Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 23 (LaPresse) – Germany celebrates the triumph of Darja Varfolomeev, who retained the world all-around gymnastics title she won in 2023 in Valencia, with 121.900 points, ahead of Bulgarian Stiliana Nikolova (119.300).
But for Italy, the night at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was colored bronze: Sofia Raffaeli claimed the third step on the podium with 117.950 points (Hoop 30.550 – Ball 29.100 – Clubs 29.000 – Ribbon 29.300), confirming her extraordinary consistency.
Raffaeli, world silver medalist in Valencia 2023 and Olympic bronze medalist in Paris 2024 — according to the Italian Gymnastics Federation website — confirmed her status as a top athlete.
The Marche native opened the competition with a hoop routine scoring 30.550 points, the highest score in that apparatus, showcasing technical mastery that remains her trademark.
Some uncertainty in the following routines — ball, clubs, and ribbon — prevented her from seriously challenging the top two, but the agent of the Fiamme Oro Police sports group maintained composure and decisively defended her podium position.
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