The President of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Iliana Raeva highly praised the performance of the Bulgarian team at the World Championships in Frankfurt and stated that she is confident about the development of the national team in the Olympic cycle towards Los Angeles 2028. Bulgaria has already won two silver medals in Germany – through Stiliyana Nikolova (pictured) in the all-around and in the team classification. Nikolova also won a quota for Bulgaria for the Olympic Games in two years.
Raeva, who is at the head of the Bulgarian delegation in Frankfurt, is also pleased with the growth of the ensemble. The team finished sixth in the all-around and qualified for both finals of the individual apparatuses. “The ensemble showed much more calm and much better play. I think the team is on the rise. The mistake was made in an individual element and is due to the still insufficient experience of one of the young gymnasts. This is not something terrible. This is a very good team that will be played with more and more“, Raeva told BTA.
She revealed that the Bulgarian ensemble has also received a positive assessment from the President of the Technical Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation Noha Abu Shabana. According to Raeva, the young team must be given time to develop, with the big goal being to reach its best form at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
“I am very calm and I believe that from now on we will continue to move forward. We have a tough qualification ahead of us next year and we must prepare very seriously. Every competition is a valuable experience for these girls“, said the President of the BFHG.
Raeva also paid special attention to the huge competition in Frankfurt. According to her, the current world championship is among the most contested competitions she has ever seen. “There has never been such competition and such a competition in the history of rhythmic gymnastics! Maybe ten gymnasts can argue for the gold medal“, she commented.
Raeva described Stiliyana Nikolova's performance as true heroism, emphasizing that the Bulgarian withstood enormous pressure while fighting for the Olympic quota. “Stiliyana is an incredible fighter. She is absolutely competitive for the gold medal. God forbid she plays even better in the final“, said Raeva.
She emphasized that sport requires not only technical preparation, but also exceptional mental resilience. “Sport is a competition. You train to compete and win. Sport is for strong champions, for strong characters, for fighters. And I claim that we have such fighters – in the face of Stiliyana and our girls from the ensemble“, said Raeva.
The president of the federation also commented on the performance of Eva Brezalieva. According to her, the gymnast had a very strong second day, but a small mistake deprived her of a place among the top 18. “In rhythmic gymnastics, the competition is huge, there are no favorites. Anyone who makes a mistake can fall from the top positions. An exceptional psyche, a strong character and a fighting spirit are needed“, concluded Iliana Raeva.