Brazil wins historic gold at rhythmic gymnastics world championships
The team set a scoring record performing “Feeling Good” in Frankfurt.
Brazil returned to sports headlines by winning the first gold in history at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, held in Frankfurt, Germany. The victory, marked by a record score, put the team at the center of online searches.
Historic gold at the Frankfurt Worlds
In the final of the individual apparatus (five balls) competition, the Brazilians scored 29.450 points, the highest mark of the season, surpassing the current Olympic champion, China, which scored 28.900 points, and Bulgaria, which posted 28.400. The squad was composed of Duda Arakaki, Nicole Pircio, Sofia Madeira, Maria Paula Caminha, Mariane Gonçalves and Julia Kurunczi.
The routine that earned the medal
The performance was set to “Feeling Good,” a jazz classic, and highlighted the sensuality and blossoming of girls becoming women. The choice of theme reinforced the message of achievement and overcoming that permeated the entire routine.
The road that led to the title
Before the final, Brazil had already secured bronze in the all‑around and an early qualification spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. At the 2025 World Championships, the team was runner‑up, and in Rio de Janeiro the previous year, they captured two silvers. The evolution culminated in the Frankfurt performance, where the team entered the individual apparatus final as the eighth and last qualifier, but turned pressure into triumph.
Implications for the 2028 Olympics
The early qualification reinforces Brazil's presence in Olympic competition, allowing a longer planning horizon for the team's preparation. The win also boosts the confidence of the coaching staff, which had already announced participation in the mixed‑apparatus final.
The team and the coaching staff
Camila Ferezin, the squad's coach, celebrated in tears at the end of the routine. She said: "It's hard to find words for a moment like this. When I took over the Brazilian national team, we were the 26th team in the world. There was a huge dream, but we also knew the length of the road we would have to travel". Team captain Duda Arakaki declared: "I am a world champion" and added that the victory was "almost surreal" and "the fulfillment of a dream built every day".
With information from GE, Folha de S.Paulo, CNN Brazil.
Source: GE, Folha de S.Paulo, CNN Brasil