Rome, Aug. 24 (LaPresse) – At the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, Sofia Raffaeli won gold in the hoop event. On the floor in Rio de Janeiro, the Italian dominated the apparatus final with a score of 30.650 (starting score 13.500, execution 8.500, artistry 8.650), immediately putting her rivals at a disadvantage and securing first place throughout the competition. Silver went to Bulgaria’s Stiliana Nikolova (29.950) and bronze to Germany’s Anastasia Simakova (29.400). The champion from the Marche region, Olympic bronze medalist in Paris 2024, had claimed bronze on Friday night in the individual all-around. She returns to the highest step of the world podium three years after her last triumph: in 2022, she won in the all-around as well as in hoop, ball, and ribbon. This is the Italian athlete’s sixth world title.
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