Bulgarian athletes won one title and a total of five medals at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Sofia. It is the first of this year's series of four tournaments included in the chain, which will serve as a qualification for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
The remaining competitions will be in Tashkent (April 10-12), Baku (April 17-19) and Milan (July 10-12). The same format will be maintained next year.
Bulgaria was represented on home soil in the individual competition by Stiliyana Nikolova and Eva Brezalieva and by a women's ensemble consisting of Sofia Ivanova, Magdalina Minevska, Emilia Obretenova, Raya Bozhilova and Magdalena Valkova.
The native beauties won five medals - one gold, two silver and two bronze, with very strong performances, but also very serious mistakes.
In the all-around, Stiliyana Nikolova led until the last apparatus and after a mistake on the ribbon, she ranked second.
The ensemble fought for bronze in the all-around, but in the finals, it made serious mistakes, especially in the combination with three hoops and two pairs of clubs, and remained without distinction on the last day.
Eva Brezalieva played whirling clubs and deservedly became champion in the final of this apparatus, and Stiliyana Nikolova won the bronze medal.
After the silver in the all-around, Nikolova also took a silver medal in the ball final.
The tournament was attended by 89 individual gymnasts from 52 countries, as well as 22 ensembles.