2003 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships

The XXVI World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, during 24–29 September, 2003.

The Championships acted as a qualifying event for the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the event, the qualifying round, apparatus finals, and team event were held concurrently; after all gymnasts competed during the day, the top eight gymnasts on each apparatus competed again in the evening for apparatus finals.

At the event, a medal ceremony was held for medals from the 2001 World Championships that were reallocated as a result of Alina Kabaeva and Irina Tchachina having their results nullified due to testing positive for diuretics at the 2001 Goodwill Games. One of the recipients of the new medals, Simona Peycheva, had herself recently tested positive for diuretics in an out-of-competition test and though she was present at the event, refused to participate in the medal ceremony.

Kabaeva was allowed to return to competition in time to compete. The rivalry between Russian and Ukrainian gymnasts was exemplified by the performance of her and Anna Bessonova, a rising Ukrainian gymnast. In the early part of the competition, they split the four apparatus titles with two each, and though the Russian team won the team competition, Bessonova outperformed Kabaeva in the qualifying round, scoring 1.7 points over her. However, in the all-around final, Kabaeva competed more cleanly, with only small mistakes in her ball and club routines, while Bessonova lost the ball at the end of her first routine and finished without her apparatus, a larger mistake. Though she performed more strongly in her other routines, including receiving the highest score of the day during her hoop routine, it was not enough to overcome the point deficit. Kabaeva won the gold, Bessonova finished with the silver, and Tchachina won bronze.

Tchachina also won two of the apparatus medals, a silver with clubs and bronze with ball. Inna Zhukova also won a bronze with ball, and Elizabeth Paisieva won Bulgaria's only individual medal of the competition with a bronze in ribbon.

Russia dominated the group competition, winning all three gold medals, while Bulgaria won all three silvers. Belarus won bronze in the all-around, while the Italian group won both apparatus final medals.