Bulgarian rhythmic gymnasts have a great chance to hear the national anthem in Paris

published on 7/16/24 12:59 PM

Photo: The Bulgarian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics

From 8 to 10 August, the Bulgarian rhythmic gymnasts will step onto the competition carpet in Paris with one goal in mind: to reach the highest step of the podium and from there to reflect on all the effort and pain, knowing instantly that it was worth it. Boryana Kaleyn, Stiliana Nikolova and the girls of the ensemble - Magdalina Minevska, Sofia Ivanova, Kamelia Petrova, Rachel Stoyanov and Margarita Vasileva - will go into the competition of their lives with the confidence of absolute European champions in the individual, team and ensemble competitions, backed up by numerous World Cup medals.

In the French capital, Boryana Kalein will tell the story of her life in gymnastics through her routines. Her childhood will be represented by the hoop routine, her first medals - by the ball, the clubs will tell the of the difficult moments and the first questions about whether it is worth continuing, and the ribbon - the discovery of inner strength and the belief that you can do anything.

Unlike Boryana Kaleyn, who has the experience of the Tokyo Olympics behind her, Stiliana Nikolova will be making her debut in Paris.

I imagine a packed hall," she says. "Everyone will be shouting and clapping, and the tension will certainly be high. But I hope everything will be fine, and we will do our job the way we want to. We're totally committed to this sport, and we do our best to ensure that you only see the positive side of it.

The absolute European champion from Budapest has also prepared a surprise for the hosts:

"Stiliana Nikolova has a ribbon routine to a French song and this will be her tease with the Parisians - says Neviana Vladinova, vice-president of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation - She is an extremely attractive competitor - she always leaves you breathless with her courage and speed. I don't think there is another gymnast in the world at the moment who can do such complicated things with the apparatus and the body at the same time. Styliana is a true virtuoso in this respect".

The ensemble gymnasts will also be stepping onto the Olympic carpet for the first time. They have the difficult task of defending the Bulgarian Diamond Girls' title from Tokyo.

According to Neviana Vladinova, the Bulgarian gymnasts have their own style. Their routines, which are "not just elements set to music", also attract the interest of spectators and judges. At the Olympic Games they will be competing against world champion Darja Varfolomeev from Germany, Sofia Raffaelli from Italy and Daria Atamanov from Israel in the individual competition and the teams from Israel, Italy, Spain, Brazil and China in the ensemble competition.

Three medals for Bulgarian athletes is an achievable dream - believes Katrin Taseva, who quit rhythmic gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics. "The chances are really big for both Styliana and Boryana, because both are at a very high level," she says. - The point is that the top five or six girls are equally good and well prepared. So whoever performs her routines without a mistake will win.

As for the girls in the ensemble, they are also under a lot of stress because they have to defend the Bulgarian team title from Tokyo. However, we hope that this will not weigh them down, but on the contrary - motivate them to train more and be a team. I think they'll do well.

For many athletes, the Olympic Games are a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so creating great memories is just as important as competing. Nevyana Vladinova has been there:

"I would just like them to be calm and enjoy the moment, because this is a highlight in any sports career. Let them live their Olympic dream in such a way that they can only come back with a smile and satisfaction. Let them be brave!"

(This information includes interviews conducted by Kristina Ivanova, Snezhana Ivanova and Daniela Goleminova from BNR's Horizont programme)

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Bulgarian rhythmic gymnasts have a great chance to hear the national anthem in Paris

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