Gold for Darja Varfolomeev and Margarita Kolosov comes fourth: triumph for the German gymnastics team
The German gymnastics team are celebrating a historic success in rhythmic gymnastics. On Friday (9 August 2024), 17-year-old Darja Varfolomeev clinched the gold medal in the all-around competition at the Paris Olympics, whilst her teammate Margarita Kolosov finished in an outstanding fourth place.
A historic victory
Darja Varfolomeev’s historic win marked Germany’s first ever rhythmic gymnastics gold in Olympic history. ‘I still cannot quite believe that I did it’, said Varfolomeev – also affectionately known as Dascha – after her triumph. ‘It is a dream come true’. Varfolomeev, who is already a six-time world champion and two-time European champion, has achieved another milestone in her impressive young career.
It is a dream come true
The path to success
Varfolomeev’s success is the result of years of hard work and dedication. She has dreamed of competing in the Olympics since she was three years old. At the age of twelve, she moved alone from Barnaul in Siberia to Fellbach-Schmiden, home of the German gymnastics federation’s national sports base, to make her dream a reality. ‘I train six times a week for ten hours’, she explains. ‘It is hard work, but it pays off’.
Team cohesion
The German gymnastics team‘s cohesion was clear throughout the competition. The first thing that Varfolomeev did after her win was warmly console her teammate Kolosov, who just missed out on a podium finish. ‘Margarita put in an incredible performance’, Varfolomeev said. ‘She gave her all and can be very proud.’
The final itself
The all-around final was an exciting competition from start to finish. Varfolomeev put in a virtually faultless performance across the four rounds with the hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon, and impressed the judging panel with her elegance and precision. In three of the four routines, the judges awarded her the highest score of the day. A total score of 142.850 points secured Darja Varfolomeev the Olympic gold. Margarita Kolosov fought with huge passion and determination and also put in a strong performance, but had to settle for a thankless fourth place. With a score of 135.250, ‘Marga’ was ultimately just 1.05 points away from the bronze. ‘Missing out on the podium by such a small amount is hard’, Kolosov said. ‘But I am proud of what I achieved.’ In a few days, the 20-year-old will realise what an exceptional performance she put in during the final between the world’s top ten gymnasts.
A happy day for the German gymnastics team
Despite the initial disappointment about Kolosov’s fourth place, the team’s mood was overwhelmingly positive. ‘This is a historic day for us’, the German gymnastics federation’s sport director Thomas Gutekunst said. ‘We are incredibly proud of Darja and Margarita. They showed what can be achieved with hard work and team spirit.’
This is a historic day for us.
This magnificent result in the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around competition represents a pleasing, successful end to the Paris Olympics for the German gymnastics team.
Congratulations to the entire German gymnastics team and thank you for the unforgettable moments and exceptional performances they have given us during the Paris Olympics. You have made us all proud!