The Spanish rhythmic gymnastics team made history this Saturday by becoming world champions in the all-around competition in Frankfurt (Germany), winning the gold medal 35 years after their only world title, achieved in Athens 1991. The national team climbed to the top of the podium followed by Japan (silver) and Brazil (bronze), with the three delegations securing the first tickets to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
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The Spanish team secured their victory after delivering a flawless performance in both rounds of the competition, scoring a total of 57.450 points. In the mixed hoops and clubs routine, performed to the rhythm of mambo, the Spanish gymnasts executed all risks and throws with maximum precision to achieve a score of 28.950 points, the highest score of the entire competition on this apparatus.
Later, in the five balls routine with music by Residente, they confirmed their consistency with a smooth exercise without penalties, rated at 28.500 points, also obtaining the highest score, which also granted them direct qualification for the two apparatus finals this Sunday. This victory once again places rhythmic gymnastics as the leading discipline in Spanish sport to secure qualification for an Olympic event, emulating what was achieved on the road to Paris 2024, when they sealed their spot with the bronze at the 2022 Sofia World Championships.
The Spanish team, led by Alejandra Quereda and Ana Pelaz, is captained by Olympian Inés Bergua (22 years old). Alongside her, fellow Olympian Salma Solaun (21) and the young Andrea Fernández (20), Marina Cortelles (19), Andrea Corral (18), and Lucía Muñoz (18) reaffirm their international dominance after winning consecutive gold triplets at the 2025 and 2026 European Championships.
The feat ends a drought of three and a half decades since the team led by Emilia Boneva won gold in Athens in 1991, ahead of the Soviet Union. Since then, Spain accumulated five silvers at the 1990s World Championships (Brussels 1992, Paris 1994, Vienna 1995, Budapest 1996, and Seville 1998), to which were added four bronzes in Stuttgart 2015, Sofia 2022, Valencia 2023, and Rio de Janeiro 2025.
The silver in the all-around went to the Japanese team with 56.700 points (28.550 in the mixed and 28.100 in five balls), relinquishing the crown obtained in the 2025 edition but solidly securing their Olympic presence on U.S. soil. The world podium confirmed Brazil’s consolidation at the forefront of international rhythmic gymnastics by taking the bronze medal and securing their spot for Los Angeles 2028.
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The reigning 2025 world runners-up started powerfully in the mixed routine to the rhythm of Lady Gaga, reaching 28.700 points thanks to the complexity of their multiple throws. Despite suffering a collision and apparatus drop in the five balls routine, the Brazilian team defended the rest of the elements to secure bronze. In the rest of the international field, Ukraine finished in a notable fourth position (54.900 points; 27.150 in balls and 24.450 in the mixed), surpassing China (54.200), which suffered a floor exit in the mixed routine (26.050) despite a solid five balls exercise (28.150).
The day left several traditional powers off the podium and without Olympic tickets. Bulgaria, Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020, fell behind after a drop in the five balls routine (26.900) that neutralized their improvement in the mixed (27.700). Israel was sidelined from the medal fight due to serious errors in the five balls routine with the use of a replacement apparatus (23.500), having to settle for 50.850 points despite their recovery in the mixed (27.350). Russia, competing under a neutral flag with a non-starting team and lacking synchronization, scored 51.150 points (25.550 in balls and 25.600 in the mixed after an early drop).
Meanwhile, the Mexican team finished with 44.000 points overall, after completing an urban-style five balls routine (23.650) and overcoming two apparatus losses and the use of a spare hoop in their mixed routine (20.350). The Argentine team accumulated 33.250 points (17.500 in the mixed and 15.750 in balls), gaining international experience after the podiums achieved in the recent South American Championship.
The Frankfurt World Championship will conclude this Sunday with the apparatus finals (five balls and mixed routine), where Spain will seek to increase their medal haul.
