When you step into the national training centre in Fellbach-Schmiden, you’re not just entering a practice hall: The Swabian base is a hub of talent, discipline, and hope. Over the past few years, a generation has emerged here that has reshaped rhythmic gymnastics in Germany. And this is also the key to what will be displayed Frankfurt Festhalle this summer – a sport enjoying sustained positive development, driven by structural work and outstanding athletes.
Isabell Sawade, team leader and architect of this resurgence, describes the development more objectively, almost in defiance of the pathos that recent successes might suggest.
“Overall, it’s definitely on the rise,” she says, and yet her analysis begins with a turning point: the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, for which Germany failed to qualify in either the individual or group events.
It was a moment of rupture – and rebirth. Under the name “RSG for Future,” the original single-minded focus on the team was replaced with a concept that gave equal attention to both individuals and the team as a whole.
It was not immediately clear if this strategic shift would bear fruit. But then an athlete stepped into the spotlight whose name is now known far beyond the sport itself: Darja Varfolomeev. Her successes – including eleven World Championship titles to date – have given German rhythmic gymnastics a recognisable face.
“Without her, we definitely wouldn’t be where we are today,” Sawade emphasises. After all, the success of individual athletes also helps drive development.
Schmiden exemplifies this growth. The modernised training centre, embedded within the network of the Elite School of Sport and the Olympic Training Centre, brings together forces that were previously scattered. Here, the best individual gymnasts train alongside the team. Daily competitive pressure emerges that drives performance without forcing it.
“Fair athletic competition,” as Sawade calls it. It is an environment in which athletes push each other to improve and performance is continuously refined.
At the same time, the structure remains vulnerable due to financial constraints. While competition and training funds are secure following the success of recent years, there is still a shortage of staff. “Zero euros, zero positions,” says Sawade regarding competitive sports staff. It is a paradox not unknown in German elite sports: the athletic elite is growing faster than the institutional base.
The bar has thus been raised. It is no longer the spectacular elements and their difficulty that determine progress, but rather the subtle differences. Tenths of a point decide rankings and medals. Technical perfection, execution, artistic expression – everything is considered simultaneously. This is supported by targeted choreographic work, such as that of former Olympian and choreographer Anne Jung, who is redefining the connection between sport and art.
Yet as solid as this internal development may seem, the question of its external impact remains open. Despite RSG’s current success, it continues to struggle for visibility. Sponsors remain scarce, media attention fleeting. Sawade sees this as part of her remit. Performances outside the gym, political discussions, media initiatives – for her, all of this is part of her overall responsibility.
This is where the 2026 World Championships in Frankfurt come in. They are not just a sporting event. They are a litmus test for the connection between performance and resonance. Sawade deliberately frames the goals with restraint: no promises of medals, no predictions of rankings. What matters, she says, is “showing our best performance of the year at the World Championships.” This approach aligns with the team’s established way of working and leaves room for development.
Another benchmark will be whether the connection between the athletes and the audience is successful. “If it gets emotional, if it gets passionate,” says Sawade, “then it is a really good World Championships.”
Frankfurt could thus become another important turning point in the progress that began in Schmiden. When structure, talent, and the right conditions come together, this can also lead to a shift in perception – and with it, the opportunity to bring rhythmic gymnastics back into the public spotlight.
