Blunder in Brazil: Georgian anthem played for German gold medalist

Germany’s gymnastic icon Darja Varfolomeev has accomplished a gold medal at the 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships.

Soon the moment of celebration turned into an embarrassment.

During the award ceremony for her first of five potential world titles, the German-Russian gymnast’s moment of triumph suffered a setback due to anthem blunder.

As the German flag was raised, the Georgian national anthem mistakenly played instead of Germany’s.

When the wrong anthem was played, the Olympic champion along with German delegation members looked perplexed on the podium.

The 18-year-old winner said, ““I thought: What should I do now? Should I just sing my anthem myself?”

According to German media, ““Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that the wrong anthem is played. But I definitely thought that wouldn’t happen at a World Championship.”

Germany’s Athlete of the Year strengthened her position as the world’s best all-around gymnast at the age of 18.

After winning the 2023 World Championship and the Paris Olympics, she accomplished a golden triple with a profound victory in Rio de Janeiro by scoring 121.900 points.