Iliana Raeva believes in the good performance of the Bulgarian women's ensemble, as well as in our two individualists – Stiliyana Nikolova and Eva Brezalieva, at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Rio de Janeiro (on BNT from August 22 to 24). The president of the home headquarters commented on their chances for awards, and also spoke about the problems that the ensemble had to overcome this year.
Raeva was a guest on the show “Arena Sport“ on BNT, in which she expressed her satisfaction with the evolution and growth of competition in one of the most exquisite sports.
„76 countries will participate in the world championship, 206 will be individualists, and 36 ensembles. This is an absolute record. Within two years, the number of participants has increased by 15 countries. The geography is growing extremely quickly, it is gaining momentum. I always say that an incredible evolution is currently taking place in this sport. It will be a very tough battle“ were her words about the upcoming championship.
She also spoke about the mental resilience of Stiliyana Nikolova. „I think that her psychological state is significantly better than what it was at the Olympic Games in Paris. She did a lot of strong training before the trip, I hope she will be able to concentrate and find the best balance in her psychological development. To be able to present her compositions, which are very strong and competitive, in the best possible way. We can expect her to perform her routines as well as she can. If she manages to do so, we can dream of a strong ranking."
The legendary gymnast also commented on what she expects from our other individualist – Eva Brezalieva.
„She is a very interesting and attractive gymnast, she has a strong individualism and very strong compositions, which, just like Stiliyana, in the last stage of preparation managed to get into optimal shape. I believe that she will also be able to present herself in the best possible way.“
„This championship is not a qualification and the competitors will not be put under a strong mental strain that they must get an Olympic quota at all costs. Our Olympic qualifications start next year. I believe that the girls will be calmer and will be able to show their compositions in the best way“, noted the head of the national gymnastics.
“I hope that this hall, in which we will perform at the world championship, will bring us luck. I said that the girls from the ensemble are very prepared. It has experienced some of its dramas this year, because in some of the competitions we participated in, literally the day before we played with an injured gymnast. We had to make a last-minute substitution and one of the competitors did not participate. I feel with them every day on the phone. I am aware of everything that is happening. Everything is good, the hosts have tried very hard, they are very troubled by the climate, which is extremely humid, which is something normal for Brazil, but fatal for the ribbons, which become literally heavy and cannot rotate. It will be the same for everyone, it is not the first time we will play in such difficult conditions. The competition is huge for both the ensemble and the individual. There are more than five or six countries that have claims to medals. Personally, for me this is the best thing that has happened in rhythmic gymnastics and nothing is predetermined. I expect a very tough battle, everyone is prepared, everyone is strong. This is the first step towards the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, so I am looking forward to this battle with great excitement“, shared the former beauty.
“The fact that the ensemble did not perform well at the European Championships is part of the journey. Of course, it is very unpleasant that a lot of mistakes were made. In no case can I compare one competition with another. As I said, at the moment the girls are very well prepared. I believe that we will have a strong performance“, said Raeva.