At just 18, Taisiia Onofriichuk is a rhythmic gymnastics world champion. The Ukrainian gymnast won gold in the hoop final at the 2026 World Championships in Frankfurt, Germany, bringing Ukraine its first world title in the sport in 13 years — and earning the first World Championship gold of her career.
Ukrainian rhythmic gymnastics is back on top of the world podium. In the hoop final in Frankfurt, Taisiia Onofriichuk delivered a standout performance, earning 30.700 points and securing one of the biggest victories of her young career.
The battle for gold was remarkably close. Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli finished second with 30.500 points, while Germany’s Darja Varfolomeev took bronze with 30.400. Just 0.200 points separated Onofriichuk from her closest rival.
For the 18-year-old Ukrainian, the victory is the latest milestone in a rapid rise through the sport’s international ranks. In 2025, Onofriichuk became the European all-around champion — the first Ukrainian gymnast to claim the title in nearly three decades. She arrived in Frankfurt as a two-time bronze medalist from the 2025 World Championships.
Her gold carries particular significance for Ukrainian rhythmic gymnastics. The last Ukrainian to win a World Championship title was Hanna Rizatdinova in 2013, when she took gold in the hoop final. Thirteen years later, the world title belongs to Ukraine once again — in the very same apparatus.
Onofriichuk’s ascent has been swift. After representing Ukraine at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she reached the individual all-around final, she went on to win the European all-around title the following year, establishing herself as one of the most exciting young talents in international rhythmic gymnastics.
In Frankfurt, she added the biggest title of her career so far. And gold was not her only medal of the championships: Onofriichuk also claimed silver in the clubs final, giving Ukraine its first two medals of the 2026 World Championships.
At 18, Taisiia Onofriichuk already has a world title, a European all-around crown and an Olympic final to her name. Her victory in Frankfurt confirms her place among the leading athletes of a new generation in rhythmic gymnastics — and puts Ukraine back at the top of the world podium after a 13-year wait.
Iryna Blokhina, Taisiia Onofriichuk, Iryna Deriugina
