Averina twins headline 2021 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

Tokyo 2020 all-around silver medallist Dina Averina and her twin sister Arina are the headline names at this week's FIG 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, which run from 27–31 October in Kitakyushu, Japan.

The Averinas will represent the Russian Gymnastics Federation (RGF) team at the West Japan Exhibition Center Annex, marking a return for them and the sport to the Olympic Games host country in this double Olympic-World Championship year.

They will be favourites to win the five individual titles on offer between them – the all-around and four apparatus – although Belarus' Olympic bronze medallist Alina Harnasko and Bulgaria's Boryana Kaleyn should not be ruled out. Olympic champion Linoy Ashram of Israel is not taking part.

Here's what to look out for at the World Championships, which will see some 300 or so athletes representing around 60 teams take part.

Rhythmic gymnastics stars to watch at 2021 FIG World Championships

While Ashram and the Israeli federation have decided to sit out the Championships, there still promises to be lots of stars in Kitakyushu, located on mainland Japan's southwestern Kyushu Island.

Dina Averina is the defending world all-around champion from 2017, 2018, and 2019 in addition to being this year's Olympic silver medallist, while sister Arina won silver at the last two Worlds.

Harnasko, Kaleyn, Harnasko's teammate Anastasiia Salos, Italy's Milena Baldassarri, and Ukraine's Viktoriia Onopriienko and Khrystyna Pohranychna are the others taking part who were Olympic finalists in Tokyo.

Hosts Japan will have Kita Sumire, who was 11th at the Olympic Games, as their top hope; USA's Evita Griskenas (12th in Tokyo) is also due to compete.

In the Groups competition, Olympic champions Bulgaria and bronze medallists Italy both return to Tokyo with identical squads, while RGF will be represented by a team consisting of three members who won silver with ROC in Tokyo.

Storylines at 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

With Olympic champ Ashram – who was also the all-around bronze medallist at the last Worlds in 2019 – opting to skip the event, all eyes are on the Averina twins.

Dina, in particular, has a shot at writing history. If she clinches the all-around crown, she will become the first woman to win four world all-around titles, let alone in a row.

Only four other athletes have won three – her fellow Russians Yana Kudryatseva from 2013–2015 and Evgeniya Kanaeva from 2009–2011, and Bulgaria's Maria Petrova (1993–1995) and Maria Gigova (1969, 1971, 1973).

Aside from the Olympic Games surprise, Dina has been the dominant force in rhythmic gymnastics over the past Olympic cycle, as she won 13 total world championship gold medals (including all five on offer in 2018 in addition to team gold).

That means the 23-year-old could add another accolade to her career in Kitakyushu, as she is currently joint-second for most world titles all-time, behind only Kanaeva (17 golds, 18 total medals). Winning four golds in Japan would put Dina Averina on 17 golds and 20 total medals, surpassing Kanaeva.

But will twin sister Arina finally upstage her younger sibling? Arina has only four Worlds gold medals to her name, and hasn't won an individual event at the World Championships since 2017 when she took top spot in the Ball and Ribbon apparatuses.

She upstaged Dina to win the all-around at the European Championships in Varna in June, before finishing fourth in Tokyo.

In the Groups, the RGF team will be looking to make good on the ROC's shock silver at the Olympic Games. You have to go back to 2014, when Bulgaria won Group all-around gold, for the last time Russia lost a World all-around competition in Groups.

Now, the Bulgarians arrive in Kitakyushu as the defending Olympic champions and aiming to wrestle the world title back.

Italy's "Farfalle", or Butterflies, are also hoping to upset the order, having taken bronze in Tokyo. China, Belarus, and Japan will all also have a view on trying to displace the Italians for world bronze.

2021 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships format

Competition begins on 27 October with individual qualification in the hoop and ball apparatuses in the morning, before the top eight in each apparatus compete in finals in the evening.

That process is repeated for the other two apparatuses, the clubs and the ribbon, on 28 October, with qualification in the morning and finals for the top eight in the evening.

The totals across all four apparatuses will then be summed for a total, with the best 18 qualifying for the individual all-around final on 30 October.

On 29 October, the 19 registered groups will compete in qualifications in both 5 Balls and 3 Hoops/2 Pairs of Clubs. The top eight in each apparatus will qualify for the finals on 31 October.

In groups, the all-around ranking will be determined by the total score from qualifications. There will also be a team event, awarded by totalling each team's 10 scores (four apparatuses from each individual gymnast in qualifying, plus two group all-around scores).

How to watch 2021 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships

The World Championships will be broadcast by the FIG's media partners, as well as on the FIG's YouTube channel (with exceptions). This information will be updated as the event approaches.

Competition schedule at Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships 2021

27 October 2021 (competition begins at 10am local time, UTC +9 hours)

Individual qualification – Hoop and Ball

Individual finals – Hoop and Ball

28 October 2021 (competition begins at 10am local time)

Individual qualification – Clubs and Ribbon

Individual finals – Clubs and Ribbon

29 October 2021 (competition begins at 5pm local time)

Group qualification and all-around final

30 October 2021 (competition begins at 2:30pm local time)

Individual all-around final

31 October 2021 (competition begins at 5pm local time)

Group finals – 5 Balls and 3 Hoops/2 Pairs of Clubs