Pamplona 2026: A World Championship to Remember

For three days, Pamplona became the center of the Aerobic Gymnastics world. From September 11 to 13, the Navarra Arena was filled with energy, emotion and performances that once again showed the strength and evolution of the sport.

The 2026 World Championships brought together the best Senior athletes in the world, but also offered something even more special: new stories, new countries and new names joining the fight for the podium.

From the very beginning, the competition showed how unpredictable the finals would be. In the Individual events, qualification results were left behind and everything started from zero. Eight athletes entered each final with the same opportunity: one performance to become World Champion.

And in the Men’s Individual Final, history was made once again.

Miquel Mañé took the gold for Spain, adding another World Championship title to his collection. His roots have grown deep into Spanish soil, becoming a golden tree that continues to bear fruit. With victories in 2021, 2024 and now 2026, Mañé has established an extraordinary legacy in the history of Aerobic Gymnastics.

Behind him, Davide Nacci claimed silver for Italy, while Leonard Manta fought like a warrior to bring bronze to Romania.

The Women’s Individual Final was just as intense. Anastasiia Dimitrieva of Russia delivered the performance that earned her the World title, while Anastasiia Kurashvili of Ukraine took silver. Faidra Diamanti of Greece completed the podium with bronze, another important step in the rise of an athlete who has continued to progress year after year.

But perhaps one of the most beautiful aspects of Pamplona 2026 was seeing how much the sport is changing.

Countries that were not always present among the finalists are now becoming part of the conversation. Great Britain, for example, reached the Men’s Individual Final with Eric Deli, while he and Lola Lawrence also qualified for the Mixed Pair Final.

It is a clear sign that Aerobic Gymnastics is expanding, reaching new countries and creating new protagonists.

The Mixed Pair Final brought another surprise, with Grigorii and Daria taking gold for Russia. Azerbaijan repeated its 2024 achievement with another silver medal, while Lucrezia and Matteo secured bronze for Italy.

In the Trio Final, China delivered an incredible performance to claim gold, with Kakkoeva, Kupersmith and Paniushina taking silver.

China continued its successful championship in the Group Final, once again reaching the top of the podium, while Italy celebrated silver in an emotional final.

The Senior Aerobic Dance Final crowned Hungary as World Champion, while Argentina returned to the world final in the discipline, bringing the country back to a stage it had also reached in 2014.

Another nation that deserves special attention is Australia. After missing the Group Final at the 2024 World Championships, the Australian Senior team returned to the final in Pamplona. The result also reflects the strength of their development, following the Junior team’s silver medal in the same event the previous week.

In AeroStep, Korea took gold after another final decided by a fiercely contested battle until the very last moment.

Beyond the medals, Pamplona was also about the people behind the sport: the celebrations, the nervous moments, the embraces, the tears and those smiles that only appear after years of hard work finally become a medal.

That is perhaps what makes a World Championship so special.

Pamplona showed us a sport with deep roots and, at the same time, a future full of new possibilities.

As the final competitions came to an end, the World Gymnastics flag was officially passed to Egypt, host of the next World Championships in 2028.

One chapter closes in Pamplona. Another one is already waiting in Egypt. 🇪🇬

See you at the 2028 World Championships. 🌎🏆