# Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

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 | Czechoslovakia | Soviet Union | — | (individuals only) |
| 1967 | 3 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 5 | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | Bulgaria | |
| 1969 | 4 | Varna | Bulgaria | 6 | Bulgaria | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | |
| 1971 | 5 | Havana | Cuba | 6 | Bulgaria | Soviet Union | North Korea | |
| 1973 | 6 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | 6 | Soviet Union | Bulgaria | Czechoslovakia | |
| 1975 | 7 | Madrid | Spain | 6 | West Germany | Japan | Italy | |
| 1977 | 8 | Basel | Switzerland | 6 | Soviet Union | Bulgaria Czechoslovakia | — | |
| 1979 | 9 | London | Great Britain | 6 | Soviet Union | Bulgaria | Czechoslovakia | |
| 1981 | 10 | Munich | West Germany | 6 | Bulgaria | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | |
| 1983 | 11 | Strasbourg | France | 6 | Bulgaria | Soviet Union | North Korea | |
| 1985 | 12 | Valladolid | Spain | 6 | Bulgaria | Soviet Union | North Korea | |
| 1987 | 13 | Varna | Bulgaria | 8 | Bulgaria | Soviet Union | China | |
| 1989 | 14 | Sarajevo | Yugoslavia | 9 | Soviet Union | Bulgaria | Spain | |
| 1991 | 15 | Piraeus | Greece | 9 | Soviet Union | Spain | Bulgaria | |
| 1992 | 16 | Brussels | Belgium | 8 | Russia | Belarus | Bulgaria | |
| 1993 | 17 | Alicante | Spain | 7 | Bulgaria | Ukraine | Spain | (individuals only) |
| 1994 | 18 | Paris | France | 8 | Ukraine | Bulgaria | Russia | |
| 1995 | 19 | Vienna | Austria | 9 | Bulgaria | Russia | Ukraine | |
| 1996 | 20 | Budapest | Hungary | 7 | Ukraine | Belarus | Russia | |
| 1997 | 21 | Berlin | Germany | 6 | Ukraine | Russia | Belarus | (individuals only) |
| 1998 | 22 | Seville | Spain | 3 | Belarus | Spain | Russia | (groups only) |
| 1999 | 23 | Osaka | Japan | 9 | Russia | Greece | Ukraine | |
| 2001 | 24 | Madrid | Spain | 6 | Ukraine | Bulgaria | Belarus | (individuals only) |
| 2002 | 25 | New Orleans | United States | 3 | Russia | Greece | Ukraine | (groups only) |
| 2003 | 26 | Budapest | Hungary | 9 | Russia | Ukraine | Bulgaria | |
| 2005 | 27 | Baku | Azerbaijan | 9 | Russia | Italy | Bulgaria | |
| 2007 | 28 | Patras | Greece | 9 | Russia | Ukraine | Italy | |
| 2009 | 29 | Ise | Japan | 9 | Russia | Italy | Belarus | |
| 2010 | 30 | Moscow | Russia | 9 | Russia | Italy | Belarus | |
| 2011 | 31 | Montpellier | France | 9 | Russia | Italy | Bulgaria | |
| 2013 | 32 | Kyiv | Ukraine | 8 | Russia | Ukraine | Belarus | |
| 2014 | 33 | İzmir | Turkey | 9 | Russia | Bulgaria | Spain | |
| 2015 | 34 | Stuttgart | Germany | 9 | Russia | Italy | Belarus | |
| 2017 | 35 | Pesaro | Italy | 8 | Russia | Italy | Japan | |
| 2018 | 36 | Sofia | Bulgaria | 9 | Russia | Italy | Bulgaria | |
| 2019 | 37 | Baku | Azerbaijan | 9 | Russia | Japan | Israel | |
| 2021 | 38 | Kitakyushu | Japan | 9 | RGF | Italy | Belarus | |
| 2022 | 39 | Sofia | Bulgaria | 9 | Italy | Bulgaria | Germany | |
| 2023 | 40 | Valencia | Spain | 9 | Germany | Israel | Bulgaria | |
| 2025 | 41 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | Future event | Future event | Future event | Future event | Future event |
| 2026 | 42 | Frankfurt | Germany | Future event | Future event | Future event | Future event | Future event |
| 2027 | 43 | Baku | Azerbaijan | Future event | Future event | Future event | Future event | 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 |

### 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 |

## All-time medal table

Last updated after the 2023 World Championships.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Russia | 113 | 57 | 35 | 205 |
| 2 | Bulgaria | 70 | 61 | 54 | 185 |
| 3 | Soviet Union | 50 | 43 | 27 | 120 |
| 4 | Ukraine | 25 | 28 | 40 | 93 |
| 5 | Italy | 16 | 24 | 14 | 54 |
| 6 | Belarus | 10 | 28 | 41 | 79 |
| 7 | Spain | 7 | 12 | 22 | 41 |
| 8 | Russian Gymnastics Federation | 7 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| 9 | Germany | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 |
| 10 | West Germany | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| 11 | Czechoslovakia | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 |
| 12 | Greece | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 13 | Israel | 2 | 9 | 8 | 19 |
| 14 | Japan | 2 | 5 | 6 | 13 |
| 15 | China | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 16 | North Korea | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 17 | Azerbaijan | 0 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| 18 | East Germany | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 19 | France | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 | Hungary | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 | Slovenia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 22 | Romania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 22 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (23 entries) | Totals (23 entries) | 322 | 293 | 285 | 900 |
* ^[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 | Russia Russian Gymnastics Federation | 2017 | 2021 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 22 |
| 2 | Evgeniya Kanaeva | Russia | 2007 | 2011 | 17 | 1 | – | 18 |
| 3 | Yana Kudryavtseva | Russia | 2013 | 2015 | 13 | 3 | – | 16 |
| 4 | Maria Tolkacheva | Russia Russian Gymnastics Federation | 2014 | 2021 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 16 |
| 5 | Alexandra Timoshenko | Soviet Union | 1989 | 1991 | 10 | 2 | – | 12 |
| 6 | Olga Kapranova | Russia | 2003 | 2009 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 7 | Maria Petrova | Bulgaria | 1991 | 1996 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 22 |
| 8 | Olena Vitrychenko | Ukraine | 1992 | 1999 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
| 9 | Galima Shugurova | Soviet Union | 1969 | 1977 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
| 10 | Alina Kabaeva | Russia | 1999 | 2007 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 14 |

### Individual events

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

### Records

| Category | All events | Individual events |
| Most medals | Anna Bessonova : 27 medals (5 gold, 15 silver and 7 bronze) | Anna Bessonova : 22 medals (3 gold, 13 silver and 6 bronze) |