Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

The Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships[1][2] 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).[3] 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.

There is a clear dominance of post-Soviet republics at the World Championships, namely Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Successful nations also include Bulgaria, Italy and Spain, the last two of which are mostly dominant in group events. The only non-European nations to successfully achieve medal positions at the World Championships are Japan, China, North Korea and South Korea; other medal-winning nations — Azerbaijan and Israel — though geographically located in Europe and Asia, compete at the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.[4]