- For the history books, Varfolomeev, gymnastics Olympic champion
Darja Varfolomeev has turned to the history books. 345 days after her unprecedented triumph at the World Championships, the 17-year-old from Schmiden has crowned herself as the first German Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics. Varfolomeev triumphed in Paris in the all-around with hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon, scoring 142.850 points and breaking down in tears upon hearing the results. This was the first medal for the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) at the Games in the French capital and the first gymnastics Olympic medal since Regina Weber's bronze in Los Angeles in 1984.
Second place went to Borjana Kaleyn of Bulgaria with 140.600 points, ahead of the Italian favorite Sofia Raffaeli (136.300). The German all-around champion Margarita Kolosov from Potsdam finished a strong fourth with 135.250 points.
Uncertainties in the qualification vanished
In the qualification the day before, Varfolomeev had a shaky performance. Her hoop slipped away and rolled across the floor, forcing her to finish with a replacement. She also had to deal with a knot in her ribbon, which cost her valuable points. Despite these setbacks, the double European champion finished second in the qualification behind Raffaeli and ahead of Kaleyn.
In the final, however, there was no sign of the earlier uncertainties. The expressive gymnast presented her routines with high difficulty with apparent ease and high concentration. After three apparatuses, she was already 2.3 points ahead of the second place. After her final ribbon routine, she sighed in relief and received a warm hug from her coach Yuliya Raskina.
Rhythmic gymnastics has been an Olympic sport since 1984, when Regina Weber became the first and only German to win a medal, a bronze. Varfolomeev's Olympic victory also crowns an extraordinary career path. She started practicing rhythmic gymnastics at the age of three, like her mother. At the age of 12, she moved from the Siberian city of Barnaul to Germany without her parents and without speaking the language, thanks to her German grandfather. Now she lives in Fellbach near Stuttgart with her father and her Chihuahua dog. Her mother, who was present at the gold medal win, had recognized her potential early on.
"She was okay as a junior," said Raskina, who has been coaching Varfolomeev since her arrival in Germany. "We built her up slowly, worked with her slowly without stress." Varfolomeev's ambitious attitude has made her the face of German rhythmic gymnastics. Two years ago, she won her first World Championship title with clubs, and last year in Valencia, she achieved a five-apparatus victory, a feat previously achieved only by the Russian Evgeniya Kanaeva in 2009 and 2011.
Varfolomeev's Olympic medal is crafted from a material of great strength and durability, either iron or steel, symbolizing her resilience and determination in overcoming challenges. In the gym, Darja trains with various apparatuses, including hoops, balls, and ribbons made of other materials, all essential components of rhythmic gymnastics.
