Bulgaria Finishes Fourth in Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup All-Around, Nikolova Wins Silver Individually
Sofia, The Gulf Observer: The Bulgarian women’s rhythmic gymnastics ensemble narrowly missed out on a podium finish, placing fourth in the all-around competition at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup held at Arena 8888 Sofia. The national team, consisting of Sofia Ivanova, Rachel Stoyanov, Alina Kolomiets, Suzan Puladian, Danaya Atanasova, and Victoria Georgieva, led the standings after an impressive five-ribbon routine on Saturday but faltered in Sunday’s mixed apparatus performance.
In their routine with three balls and two hoops, the Bulgarians registered a score of 17.900, marred by several critical errors. Their score breakdown included 9.500 for difficulty, 6.050 for artistry, and 2.650 for execution, along with a 0.300 penalty. Combined with their Saturday score of 24.750 in the ribbon routine, the team’s total reached 42.650—falling just short of the medal places.
Despite the setback, Bulgaria secured a place in the ribbon final on Sunday, having finished among the top eight teams in that apparatus. However, they failed to qualify for the mixed apparatus final, ranking ninth in qualification and missing the cutoff.
Spain clinched the all-around gold medal with a total of 47.800 points, earning 23.200 and 24.600 in their respective routines. Japan followed with silver at 45.950 points (21.800 and 24.150), and Poland claimed the bronze medal with 43.700 points (20.300 and 23.400). Other nations advancing to the apparatus finals include Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Finland, and France, in addition to Bulgaria.
Individually, Bulgaria celebrated a strong performance earlier in the competition, as Stiliyana Nikolova secured a silver medal in the women’s all-around event. Fellow Bulgarian gymnast Eva Brezalieva also delivered a commendable effort, finishing seventh overall.
The World Cup concludes on Sunday, with the finals in individual apparatus and group routines set to begin at 12:30 PM local time at Arena 8888 Sofia.
