Darja Varfolomeev won the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships with clubs. A historic triumph for the student from Schmiden near Stuttgart
Darya Varfolomeev is the best rhythmic gymnast in the world with clubs. The 15-year-old won the final at the World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. This means Varfolomeev has won the first title in her sport since reunification in Germany. The day before she had already celebrated silver with the ball and bronze with the hoop.
The last German podium was in 1985 for the GDR. Bianca Dittrich was third with the ball. The last black, red and gold victory even goes back to 1975. At that time, Carmen Rischer from North Rhine-Westphalia became the only German gymnastics world champion for a long time. Now she is joined by Varfolomeev, a student from Schmiden near Stuttgart.
From Siberia to Swabia
Varfolomeev was born far away from Baden-Württemberg in Siberia. In February 2019 she moved to Schmiden at the age of twelve. Because the competition in German gymnastics is much more manageable than in Russia. She had seen no chance for herself there. Her German grandfather Alexander made it possible. That’s why she’s allowed to start for the German national team. Varfolomeev was never in the Russian team.
“I already feel at home in Germany,” Varfolomeev is quoted as saying by “Bild”. Also because almost her entire family now lives with her in Schmiden. Among other things, her father, her mother, her brother and even her dog. She was last in Russia two years ago. Her mother Tatjana was a promising gymnast herself, but had to end her career because of knee problems.
Twelve-year-old Darja Varfolomeev at the 2019 World Junior Championships
The hard training pays off in multiple ways
It is no coincidence that Darja Varfolomeev started doing gymnastics at the age of three. At the age of twelve she decided to pursue it as a competitive sport. The move to Germany followed and since then an extremely disciplined training. She goes to the Albert Schweitzer comprehensive school in Fellbach from Monday to Friday mornings. Then she goes to TSV Schmiden, the federal base for rhythmic gymnastics, for her training. This can take up to five and a half hours a day. She even has two sessions a day on Saturdays and during the holidays. She is only free on Sundays.
So much diligence pays off. Varfolomeev is considered one of the stars of the German team. She has not only proven this with a complete set of medals at the World Championships. At the European Championships in Israel in July, she twice won bronze, once with the ball and once with the clubs. This also ended a German dry spell in rhythmic gymnastics. The last European Championship medal for Germany was in 1980, also for Carmen Rischer. SWR Sport already presented Varfolomeev for this occasion.
No Russian competition at the World Cup
Russian gymnasts were not allowed to compete at the World Championships in Bulgaria. Russia was excluded because of the war of aggression against Ukraine. That’s why Russian media are now also reporting on the victory of the native Siberian. Whether Varfolomeev only won because she was able to bypass the Russian competition again or whether she is now one of the world’s best will only be known when she actually competes against Russians again. One thing is certain: With her move to Swabia, Varfolomeev has used her hoped-for chance of success in rhythmic gymnastics. More medals are expected from her in Schmiden, after all the 15-year-old still has a promising career ahead of her.
