1. Overview
Darja Varfolomeev (Darja Varfolomeevˈdaʁja vaʁfoloˈmeːfGerman; born November 4, 2006), also known as Dárya Dmítrievna Varfoloméyeva (Дарья Дмитриевна ВарфоломееваDárya Dmítrievna VarfoloméyevaRussian), is a prominent Russian-born German rhythmic gymnast. She is the reigning 2024 Olympic all-around gold medalist and the 2023 World all-around gold medalist, having also secured the 2022 World all-around silver medal. In 2024, she earned a bronze medal at the European all-around championships. Domestically, Varfolomeev has won two national all-around titles (in 2022 and 2023) and two junior all-around titles (in 2019 and 2021). Her career is marked by several pioneering achievements for Germany, including being the first German rhythmic gymnast to sweep all five gold medals at a World Championship since 2009 and the first to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
2. Personal Life
Darja Varfolomeev's personal journey, from her origins in Russia to her relocation to Germany, has significantly shaped her career as a top rhythmic gymnast. Her life outside the competitive arena also reflects efforts to balance her demanding training with her academic and personal interests, alongside facing public scrutiny.
2.1. Early Life and Background
Darja Varfolomeev was born on November 4, 2006, in Barnaul, Russia. Her parents are Dmitry and Tatiana. Her mother, a former rhythmic gymnast herself, introduced Varfolomeev to the sport at a young age, bringing her to the gymnasium to begin her training. Varfolomeev's grandfather is of ethnic German descent, providing a familial connection to Germany.
2.2. Move to Germany
In 2018, Varfolomeev attended a training camp in Germany. During this period, she was invited to remain in the country. Despite initial hesitation from her parents, Varfolomeev made the decision to stay, describing it as "the most difficult decision of my life, but also the greatest decision I made at the time." She officially relocated to Germany in 2019, without her parents, to be coached by the Olympic silver medalist Yulia Raskina. Initially, Varfolomeev resided in a boarding school and received visits from her grandparents when they were able to travel. Her parents eventually joined her in Germany three years later.
2.3. Personal Aspects
Beyond her intensive training schedule, Varfolomeev maintains a few personal interests. She is known to own a chihuahua. Due to the rigorous demands of her training in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics, she significantly reduced her schoolwork and consequently delayed her graduation from secondary school to fully focus on her athletic commitments.
2.4. Controversy
In 2024, Varfolomeev faced criticism in Ukrainian media regarding photos posted on her Instagram account. Some of these images, taken in 2021 when she was 14 years old, showed her competing in Russian-occupied Crimea. Another photo depicted a wooden map of the world, reportedly purchased in Russia, which portrayed Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia in 2022 as part of the Russian territory. Following the public criticism, these controversial photos were removed from her social media account within a day.
3. Career
Darja Varfolomeev's rhythmic gymnastics career has been marked by a rapid ascent through the junior ranks to become one of the most decorated senior gymnasts, achieving unprecedented success for Germany on the international stage.
3.1. Junior Career
Varfolomeev's international debut as a rhythmic gymnast occurred at the first Junior World Championships held in Moscow in 2019. There, she contributed to the German team's 15th-place finish alongside Margarita Kolosov. Individually, she competed only with clubs, placing 15th in the qualifications. At the national level, Varfolomeev demonstrated her early talent by becoming a two-time junior all-around champion in Germany, securing titles in both 2019 and 2021.
3.2. Senior Career
Varfolomeev transitioned into the senior category in 2022, quickly establishing herself as a formidable competitor. Her senior career has been characterized by consistent medal-winning performances at World Cups, European Championships, and World Championships, culminating in Olympic gold.
3.2.1. 2022 Season
The 2022 season marked Varfolomeev's senior debut, where she immediately made an impact. At the World Cup Tashkent, she earned an all-around bronze medal, a hoop bronze, and two silver medals in the ball and ribbon finals, also placing fourth with clubs. She continued her strong performances at the World Challenge Cup in Pamplona, finishing fourth in the all-around and winning gold medals in both the ball and ribbon finals, while placing fourth with clubs. In Portimão, she secured an all-around silver medal, behind Israeli gymnast Adi Asya Katz, and added three more medals in the apparatus finals: two golds with ball and clubs, and a silver with hoop.
In June, Varfolomeev participated in the European Championships in Tel Aviv alongside Margarita Kolosov, the German senior group, and junior gymnasts Lada Pusch and Anna-Maria Shatokhin. She won two bronze medals in the ball and clubs finals. Later, in late August, she competed at the World Cup in Cluj-Napoca, where she finished sixth in the all-around and fourth with both ball and clubs. Her successful debut season culminated at the World Championships in Sofia, where she, along with Kolosov and the senior group, achieved significant results. Varfolomeev secured a gold medal in the clubs final, silver medals in the all-around, team category, and ball, and a bronze medal with hoop. Nationally, she also became the German all-around champion in 2022.
3.2.2. 2023 Season
The 2023 season saw Varfolomeev continue her rise, despite an early challenge. Following a foot operation in December 2022, she began her season by competing in the Italian clubs championship's first stage for Motto Viareggio. In the Fellbach-Schmiden Tournament, she limited her participation to two apparatuses but still won gold medals in both the ball and clubs finals. At the 2023 European Championships, she won her sole medal, a gold in the ribbon final.
Her most significant achievement of the year came at the 2023 World Championships in Valencia. Varfolomeev achieved a historic sweep, winning every available gold medal in the all-around and all four apparatus finals (hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon). This made her the first rhythmic gymnast to accomplish such a feat since Evgeniya Kanaeva in 2009, and only the fourth gymnast ever to do so, following Bianka Panova, Oksana Kostina, and Kanaeva. Furthermore, this victory marked Germany's first world all-around title in nearly 50 years, since Carmen Rischer won the 1975 World Championships.
Following her extraordinary performance at the World Championships, Varfolomeev was recognized with the Piotr Nurowski Prize by the European Olympic Committees, sharing the award with Turkish swimmer Kuzey Tunçelli. During the off-season, she engaged in international activities, traveling to Spain and Poland to conduct master classes.
3.2.3. 2024 Season
The 2024 season was pivotal for Varfolomeev, culminating in her Olympic triumph. In March, she competed at the Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix stage in Marbella, where she won the all-around bronze medal and qualified for the hoop, clubs, and ribbon finals, ultimately securing gold in the hoop final. The following month, she achieved an all-around gold at the World Cup in Baku, ahead of Elvira Krasnobaeva and Sofia Raffaeli. She further dominated by winning three of the four event final golds in hoop, ball, and ribbon, though she placed third in clubs after an apparatus drop. The subsequent week, at the World Cup in Tashkent, she again claimed all-around gold, this time ahead of Takhmina Ikromova and Boryana Kaleyn. In the apparatus finals, she won two more golds in clubs and ribbon, and two silvers in hoop and ball.
In May, Varfolomeev represented Germany at the European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, earning a bronze medal in the all-around final, behind Stiliana Nikolova and Sofia Raffaeli. She also contributed to Germany's fourth-place finish in the team competition alongside Anastasia Simakova, Margarita Kolosov, and the German senior group. In the apparatus finals, Varfolomeev secured a gold medal in ribbon and placed fourth in the ball final, but did not advance to the clubs final after finishing 10th in qualifications.
On June 6-7, she competed at the German national championships, where she surprisingly lost the all-around title, winning silver behind Margarita Kolosov by just 0.3 points, partly due to a hoop routine mishap where her apparatus hit a bar on the ceiling. However, she rebounded strongly in the event finals the next day, adjusting her routines for the venue's ceiling and winning three gold medals (hoop, clubs, and ribbon), along with a silver in the ball final behind Kolosov. Later in June, at the World Cup in Milan, she again won the all-around, surpassing Sofia Raffaeli and Viktoriia Onopriienko, and added three more medals in the apparatus finals: gold with ball and clubs, and silver with ribbon, finishing fourth in the hoop final.
Varfolomeev's 2024 season culminated at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Despite an apparatus drop with her hoop, she qualified for the individual all-around final in second place, behind Sofia Raffaeli. In the final, Varfolomeev was the only competitor to achieve multiple scores above 36 points, ultimately winning the gold medal. This historic victory marked her as the first German rhythmic gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal and the first to win an Olympic medal for Germany since Regina Weber earned a bronze at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Reflecting on her achievement, she stated, "It's difficult to say something right now. I'm really happy and I'm still not really believing it." On November 4, her 18th birthday, she was awarded the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (Silver Laurel Leaf), Germany's highest sports award, by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Later in November, she participated in the final of the rhythmic gymnastics Bundesliga, where she and Anna-Maria Shatokhin were key contributors to TSV Schmiden's victory. Varfolomeev noted the significant audience turnout, expressing her joy that "so many are now interested in our sport."
3.2.4. 2025 Season
Varfolomeev commenced her 2025 season in late February, competing for the Italian club Motto Viareggio during the initial stage of the Italian Serie A1 club championship. Her performance with the clubs apparatus earned her the highest score of the day, contributing to Motto Viareggio's victory in the competition.
4. Achievements
Darja Varfolomeev has achieved several significant "first" records for German rhythmic gymnastics on the international stage, especially following the reunification of Germany.
- First German rhythmic gymnast to win a medal in an individual apparatus final at European Championships since 1980.
- First German rhythmic gymnast to win two medals in individual apparatus finals at European Championships.
- First German rhythmic gymnast to win a medal in an individual apparatus final at World Championships since 1977.
- First German rhythmic gymnast to win a gold medal in an individual apparatus final at World Championships since 1975, making her the first World Champion from Germany after reunification.
- First German rhythmic gymnast to win a medal in an all-around final at World Championships since 1975.
- First German rhythmic gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal.
5. Awards and Honors
Varfolomeev's exceptional athletic achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards and honors:
- Piotr Nurowski Prize (2023):** Co-winner alongside Turkish swimmer Kuzey Tunçelli, awarded by the European Olympic Committees to athletes under 18.
- Runner-up in German Sportswoman of the Year (2023)**
- German Sportswoman of the Year (2024)**
- Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (2024):** The highest sports award in Germany, presented by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
6. Competition Style and Routine Music
Darja Varfolomeev's performances are characterized by distinctive routines set to a variety of musical pieces. The following table details the music used in her routines across different competitive seasons:
| Year | Apparatus | Music Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hoop | Jackseye's Tale, Escape from East Berlin, Take You Down by Daniel Pemberton |
| Ball | In the Closet by Michael Jackson | |
| Clubs | Batshit - Ilkay Sencan Remix by Sofi Tukker | |
| Ribbon | Generali by HAVASI | |
| 2023 | Hoop | Jackseye's Tale, Escape from East Berlin, Take You Down by Daniel Pemberton |
| Ball | Mercy (Remix) by Duffy | |
| Clubs | Calabria /Destination Calabria by Alex Gaudino, Crystal Waters | |
| Ribbon | Generali by HAVASI | |
| 2022 | Hoop | John Drops In by John Powell |
| Ball | Mercy (Remix) by Duffy | |
| Clubs | Calabria /Destination Calabria by Alex Gaudino, Crystal Waters | |
| Ribbon | Doowit by Pharrell Williams | |
| 2021 | Hoop | John Drops In by John Powell |
| Ball | Ojos Así (Thunder Mix) by Shakira | |
| Clubs | On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez feat Pitbull | |
| Ribbons | The Duel by HAVASI | |
| 2020 | Rope | Ride by ZZ WARD feat Gary Clark jr |
| Ball | Ojos Así (Thunder Mix) by Shakira | |
| Clubs | On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez feat Pitbull | |
| Ribbon | ||
| 2019 | Rope | |
| Ball | Ojos Así (Thunder Mix) by Shakira | |
| Clubs | Tico Tico by Dalida | |
| Ribbon |
7. Detailed Competition Results
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Darja Varfolomeev's competitive results at major international and national rhythmic gymnastics events throughout her career.
| International: Senior | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Event | All-Around | Team | Hoop | Ball | Clubs | Ribbon | |||||
| 2024 | Olympic Games | 1st | ||||||||||
| World Challenge Cup Cluj-Napoca | 2nd | 4th | 1st | 1st | 8th | |||||||
| World Cup Milan | 1st | 4th | 1st | 1st | 2nd | |||||||
| European Championships | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 10th (Q) | 1st | |||||||
| World Challenge Cup Portimão | 1st | 1st | 7th | 1st | 1st | |||||||
| World Cup Tashkent | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | |||||||
| World Cup Baku | 1st | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 1st | |||||||
| Grand Prix Marbella | 3rd | 1st | 12th (Q) | 6th | 7th | |||||||
| Gymnastik International Fellbach-Schmiden | 1st | 1st | ||||||||||
| 2023 | Aeon Cup | 1st | 1st | |||||||||
| World Championships | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| World Cup Milan | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 3rd | |||||||
| World Challenge Cup Cluj-Napoca | 3rd | 5th | 12th (Q) | 2nd | 1st | |||||||
| European Championships | 4th | 5th | 12th (Q) | 5th | 5th | 1st | ||||||
| World Challenge Cup Portimão | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 1st | |||||||
| World Cup Baku | 4th | 8th | 1st | 3rd | 24th (Q) | |||||||
| World Cup Tashkent | 5th | 6th | 19th (Q) | 2nd | 2nd | |||||||
| Gymnastik International Fellbach-Schmiden | 1st | 1st | ||||||||||
| 2022 | World Championships | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 10th (Q) | |||||
| World Challenge Cup Cluj-Napoca | 6th | 9th (Q) | 4th | 4th | 9th (Q) | |||||||
| European Championships | 5th | 5th | 9th (Q) | 3rd | 3rd | 6th | ||||||
| World Challenge Cup Portimão | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 5th | |||||||
| World Challenge Cup Pamplona | 4th | 12th (Q) | 1st | 4th | 1st | |||||||
| World Cup Tashkent | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | |||||||
| International: Junior | ||||||||||||
| Year | Event | All-Around | Team | Rope | Ball | Clubs | Ribbon | |||||
| 2019 | Junior World Championships | 15th (Q) | 15th (Q) | |||||||||
| National: Senior | ||||||||||||
| Year | Event | All-Around | Team | Hoop | Ball | Clubs | Ribbon | |||||
| 2024 | German Championships | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| 2023 | German Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| 2022 | German Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 3rd | ||||||
| National: Junior | ||||||||||||
| Year | Event | All-Around | Team | Hoop | Ball | Clubs | Ribbon | |||||
| 2021 | German Junior Championships | 1st | ||||||||||
| Year | Event | All-Around | Team | Rope | Ball | Clubs | Ribbon | |||||
| 2019 | German Junior Championships | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | ||||||
| Q = Qualifications (Did not advance to Event Final due to the 2 gymnast per country rule, only Top 8 highest score, no Event Finals held); WD = Withdrew | ||||||||||||
7.1. 2024 Summer Olympics Results
The following table details Darja Varfolomeev's performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
| Year | Competition Description | Location | Apparatus | Rank-Final | Score-Final | Rank-Qualifying | Score-Qualifying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Olympics | Paris | All-around | 1st | 142.850 | 2th | 136.850 |
| Hoop | 1st | 36.300 | 12th | 32.500 | |||
| Ball | 1st | 36.500 | 1st | 36.450 | |||
| Clubs | 1st | 36.350 | 1st | 35.250 | |||
| Ribbon | 2nd | 33.700 | 3rd | 32.650 |