Italian rhythmic gymnast (born 2002)
Laura Paris (born 7 September 2002) is an Italian group rhythmic gymnast . She won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the group all-around final . She is the 2021 World champion in 3 hoops and 4 clubs and the 2022 World champion in 5 hoops and team, a two-time (2022 , 2024 ) European champion in 5 hoops and the 2022 European champion in 3 ribbons + 2 balls.
Paris was born on 7 September 2002 in Rho, Lombardy . Her father, Federico Paris , competed in track cycling at international level and won multiple World titles in 1990, 1992 and 1993.[ 2] [ 3]
Paris was called up to join the main Italian group for the first time at the 2021 Baku World Cup .[ 4] There, the Italian group won three silver medals.[ 5] She was the reserve for the Italian group at the 2020 Summer Olympics . She was then selected to compete at the 2021 World Championships .[ 6] She helped Italy win the silver medal in the group all-around behind Russia.[ 7] In the event finals, they won the gold medal in 3 hoops and 4 clubs and the silver medal in 5 balls.[ 8] Additionally, the Italian group and individuals Alexandra Agiurgiuculese , Milena Baldassarri , and Sofia Raffaeli won the silver medal in the team competition.[ 9]
Paris helped the Italian group win two gold medals and one silver medal at the 2022 Baku World Cup .[ 10] [ 11] They then swept the gold medals at the Pamplona World Challenge Cup.[ 12] They once again swept the gold medals at their home World Cup stage in Pesaro.[ 13] They won a silver medal in the group all-around at the 2022 European Championships behind Israel, but they won gold in both event finals.[ 14] At the 2022 World Championships , they missed out on a group all-around medal and an Olympic berth, but the Italian team of the group, Milena Baldassarri , and Sofia Raffaeli won the team competition.[ 15] In the event finals, they won the gold medal in 5 hoops and the silver medal behind Bulgaria in 3 ribbons and 2 balls.[ 16]
Paris and the Italian group won a gold medal in 3 ribbons and 2 balls at the Athens World Cup .[ 17] They then won the all-around title at the Milan World Cup after winning a tie-breaker over Israel. They lost to Israel in the 5 hoops final but won 3 ribbons and 2 balls.[ 18] They won the bronze medal in 5 hoops at the 2023 European Championships .[ 19] At the 2023 World Championships , the Italian group finished fourth in the all-around after multiple mistakes in the 3 ribbons and 2 balls routine. However, they did qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics as they were among the top five eligible groups.[ 20] They did qualify for the 5 hoops final and won the bronze medal behind China and Spain in addition to winning a team bronze medal.[ 21]
Paris helped the Italian group sweep the gold medals at the Athens World Cup .[ 22] They swept the silver medals at the European Cup .[ 23] Then at the 2024 European Championships , the Italian group won the title in 5 hoops.[ 24] Additionally, they won silver medals in the group all-around and team events.[ 25] Paris competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics alongside Alessia Maurelli , Martina Centofanti , Agnese Duranti , and Daniela Mogurean . She was the youngest member of the group at age 21 and the only Olympic debutant. The group went on to win the bronze medal in the group all-around final, behind China and Israel.[ 26]
She became the captain of the Italian team, under the coaching of Mariela Pashalieva. Her first competition win 2025 was alongside Chiara Badii , Serena Ottaviani , Alexandra Naclerio , Sofia Sicignano and Giulia Segatori at the European Championships in Tallinn , Estonia, where the group won bronze medal in 5 Ribbons final. They took 5th place in group all-around due to mistakes in mixed routine. Together with Tara Dragas , Sofia Raffaeli and Alice Taglietti they won team gold medal.[ 27]
In July, she and Giulia Segatori , Chiara Badii , Sofia Sicignano , Lorjen D’Ambrogio and Laura Golfarelli won gold medal in 5 ribbons final at Milano World Cup .[ 28] They took 8th place in all-around and did not qualify to hoops+ball final.[ 29] At World Challenge Cup in Cluj-Napoca , Romania, they took 11th place in all-around.[ 30] In 3 Balls + 2 Hoops final, they won bronze medal.[ 31]
Detailed Olympic results [ edit ]
Year
Competition Description
Location
Music
Apparatus
Rank
Score-Final
Rank
Score-Qualifying
2024
Olympics
Paris
All-around
3rd
68.100
2nd
69.350
Scherzo Molto Vivace from Symphony No. 9 , Greatness by Audiomachine , Vo Williams
5 Hoops
3rd
36.100
2nd
38.200
The Ecstasy of Gold' by Ennio Morricone, Czech National Symphony Orchestra
3 Ribbons + 2 Balls
4th
32.000
6th
31.150
^ "Laura Paris" . Italian National Olympic Committee . Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Laura Paris, tra le "farfalle" azzurre della ginnastica ritmica, in visita ad Attimis" [Laura Paris, among the blue “butterflies” of rhythmic gymnastics, visits Attimis] (in Italian). 16 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2022 .
^ "Paris Laura" . Paris 2024 . Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Ginnastica Moderna, Laura Paris convocata alla World Cup di Baku" [Modern Gymnastics, Laura Paris Called to the World Cup in Baku]. Sport Legnano (in Italian). 4 May 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Results for FIG World Cup 2021 Baku (AZE)" . International Gymnastics Federation . Retrieved 22 March 2025 .
^ "Olympic medallists, newcomers headline Rhythmic Gymnastics Worlds" . International Gymnastics Federation . 1 October 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "38th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Kitakyushu (JPN), 27-31 October 2021 Group All-Around Final" (PDF) . USA Gymnastics . International Gymnastics Federation . 29 October 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022 .
^ "38th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Kitakyushu (JPN), 27-31 October 2021 Group Event Finals" (PDF) . USA Gymnastics . International Gymnastics Federation . 31 October 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022 .
^ "38th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Kitakyushu (JPN), 27-31 October 2021 Team All-Around Competition" . Longines Timing . International Gymnastics Federation . 28 October 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022 .
^ "Farfalle d'oro a Baku, prime la squadra e Raffaeli: l'Italia torna con nove medaglie" [Golden butterflies in Baku, team and Raffaeli first: Italy returns with nine medals]. La Repubblica (in Italian). 24 April 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Raffaeli, Farfalle turn Baku World Cup into Italian triumph" . International Gymnastics Federation . 25 April 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "German gymnasts take three golds at first Rhythmic World Challenge Cup of 2022" . International Gymnastics Federation . 23 May 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Raffaeli, 'Farfalle' land multiple golds in fabulous weekend for Italian Rhythmic Gymnastics" . International Gymnastics Federation . 7 June 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Result Book 2022 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships" (PDF) . European Gymnastics . 19 June 2022. pp. 25– 26. Retrieved 14 October 2022 .
^ "Brilliant Bulgarian Group grabs All-Around gold at Sofia Rhythmic Worlds" . International Gymnastics Federation . 16 September 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Italian, Bulgarian Groups end Rhythmic Gymnastics Worlds on top" . International Gymnastics Federation . 18 September 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Rhythmic star Raffaeli opens season with a pair of golds at Athens World Cup" . International Gymnastics Federation . 20 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Varfolomeev emerges as the toast of Milan as Italy and Israel share Group glory" . International Gymnastics Federation . 24 July 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Onopriienko, Raffaeli, Varfolomeev, Israeli and Azerbaijani groups golden as #Baku2023 concludes" . European Gymnastics . 21 May 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2025 .
^ "Historic Israeli Group wins maiden World title in Rhythmic Gymnastics" . International Gymnastics Federation . 25 August 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Israel, China produce best-ever results in Group apparatus finals at Rhythmic Gymnastics Worlds" . International Gymnastics Federation . 27 August 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "A golden World Cup debut for Elvira Krasnobaeva" . International Gymnastics Federation . 26 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Bulgaria shine at inaugural European Cup" . European Gymnastics . 5 May 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2025 .
^ "Great variety of apparatus medallists decided on closing day of #Budapest2024" . European Gymnastics . 26 May 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2025 .
^ "Stiliana Nikolova crowned Queen of Europe" . European Gymnastics . 25 May 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2025 .
^ Smirnova, Lena (10 August 2024). "An Olympic medal and a marriage proposal? Italy's rhythmic gymnast Alessia Maurelli says 'yes' to both" . International Olympic Committee . Retrieved 21 March 2025 .
^ "Tallinn - Italia campione d'Europa, storico oro nel Team Ranking. Spagna regina all-around. Farfalle in finale ai nastri" [Tallinn - Italy European champion, historic gold in the Team Ranking. Spain all-around queen. Butterfly final at the ribbons]. Italian Gymnastics Federation (in Italian). 7 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025 .
^ "Milano – Sofia, Tara e le Farfalle si vestono d'oro al gran galà della ritmica mondiale" (in Italian). Federazione Ginnastica d’Italia. 2025-07-20. Retrieved 2025-07-22 .
^ "Milano - Farfalle ottave nell'All around. Domani la rivincita ai nastri in diretta su La7!" (in Italian). Federazione Ginnastica d’Italia. 2025-07-20. Retrieved 2025-07-22 .
^ "Cluj Napoca - Niente podi azzurri ma tante finali: oggi Sofia, Tara e le Farfalle vanno a caccia di medaglie" [Cluj Napoca - No blue podiums but many finals: today Sofia, Tara and the Butterflies go hunting for medals]. www.federginnastica.it (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2025 .
^ "World Challenge Cup" . rgform.eu . Retrieved 27 July 2025 .