Sofia Raffaeli of Italy performs at the individual ribbon final of the 39th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sept. 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)
Italian Sofia Raffaeli claimed the ribbon event's gold, her third individual title at the FIG rhythmic gymnastics worlds.
SOFIA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sofia Raffaeli of Italy added a third individual title in the 39th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships here on Thursday evening.
In the individual ribbon final, Raffaeli claimed victory with 32.650 points. Stiliana Nikolova of Bulgaria grabbed the silver medal with 31.850, and Slovenia's Ekaterina Vedeneeva came third with 29.900 points.
In the individual clubs final, Germany's Darja Varfolomeev snatched the gold with 33.550 points, followed by Nikolova with 32.600, while Raffaeli took the bronze with 31.850.
The individual all-around final will be held on Saturday with the participation of the 18 best gymnasts from qualifications, including China's Zhao Yating. The groups will compete on Friday and Sunday.
"I am so happy for these medals," Raffaeli told Xinhua.
The Italian, who won the individual hoop and ball titles on Wednesday, said that she would do her best on Saturday. "I hope that I will do better than today," she said.
Some 300 athletes from 62 countries and regions participate in the five-day event, which is also the first qualifier for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. ■
