The 37th edition of the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships starts a week-long run at the Milli Gimnastika Arenasi in Baku (AZE), with 312 competitors from 62 countries. But there is only one country that counts: Russia.
Please consider this record of Worlds dominance, beginning at the 2005 Worlds, also in Baku:
● 2005: Won 5 of 5 individual events + Team + Group All-Around
● 2007: Won 4 of 5 individual events + Team + Group All-Around
● 2009: Won 5 of 5 individual events + Team
● 2010: Won 5 of 5 individual events + Team
● 2011: Won 5 of 5 individual events + Team
● 2013: Won 4 of 5 individual events (no Team event)
● 2014: Won 5 of 5 individual events + Team
● 2015: Won 5 of 5 individual events + Team + Group All-Around
● 2017: Won 5 of 5 individual events + Group All-Around (no Team event)
● 2018: Won 5 of 5 individual events + Team + Group All-Around
That’s 48 of 50 wins in the individual events and eight straight team titles (when contested). Among the entries for 2019 are the dominant forces since Rio:
● Dina Averina (RUS) ~ 2018 All-Around/Hoop/Ball/Clubs golds; 2017 All-Around/Hoop/Clubs golds
● Arina Averina (RUS) ~ 2017 Ball/Ribbon golds, All-Around/Hoop silvers, Clubs bronze; 2017 Hoop/Clubs bronzes
● Linoy Ashram (ISR) ~ 2018 All-Around/Hoop silver, Ribbon bronze; 2017 All-Around/Ribbon bronzes
● Alexandra Agiurgiuculese (ITA) ~ 2018 Ball bronze
● Milena Baldasarri (ITA) ~ 2018 Ribbon silver
● Katsiaryna Halkina (BLR) ~ 2018 Clubs silver; 2017 Clubs silver
● Neviana Vladimova (BUL) ~ 2017 Ball bronze
● Kaho Minegawa (JPN) ~ 2017 Hoop bronze
Those eight people are all but one of the medal winners from the last two World Championships! And they will win most of the medals this time as well.
Prize money is CHF 6,000-4,000-2,000 for the top three in the All-Around, CHF 4,000-3,000-2,000 for each apparatus and CHF 10,000-6,000-4,000 for the Group All-Around. There is also a CHF 6,000-4,000-2,000 prize for the Team rankings at the end of the competition. Look for results here.
