Bárbara Domingos

Bárbara de Kassia Godoy Domingos (born 2 March 2000) is a Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2023 Pan American Championships all-around champion, the 2023 Thiais Grand Prix ribbon gold medalist, and the first Brazilian rhythmic gymnast to qualify for the individual all-around final at the World Championships. She competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the rhythmic individual all-around and qualified for the final.

Bárbara Domingos
Domingos performing with the ribbon at the 2019 Pan American Games
Personal information
Full name	Bárbara de Kassia Godoy Domingos[1]
Nickname(s)	Babi
Country represented	Brazil
Born	(2000-03-02) 2 March 2000 (age 24)[2] Curitiba, Brazil
Residence	Curitiba, Brazil
Height	166 cm (5 ft 5 in)[3]
Discipline	Rhythmic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Club	AGIR
Head coach(es)	Márcia Naves
Medal record Rhythmic gymnastics Representing  Brazil Event 1st 2nd 3rd Pan American Games 3 2 0 Pan American Championships 10 5 4 South American Games 5 4 0 South American Championships 17 4 3 World Cup 0 0 3 Total 35 15 10 Pan American Games 2023 Santiago All-Around 2023 Santiago Ball 2023 Santiago Ribbon 2023 Santiago Hoop 2023 Santiago Clubs 2019 Lima Ribbon Pan American Championships 2021 Rio de Janeiro Team 2021 Rio de Janeiro Ball 2021 Rio de Janeiro Clubs 2023 Guadalajara Team 2023 Guadalajara All-Around 2023 Guadalajara Clubs 2023 Guadalajara Ribbon 2024 Guatemala City Team 2024 Guatemala City All-around 2024 Guatemala City Hoop 2016 Merida Team 2016 Merida Ribbon 2021 Rio de Janeiro All-around 2021 Rio de Janeiro Hoop 2023 Guadalajara Hoop 2024 Guatemala City Clubs 2024 Guatemala City Ribbon 2016 Merida Hoop 2017 Daytona Beach Team 2018 Lima Team 2018 Lima Ribbon South American Games 2018 Cochabamba Ball 2022 Asunción All-around 2022 Asunción Ball 2022 Asunción Clubs 2022 Asunción Ribbon 2018 Cochabamba All-around 2018 Cochabamba Hoop 2018 Cochabamba Ribbon 2022 Asunción Hoop South American Championships 2018 Melgar Team 2018 Melgar All-around 2018 Melgar Hoop 2018 Melgar Clubs 2018 Melgar Ribbon 2019 Bogotá Ribbon 2021 Cali Team 2021 Cali All-around team 2021 Cali All-around 2021 Cali Hoop 2021 Cali Ball 2021 Cali Clubs 2021 Cali Ribbon 2022 Paipa Team 2022 Paipa All-around team 2022 Paipa All-around 2022 Paipa Ball 2018 Melgar Ball 2019 Bogotá All-around 2019 Bogotá Clubs 2022 Paipa Clubs 2019 Bogotá Hoop 2019 Bogotá Ball 2022 Paipa Ribbon Event 1st 2nd 3rd FIG World Cup 0 0 1 FIG World Challenge Cup 0 0 2 Grand Prix 1 0 0 Total 1 0 3

Career

Domingos took up gymnastics at age six. She began her training as an artistic gymnast, but switched to rhythmic gymnastics upon a coach's recommendation.^[4]

Domingos competed at the 2016 Pan American Championships in Merida, winning team silver, silver in ribbon and bronze in hoop.

At the 2017 Daytona Beach Pan American Championships, she won team bronze.

In 2018, at the South American Games in Cochabamba, Domingos won gold with ball, and silver in all-around, hoop and ribbon. At the South American Championships in Melgar, she won team gold, gold in all-around, hoop, clubs and ribbon, and silver in ball. At the Pan American Championships in Lima, she won team bronze and a bronze in ribbon.

At the 2019 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, Domingos placed 31st in the all-around competition, which was the best finish by a Brazilian gymnast since the 1975 edition, and the best position achieved by an individual Brazilian gymnast in a fully attended World Championships.^[5]

She was the 2021 Pan American Championships all-around silver medalist. This placement meant that she fell short of winning a spot to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which went to gold medalist Rut Castillo. At the 2021 World Championships, she had her highest-ever placement, finishing 13th in all-around qualifications and 17th in the all-around final. She was the first Brazilian to qualify to the all-around final. At the end of the year, she underwent surgery for a hip injury and was unable to train for six months.^[6]

Domingos (right) on the 2023 World Cup Sofia ribbon podium with Takhmina Ikromova (center) and Elzhana Taniyeva (left).

On April 2, 2023, Domingos made history by winning bronze in the ribbon final at the World Cup in Sofia, becoming the first individual from her nation to medal in an event final in that type of competition.^[7] On April 9, 2023, she also made history by winning gold in the ribbon final at the Grand Prix in Thiais, becoming the first Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast to win a medal and a gold at the Grand Prix series.

At the 2023 World Championships in August, Domingos ended the all-around in 11th place. Her performance earned an individual berth for Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics. This was the first time a Brazilian rhythmic gymnasts had won a berth for the Olympics.^[6] Domingos said of the achievement, "What I feel today is a sense of fulfillment. That says it all."^[8] She was also the first Brazilian to qualify for an event final at the World Championships, as she qualified for the clubs final, where she finished in seventh place.^[6]

Domingos performing with the hoop at the 2024 Sofia World Cup

In September, Domingos competed at the Pan American Games in Santiago, winning gold in all-around, ball and ribbon, and silver in hoop and clubs.^[9] She was the first Brazilian to win the all-around gold and shared the podium with bronze medalist Maria Eduarda Alexandre, marking the first time two Brazilians made the all-around podium.^[10]

Domingos began her 2024 season by competing at the Grand Prix in Thiais. She finished 10th in the all-around after dropping her apparatus in two routines and qualified for two event finals.^[11] At the World Cup in Sofia, she finished in 17th place and did not qualify for any finals.^[12]

At the 2024 Pan American Championships, Domingos defended her all-around title. She and the rest of the Brazilian gymnasts also won another team title.^[13] In the apparatus final, she won another gold in hoop and two silvers in clubs and ribbon. She said the competition served as preparation for the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics.^[14]

At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, she became the first Brazilian to qualify for the final of the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around after finishing 8th in the qualifying round.^[15] She was the only gymnast from the Americas in the final.^[16] During the final, she struggled with her first routine, hoop, including letting it fall of the podium at the end of her exercise. She also became entangled with the ribbon at the beginning of her ribbon routine. However, her other two routines were stronger.^[17] She said that despite the mistakes, she was proud to be one of the top ten gymnasts.^[16]

Achievements

• First Brazilian rhythmic gymnast to qualify for an individual final (all-around) at the World Championships.
• First Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast to qualify for an apparatus final at the World Championships.
• First Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast to qualify for an apparatus final at the FIG World Cup series.
• First Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast to win a medal at the FIG World Cup series.
• First Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast to win a medal at the FIG World Challenge Cup series.
• First Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast to win a medal of any kind (gold) at the Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix circuit.
• First Brazilian rhythmic gymnast to qualify for an individual final (all-around) at the Olympic Games.

References

1. Clube AGIR (in Portuguese)
2. Comitê Olímpico Brasileiro (in Portuguese)
3. FIG - Athlete profile
4. "DOMINGOS Barbara - FIG Athlete Profile". www.gymnastics.sport. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
5. Terra (in Portuguese)
6. "Athlete inspiration: Barbara Domingos brings Brazil into the rhythmic spotlight". International Gymnastics Federation. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
7. "Bárbara Domingos fatura bronze inédito para o Brasil na Copa do Mundo de GR". ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-04-02.
8. "Brazilian gymnast Bárbara Domingos secures spot at Paris Games". Agência Brasil. 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
9. "Juegos Panamericanos 2023 - Web Results". Juegos Panamericanos - Web Results. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
10. Bregman, Scott (2023-11-02). "Santiago 2023 - Brazil's Barbara Domingos wins first-ever rhythmic Pan Am Games all-around gold, American Evita Griskenas secures Paris 2024 quota". Retrieved 2023-12-29.
11. "Barbara Domingos se classifica para final do arco e da fita no Grand Prix de Thiais" [Barbara Domingos qualifies for the hoop and ribbon finals at the Thiais Grand Prix]. Surto Olímpico (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-28.
12. "Babi e Maria terminam no top-15 das maças e fita em Sofia" [Babi and Maria finish in the top 15 of clubs and ribbon in Sofia]. UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-04-13. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
13. Stein, Leandro (8 June 2024). "Bárbara Domingos leva o ouro no individual geral do Campeonato Pan-Americano de Ginástica Rítmica 2024". olympics.com (in Portuguese). [Bárbara Domingos takes gold in the individual all-around at the Pan American Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship 2024]
14. "Paranaense Bárbara Domingos leva o bi no Pan-Americano de ginástica rítmica" [Bárbara Domingos from Paraná wins a second Pan-American Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship]. Agência Estadual de Notícias (in Brazilian Portuguese). 10 June 2024. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
15. Gentile, Gabriel (2024-08-08). "Babi Domingos faz história e vai à final em Paris" [Babi Domingos makes history and qualifies for the final in Paris]. Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-08-16.
16. Gentile, Gabriel (2024-08-09). "Mesmo com erros, Babi Domingos está feliz com final em Paris" [Even with mistakes, Babi Domingos is happy with final in Paris]. Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-08-16.
17. Gentile, Gabriel (2024-08-09). "Babi Domingos conclui campanha em Paris com 10º lugar" [Babi Domingos completes campaign in Paris with 10th place]. Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-08-16.