Olympian Kolosov to lead Germany's bid for rhythmic gymnastics medals

ESSEN – Margarita Kolosov came agonisingly close to claiming a medal at last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. And now the rhythmic gymnast will lead the host nation’s bid for a podium spot in her sport for the first time at a FISU World University Games.

Kolosov, a Team Rhine-Ruhr 2025 ambassador and a world championship silver medallist, is one of two student-athletes in her sport representing Germany at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games.

Just 1.05 points separated Kolosov from claiming the bronze medal in the individual all-around in Paris, and the 21-year-old is looking forward to competing at Messe Essen Halle 4 from 17-19 July.

“After my fourth place at the Olympic Games, this is the next big highlight in my career,” Kolosov told the FISU Games News Service.

“(It) is a great honour for me, especially in my role as ambassador for German university sport,” she said.

Coaching gold

Kolosov will be joined by her sole rhythmic gymnastics teammate, Anastasia Simakova, a former two-time junior world champion.

Simakova is trained by Yulia Raskina – the same coach who led Germany’s Darya Varfolomeev to all-around Olympic gold last year in Paris.

Before that, and at the age of 16, Varfolomeev won all five individual events at the 2023 world championships in Valencia.

"My goal is to deliver a strong performance and compete against the best female athletes in the world,” the 20-year-old Simakova said.

“I'm looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere of a home event. With the support of family, friends and fans, it will certainly be a special experience.”

Game changer

The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 rhythmic gymnastics competition features a change of rules. In the three-point RSG judging system – defined by difficulty, artistry and execution – the difficulties have been reduced and the risk elements simplified.

The change is expected to shift the judges’ focus to the artistry of each performance, and Kolosov is intrigued to see how the competition unfolds as a result.

“As the rules have changed, I'm curious to see how I will perform under the new conditions,” she said.

Some 81 student-athletes will participate in eight medal events in rhythmic gymnastics, which is the sole women-only discipline on the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 programme.

Japan, Ukraine and the Republic of Korea will each be represented by eight competitors.

FGNS ib/pp/mb