yeon-jae, Kaho Minagawa) and three groups (Japan, North Korea and China) from outside Europe have won medals at the World Championships.

Editions

Year	Games	Host City	Country	Events	First in the Medal Table	Second in the Medal Table	Third in the Medal Table	Comments
1963	1	Budapest	Hungary	3	Soviet Union	Bulgaria	—	(individuals only)
1965	2	Prague	Czechoslovakia	3		Soviet Union	—	(individuals only)
1967	3	Copenhagen	Denmark	5	Soviet Union		Bulgaria
1969	4	Varna	Bulgaria	6	Bulgaria	Soviet Union
1971	5	Havana	Cuba	6	Bulgaria	Soviet Union
1973	6	Rotterdam	Netherlands	6	Soviet Union	Bulgaria
1975	7	Madrid	Spain	6		Japan
1977	8	Basel	Switzerland	6	Soviet Union	Bulgaria	—
1979	9	London	Great Britain	6	Soviet Union	Bulgaria
1981	10	Munich	West Germany	6	Bulgaria
1983	11	Strasbourg	France	6	Bulgaria
1985	12	Valladolid	Spain	6	Bulgaria
1987	13	Varna	Bulgaria	8	Bulgaria
1989	14	Sarajevo	Yugoslavia	9		Bulgaria
1991	15	Piraeus	Greece	9
1992	16	Brussels	Belgium	8	Russia	Belarus
1993	17	Alicante	Spain	7				(individuals only)
1994	18	Paris	France	8
1995	19	Vienna	Austria	9
1996	20	Budapest	Hungary	7		Belarus
1997	21	Berlin	Germany	6			Belarus	(individuals only)
1998	22	Seville	Spain	3	Belarus			(groups only)
1999	23	Osaka	Japan	9
2001	24	Madrid	Spain	6			Belarus	(individuals only)
2002	25	New Orleans	United States	3				(groups only)
2003	26	Budapest	Hungary	9
2005	27	Baku	Azerbaijan	9		Italy
2007	28	Patras	Greece	9
2009	29	Ise	Japan	9			Belarus
2010	30	Moscow	Russia	9			Belarus
2011	31	Montpellier	France	9
2013	32	Kyiv	Ukraine	8
2014	33	İzmir	Turkey	9
2015	34	Stuttgart	Germany	9
2017	35	Pesaro	Italy	8
2018	36	Sofia	Bulgaria	9
2019	37	Baku	Azerbaijan	9
2021	38	Kitakyushu	Japan	9	RGF [a]
2022	39	Sofia	Bulgaria	9
2023	40	Valencia	Spain	9
2025	41	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	Future event
2026	42	Frankfurt	Germany	Future event
2027	43	Baku	Azerbaijan	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	Template:Flagicon Budapest, Hungary	Template:Flagicon Ludmila Savinkova	Template:Flagicon Tatiana Kravtchenko	Template:Flagicon Julia Trashlieva
1965	Template:Flagicon Prague, Czechoslovakia	Template:Flagicon Hana Mičechová	Template:Flagicon Tatiana Kravtchenko	Template:Flagicon Hana Machatová-Bogušovská
1967	Template:Flagicon Copenhagen, Denmark	Template:Flagicon Elena Karpukhina	Template:Flagicon Ute Lehmann	Template:Flagicon Liubov Sereda
1969	Template:Flagicon Varna, Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Maria Gigova	Template:Flagicon Neshka Robeva Template:Flagicon Liubov Sereda Template:Flagicon Galima Shugurova	—
1971	Template:Flagicon Havana, Cuba	Template:Flagicon Maria Gigova	Template:Flagicon Elena Karpukhina	Template:Flagicon Alfia Nazmutdinova
1973	Template:Flagicon Rotterdam, Netherlands	Template:Flagicon Maria Gigova Template:Flagicon Galima Shugurova	—	Template:Flagicon Natalia Krachinnekova
1975	Template:Flagicon Madrid, Spain	Template:Flagicon Carmen Rischer	Template:Flagicon Christiana Rosenberg	Template:Flagicon María Jesús Alegre
1977	Template:Flagicon Basel, Switzerland	Template:Flagicon Irina Deriugina	Template:Flagicon Galima Shugurova	Template:Flagicon Kristina Guiourova
1979	Template:Flagicon London, Great Britain	Template:Flagicon Irina Deriugina	Template:Flagicon Elena Tomas	Template:Flagicon Irina Gabashvili
1981	Template:Flagicon Munich, West Germany	Template:Flagicon Anelia Ralenkova	Template:Flagicon Lilia Ignatova Template:Flagicon Iliana Raeva	—
1983	Template:Flagicon Strasbourg, France	Template:Flagicon Diliana Georgieva	Template:Flagicon Galina Beloglazova Template:Flagicon Lilia Ignatova Template:Flagicon Anelia Ralenkova	—
1985	Template:Flagicon Valladolid, Spain	Template:Flagicon Diliana Georgieva	Template:Flagicon Lilia Ignatova	Template:Flagicon Bianka Panova
1987	Template:Flagicon Varna, Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Bianka Panova	Template:Flagicon Adriana Dunavska Template:Flagicon Elizabeth Koleva	—
1989	Template:Flagicon Sarajevo, Yugoslavia	Template:Flagicon Alexandra Timoshenko	Template:Flagicon Bianka Panova	Template:Flagicon Adriana Dunavska Template:Flagicon Oksana Skaldina
1991	Template:Flagicon Piraeus, Greece	Template:Flagicon Oksana Skaldina	Template:Flagicon Alexandra Timoshenko	Template:Flagicon Mila Marinova
1992	Template:Flagicon Brussels, Belgium	Template:Flagicon Oksana Kostina	Template:Flagicon Maria Petrova	Template:Flagicon Larisa Lukyanenko
1993	Template:Flagicon Alicante, Spain	Template:Flagicon Maria Petrova	Template:Flagicon Kateryna Serebrianska	Template:Flagicon Amina Zaripova
1994	Template:Flagicon Paris, France	Template:Flagicon Maria Petrova	Template:Flagicon Larisa Lukyanenko Template:Flagicon Amina Zaripova	—
1995	Template:Flagicon Vienna, Austria	Template:Flagicon Maria Petrova Template:Flagicon Kateryna Serebrianska	—	Template:Flagicon Yana Batyrshina Template:Flagicon Larissa Lukyanenko
1997	Template:Flagicon Berlin, Germany	Template:Flagicon Olena Vitrychenko	Template:Flagicon Natalia Lipkovskaya	Template:Flagicon Yana Batyrshina
1999	Template:Flagicon Osaka, Japan	Template:Flagicon Alina Kabaeva	Template:Flagicon Yulia Raskina	Template:Flagicon Yulia Barsukova
2001	Template:Flagicon Madrid, Spain	Template:Flagicon Tamara Yerofeeva	Template:Flagicon Simona Peycheva	Template:Flagicon Anna Bessonova
2003	Template:Flagicon Budapest, Hungary	Template:Flagicon Alina Kabaeva	Template:Flagicon Anna Bessonova	Template:Flagicon Irina Tchachina
2005	Template:Flagicon Baku, Azerbaijan	Template:Flagicon Olga Kapranova	Template:Flagicon Anna Bessonova	Template:Flagicon Irina Tchachina
2007	Template:Flagicon Patras, Greece	Template:Flagicon Anna Bessonova	Template:Flagicon Vera Sessina	Template:Flagicon Olga Kapranova
2009	Template:Flagicon Mie, Japan	Template:Flagicon Evgeniya Kanaeva	Template:Flagicon Daria Kondakova	Template:Flagicon Anna Bessonova
2010	Template:Flagicon Moscow, Russia	Template:Flagicon Evgeniya Kanaeva	Template:Flagicon Daria Kondakova	Template:Flagicon Melitina Staniouta
2011	Template:Flagicon Montpellier, France	Template:Flagicon Evgeniya Kanaeva	Template:Flagicon Daria Kondakova	Template:Flagicon Aliya Garayeva
2013	Template:Flagicon Kyiv, Ukraine	Template:Flagicon Yana Kudryavtseva	Template:Flagicon Ganna Rizatdinova	Template:Flagicon Melitina Staniouta
2014	Template:Flagicon İzmir, Turkey	Template:Flagicon Yana Kudryavtseva	Template:Flagicon Margarita Mamun	Template:Flagicon Ganna Rizatdinova
2015	Template:Flagicon Stuttgart, Germany	Template:Flagicon Yana Kudryavtseva	Template:Flagicon Margarita Mamun	Template:Flagicon Melitina Staniouta
2017	Template:Flagicon Pesaro, Italy	Template:Flagicon Dina Averina	Template:Flagicon Arina Averina	Template:Flagicon Linoy Ashram
2018	Template:Flagicon Sofia, Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Dina Averina	Template:Flagicon Linoy Ashram	Template:Flagicon Aleksandra Soldatova
2019	Template:Flagicon Baku, Azerbaijan	Template:Flagicon Dina Averina	Template:Flagicon Arina Averina	Template:Flagicon Linoy Ashram
2021	Template:Flagicon Kitakyushu, Japan	RGF Dina Averina	Template:Flagicon Alina Harnasko	RGF Arina Averina
2022	Template:Flagicon Sofia, Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Sofia Raffaeli	Template:Flagicon Darja Varfolomeev	Template:Flagicon Stiliana Nikolova
2023	Template:Flagicon Valencia, Spain	Template:Flagicon Darja Varfolomeev	Template:Flagicon Sofia Raffaeli	Template:Flagicon Daria Atamanov

Group All-Around

Group All-Around Medalists
Year	Location	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1967	Template:Flagicon Copenhagen, Denmark	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon Czechoslovakia	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria
1969	Template:Flagicon Varna, Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon Czechoslovakia
1971	Template:Flagicon Havana, Cuba	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon Italy
1973	Template:Flagicon Rotterdam, Netherlands	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon Czechoslovakia	Template:Flagicon East Germany
1975	Template:Flagicon Madrid, Spain	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Japan	Template:Flagicon Spain
1977	Template:Flagicon Basel, Switzerland	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Czechoslovakia
1979	Template:Flagicon London, Great Britain	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon Czechoslovakia	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria
1981	Template:Flagicon Munich, West Germany	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon Czechoslovakia
1983	Template:Flagicon Strasbourg, France	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon North Korea
1985	Template:Flagicon Valladolid, Spain	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon North Korea Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	—
1987	Template:Flagicon Varna, Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon China Template:Flagicon Spain
1989	Template:Flagicon Sarajevo, Yugoslavia	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon Spain
1991	Template:Flagicon Piraeus, Greece	Template:Flagicon Spain	Template:Flagicon Soviet Union	Template:Flagicon North Korea
1992	Template:Flagicon Brussels, Belgium	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Spain	Template:Flagicon North Korea
1994	Template:Flagicon Paris, France	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Spain	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria
1995	Template:Flagicon Vienna, Austria	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Spain	Template:Flagicon Belarus
1996	Template:Flagicon Budapest, Hungary	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Spain	Template:Flagicon Belarus
1998	Template:Flagicon Seville, Spain	Template:Flagicon Belarus	Template:Flagicon Spain	Template:Flagicon Russia
1999	Template:Flagicon Osaka, Japan	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Greece	Template:Flagicon Belarus
2002	Template:Flagicon New Orleans, United States	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Belarus	Template:Flagicon Greece
2003	Template:Flagicon Budapest, Hungary	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Belarus
2005	Template:Flagicon Baku, Azerbaijan	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Belarus
2007	Template:Flagicon Patras, Greece	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Belarus
2009	Template:Flagicon Mie, Japan	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Belarus	Template:Flagicon Russia
2010	Template:Flagicon Moscow, Russia	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Belarus	Template:Flagicon Russia
2011	Template:Flagicon Montpellier, France	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria
2013	Template:Flagicon Kyiv, Ukraine	Template:Flagicon Belarus	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Russia
2014	Template:Flagicon İzmir, Turkey	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Belarus
2015	Template:Flagicon Stuttgart, Germany	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Spain
2017	Template:Flagicon Pesaro, Italy	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Japan
2018	Template:Flagicon Sofia, Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria
2019	Template:Flagicon Baku, Azerbaijan	Template:Flagicon Russia	Template:Flagicon Japan	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria
2021	Template:Flagicon Kitakyushu, Japan	RGF	Template:Flagicon Italy	Template:Flagicon Belarus
2022	Template:Flagicon Sofia, Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	Template:Flagicon Israel	Template:Flagicon Spain
2023	Template:Flagicon Valencia, Spain	Template:Flagicon Israel	Template:Flagicon China	Template:Flagicon Spain

All-time medal table

Last updated after the 2023 World Championships.

• ^[a] 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	Bronze	Total
1	Dina Averina	Russian Gymnastics Federation	2017	2021	18	3	1	22
2	Evgeniya Kanaeva		2007	2011	17	1	–	18
3	Yana Kudryavtseva		2013	2015	13	3	–	16
4	Maria Tolkacheva	Russian Gymnastics Federation	2014	2021	11	4	1	16
5	Alexandra Timoshenko		1989	1991	10	2	–	12
6	Olga Kapranova		2003	2009	10	1	1	12
7	Maria Petrova		1991	1996	9	9	4	22
8	Olena Vitrychenko		1992	1999	9	7	7	23
9	Galima Shugurova		1969	1977	9	4	1	14
10	Alina Kabaeva		1999	2007	9	3	2	14

Individual events

Rank	Rhythmic gymnast	Country	From	To	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Dina Averina	Russian Gymnastics Federation	2017	2021	15	3	1	19
2	Evgeniya Kanaeva		2009	2011	13	1	–	14
3	Yana Kudryavtseva		2013	2015	11	3	–	14
4	Olena Vitrychenko		1993	1999	9	5	4	18
5	Galima Shugurova		1969	1977	9	4	1	14
6	Maria Gigova	Template:Flagcountry	1967	1973	9	2	2	13
7	Maria Petrova		1992	1996	8	7	4	19
8	Kateryna Serebrianska		1993	1996	8	4	3	15
9	Bianka Panova	Template:Flagcountry	1985	1989	8	2	1	11
10	Alexandra Timoshenko		1989	1991	8	2	–	10

Records

Category	All events	Individual events
Most medals	Template:Flagicon Anna Bessonova : 27 medals (5 gold, 15 silver and 7 bronze)	Template:Flagicon 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