Happy Birthday to the Absolute Queen

My favorite gymnast of all times, three-time world champion Maria Petrova ( 1993, 1994, 1995), also a winner of the European titles (1992,1994), one European cup (1993), the SummerUniversiade title in 1995, and two 5th places at the Olympics (1992, 1996).

While she was most celebrated for her hoop and ball, this less known routine with rope remains very exciting to me because of the choice of music and choreography and the amazing work with the rope.

Hoop from Another World

This hoop routine has quickly become my favorite this season. In terms of apparatus handling, speed, musicality, and expression, it is in a league of its own. The hoop does not stop moving from one risky element to the next. In this performance there is one very small error, but the overall complexity of the routine is just stunning. I can't wait to see a fully clean performance so that all the original elements really shine.

This season Neviana has really stepped up and become braver than ever in showing the unique work of the Bulgarian gymnastics style. She is not only the best Bulgarian gymnast, but has earned a position as best in the world. He hoop technique is hard to match by her rivals. It's so thrilling to watch a great gymnast blossom into a truly amazing one.

The First and Only Gymnast to Ever Earn 8 Perfect Scores in One Competition

Almost 30 years ago, at the World Championships in Varna, Bianka Panova from Bulgaria got 4 perfect 10.000s in the all around. She then went ahead to get another 4 perfect scores in each of the finals. This is a feat that will likely never be repeated, but it was very well deserved. 

Bianka is the perfectionist of rhythmic gymnastics, a performer who executes every movement with amazing precision.I believe a gymnast of such exquisite dedication is Yana Kudryavtseva as well. Ironically, both Yana and Bianka dropped a club at the Olympics, which resulted in a silver for Yana and only a fourth spot for Bianka in 1988.

My very first memory of a seeing gymnast  on TV as a child is  a still image of Bianka in a simple white leotard. Under the image, the score, 10.000, is displayed. She is executing a beautiful jump with a wide ribbon that looks like a natural extension of her arm. I still recall sitting in front of the TV thinking: here is a magical creature from the fairy tales, a  princess by nature, without any jewelry at all. I am rather certain that if she had to perform under the current Code of Points, she would still shine with absolute glory.

Neviana Vladinova's New Hoop Element

When I first watched Neviana Vladinova's hoop routine in Moscow, I was at the edge of my sear the whole time. The only time when the hoop stops moving is really at this final pose. She had a couple of unclean catches in Moscow, but no major mistakes. 

I kept thinking that the routine can't get any more risky and I really wished she got a medal for it, though the 4th place at the start of the season was a solid start. But there is more! As if this routine needed additional risk, Neviana is adding one more original throw.




It is very cool and it should probably be named after her:


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Of course, with this kind of risk, there will be times when mistakes will happen. This just comes with the whole endeavor of pushing the limits. Still, she did at a national Bulgarian competition just now and if she keeps cleaning up this routine, it will really change how gymnasts and audiences appreciate the hoop!

Hoop is probably the most dynamic and versatile apparatus because it is fairly heavy and really allows for very high throws, but it can also spin, bounce, and glide as well as allow gymnasts to jump through it and combine all of these options in a routine. Very few routines actually demonstrate that, but the 2017 hoop routine that Neviana is performing has all of those aspects, at their absolute most spectacular expression.

I hope luck is on her side with the risks. After all, don't we say that luck usually favors the brave!

22 Years Later, the Bulgarian Style Lives and Evolves

Over the decades, rhythmic gymnastic has evolved into a much more physically demanding sport, which is also a lot more exciting to watch. The athletes display both flexibility and strength, more complex routines, new and original music choices, including music with voice and words, very elaborate leotards and make up, even new hairstyles to bring more excitement into the sport.

What has remained the same is the value of strong choreography, original elements and risky, spectacular routines.

In the 80s, the gymnastics of the Bulgarian Dilyana Georgieva was innovative and ground-breaking. She was the first athlete to show certain elements that had not been performed in competition. She was also known for her deeply personal and passionate interpretation of the music, great speed and very clean performance, even of the smallest movements. As many in the Bulgarian school, her technique with the apparatus, especially with ball and clubs,  was way ahead of her time. While the gymnasts in the 1990s and later took gymnastics to an even higher level, some of Dilyana's routines remain unforgettable as stepping stones to new levels in the sport.

So, the two-time world champion Dilyana Georgieva performed this absolute piece of art back in 1985. Notice the speed of the two forward rolls, the high throws, and how the gymnast handles the ball so that it literally never stops moving:



In 2017, set against the same music choice, a modern routine with great risk and a lot of drama takes up the carpet. This time it is performed by Bulgaria's best gymnast currently, Neviana Vladinova:



Same music, different difficulty and different audiences, the same deep passion. And most importantly, the same universal language of sports as a form of art.

Neviana to Show New, More Complex Routines in 2017

As we approach the holiday season, fans have shared that Neviana will keep her ribbon and clubs routines but will include more difficulty. We hope she will perform the ribbon routine in its full glamor and originality while she keeps the most dynamic an risky club routine in the world currently.

Hoop and ball will be new, with a mixture of lyrical and more dramatic music and also new risks!

I will miss the old hoop routine which was very sophisticated and different but I have been looking forward to a new ball routine so I think the choice to change these two is correct. The ribbon is a crowd favorite and should receive higher marks, if error-free. As for the clubs, I am not sure what changes were made and how much more exciting it can get, but clubs is certainly my favorite routine and I am glad the team has decided to keep it.

Tsvetelina Discharged from Hospital, Group Captain Shares Thoughts on Retirement

Tsvetelina Stoyanova has left the hospital on September 5 after her accident in mid-June. Her teammates from the group visited her and she congratulated them on winning an Olympic bronze.

All members of the current Bulgarian group are considering retirement with the exception of Lubomira Kazanova, who replaced Tsveti after the accident and made it possible for the team to win medals both at the European Championship in Israel and at the Olympics.

"We went through a lot of difficulties and what happened with Tsveti Stoyanova was one of the challenges. We still don't realize that gymnastics is now no longer a permanent part of our lives. You lie in bed and think of training camps, but they are in the past. You don't know what lies ahead. We have time to think. We are grateful to all of Bulgaria for supporting us for 8 years. Our fans gave us strength, " shared the captain, Mihaela Maevska.

Mihaela at the European Championship in Holon

Tsvetelina Stoyanova Expected to Leave the Hospital in One Month

The father of the gymnast Tsvetelina Stoyanova, Jordan Stoyanov, has shared with "Bulgaria Today" that Tsveti will be spending approximately a month in hospital recovering. She has been improving with every day that goes by and the prognosis for her future life is highly positive. Tsveti still receives a lot of pain medication so she is sedated for a large part of the day but when is awake she is able to have conversations with visitors. Her grandma Tsetva, brother Nayden, and her boyfriend Alexander are next to her at all times.

Her teammates from the Bulgarian rhythmic group are currently at a training camp outside Sofia and have not visited her in the last couple of days. As the team is preparing for the Olympic Games in Rio, I am sure they will continue to also support their teammate in her recovery.



Below is a picture of Tsveti from a test event when she was still an individual gymnast. I hope deeply that Tsveti will maintain great memories from her illustrious and exciting gymnastics career. From representing Bulgaria at prestigious events as an individual competitor to becoming a world champion with the group, she has shown her love and dedication to this sport and her strong spirit.

"The doctors gave me courage and hope after last week's surgery. All went well and now the most important thing is to pray with open hearts for the health of my child, " said Jordan Stoyanov. He has also expressed a concern over false statements flooding the media and has shared that this is the reason he is trying to keep his statements very brief.

Her teammates will no doubt also keep her in their thoughts and prayers. The picture above is one of the last ones of Tsveti with the team at her last event with the rhythmic group during the World Cup in Guadalajara, Spain. Best of luck to Tsveti and the team!

Tsvetelina Stoyanova's Surgery Proceeded Successfully

As we feverishly check the news for more updates, here is a brief summary of the latest information regarding Tsvetelina Stoyanova's treatment and recovery as well as a bit about the reactions of her teammates and coaches to the incident and the widespread support and sympathy they all have received. Please note that Tsveti is still in the hospital and it is early to make conclusive statements. I am thankful for the fans from around the world who have been looking for updates in English and keeping us all in their thoughts and prayers.

The Bulgarian newspaper "Monitor" wrote yesterday that Tsvetelina Stoyanova underwent a four-hour surgery to remove broken pieces from her thoracic vertebrae and insert metal plates. When her condition improves further, she will need to undergo a less serious procedure to repair a cervical vertebra as well.

Currently, the main concern of the medical team remains the condition of Tsveti's lungs. Recovery is slow  and Tsveti will continue to use a machine for assisted breathing.      The doctors considered performing a procedure on Tsveti's trachea to asset with breathing but this option was rejected. The spinal surgery had been planned and all of Tsveti's family and friends were warned not to visit her on the day of the surgery. However, her teammates from the Bulgarian rhythmic group already visited Tsveti upon their return from the European Championship in Holon. They went to the hospital immediately. There is no shred of doubt that they thought about Tsveti during the entire competition and that they dedicated their efforts to her.

The team brought Tsveti the additional medal that the organizers in Israel provided especially for her as well as stuffed animals that fans in Israel gave the gymnasts during the competition for the European title. The team has expressed high hopes for Tsveti's recovery and has assured the fans that everyone in the Bulgarian federation has always been extremely supportive of Tsveti. The group believes they made the right decision by competing in Holon and that Tsveti herself would have wanted them to follow their dreams. 

Hristiana Todorova stated that the Bulgarian group received a lot of sympathy and support from all of its competitors and specifically pointed out to the teams of Russia, Belarus, Israel, Spain and Italy. It has been amazing to watch how this team stood strong and united and how they have deserved everyone's admiration even more. 

Meanwhile, legendary coach Neshka Robeva, who coached both the current Bulgarian Federation president Iliana Raeva and the group coach Ina Ananieva has stated that she was a lot more demanding to the gymnasts in the past than coaches are now and that the media should stop placing blame for Tsveti's accident on coaches and athletes.  Most Bulgarian fans are in agreement with Mrs. Robeva on this issue and also agree that the Bulgarian media has done a very poor job reporting recent gymnastics events in general. In fact, some analysts point out that various TV channels have violated media laws that govern the ethical conducts of journalists and that those channels will have to pay damages.

We certainly hope that no further false rumors will surface during the upcoming months of extensive preparation for the Olympic Games and that the Bulgarian team will once again rise and deliver memorable performances to be cherished and revered by generations of young gymnasts and admirers of this beautiful sport.

We Keep Hoping for Tsvetelina Stoyanova

The Bulgarian Minister of Healthcare, Mr. Peter Moskov, has visited the central intensive care unit in the Pirogov Hospital where Tsvetelina Stoyanova is recovering since last Tuesday. The Prime Minister, Mr. Boyko Borisov, has also asked about her condition every day since the incident.

Here are the latest news from the doctors in Pirogov, who are consummate professionals and have seen many cases of trauma:

- Tsveti does have fractured vertebrae but overall her spinal cord is not critically injured, which means that she would likely be able to walk and move without tingling or numbness in her arms and legs when she recovers;

- She has a head injury which is fairly minor given she came down from a height of about 18 meters;

- She has a minor pancreas injury and internal swelling which is common for trauma caused by a fall from a substantial height;

- The biggest issue right now is the condition of her lungs which were punctured in several places due to the fall. This is why she is still using assisted breathing and is in a medically induced comma; the comma was induced with medication in order to keep her breathing;

- Her blood tests in the last couple of days have shown stable hemoglobin levels;

I am personally grateful to the doctors at Pirogov not only for treating Tsveti but also for sharing this information with us so that we can have some knowledge of the situation as we continue to hope and pray for Tsveti's recovery.

Tsvetelina Stoyanova's MRI Results Bring Hope, Bulgarian Team Continues Strong

The Bulgarian media has announced that Tsvetelina Stoyanova's MRI has shown no serious spinal cord injury, which makes everyone hopeful for her future recovery. Various individuals who may or may not be familiar with Tsveti's situation, such as former individual gymnast Nastia Kisse and former group gymnast Maia Paunovska, have continued to blame the Bulgarian Federation for Tsveti's tragedy. The Bulgarian group members have all made statements saying that they always supported Tsveti and treated her like a sister and that the same applies for everyone on the team including the coaches. Hristiana Todorova and team captain Mihaela Maevska have expressed disappointment that some people have claimed the team should not compete in Holon. They asserted the position that they continue to do their work and work towards their Olympic dream while always thinking of Tsveti and dedicating their efforts to her.

In all of this turmoil, Bulgarian individual gymnasts, Neviana Vladinova and Katrin Taseva were unfortunately placed in the first group of the competition where the scoring started with a lower base. Vladinova did 4 very strong routines, but only received over 18 for her hoop.  Neviana has the pressure and responsibility to show that she is an amazing leader of the Bulgarian team and an example of other individual gymnasts. By placing in the top 10 at this European Championship, she has fulfilled that promise 100%. I think her resilience and courage can inspire the wonderful junior gymnasts Bulgaria has brought to this event such as Ioana Nikolova who has made the finals among juniors. 

I would specifically like to point out how strong and focused coach Branimira Markova has been in both working with Nevi and also encouraging her and supporting her even as routines were not performed cleanly. We have all seen tremendous growth in Nevi and it is only a matter of time before she truly masters additional difficulty to improve the quality of her routines. But it is also important that she step out as a very confident performer and the coaches are instrumental in building and nurturing this confidence. Branimira and Nevi show they have a beautiful bond and a fantastic coaching relationship.

Further to the joy of fans, Katrin Taseva made a very successful European debut with very, very strong ball routine, and finally  a cleanly performed ribbon! I truly believe that Katrin Taseva deserves to cross the 18.000 mark with the difficulty and risk in her routines and that it is just a matter of time and some additional confidence building before that happens.

For Katrin in particular, this was a first time at such a big event and she needed to have her teammates and coaches support her in a calm and focused manner. It is impossible for this kind of support to occur when media and even previous competitors such as Kisse have chosen to point fingers at people instead of being sympathetic to the entire team in this difficult situation. For this reason, the fact that Katrin looked stronger and stronger with each routine just points to the brilliant future ahead of her. I only wish Katrin had become part of the team earlier. 

Overall, I am deeply satisfied that Bulgaria is finally represented not by only one but two gymnasts who choose to reach out for new heights in their work by showing original elements, being expressive, staying focused and challenged and also being there for each other as teammates and friends. 

I believe that fans around the world need to hear that girls in the Bulgarian team are inspired and inspiring, that they love what they do and look forward to competing. It is both sad and unfair that some individuals have chosen to place the blame for Tsveti's situation on coaches and on gymnastics in general. As we observe both the group and the individual gymnasts on the Bulgarian team, we can see they are hard-working, spirited and compassionate people who constantly demonstrate both strength and caring for one another.  I wish them the best of luck before the Olympics.

Tsvetelina Stoyanova's Condition Has Not Changed, Bulgarian Team Performs Beyond All Expectations

First, I would like to thank all the fans around the world for their moral support for the Bulgarian team. For those who have been asking for updates: Tsveti's condition is stable, though still critical. She is using assisted breathing due to lung injury. She is able to move her toes and fingers. An MRI has been performed to further ascertain the extent of her trauma. No additional surgeries are scheduled to be performed at this stage.  Some newspapers have written that there is great hope she would be able to walk when she recovers. Also, the Bulgarian hospital "Pirogov" has requested that people donate blood for Tsveti.

In the meantime, Tsveti's teammates qualified in 5th place at the European Championship in Holon despite an issue with their music for the first routine where they stepped out on the carpet and the wrong music played. After this organizational gaffe, they still managed to show a wonderful routine. 

I would like to draw the attention to the reserve gymnast, Lyubomira Kazanova, who has done an absolutely amazing job performing under pressure and on a very short notice. The team did a flawless club and hoop routine. Their courage will be remembered forever. The second routine, with 5 ribbons,  was the last one in the all around championship. The girls had minor mistakes with the ribbons, but, overall, stayed very focused and clean. They will participate in the finals on Sunday where I deeply hope that they will be even more confident and strong.

I would like to ask that all fans around the world congratulate and support the whole Bulgarian team, including the coaches, federation members,  and psychologist. Additional encouragement is also much needed for the individual gymnasts Neviana Vladinova and Katrin Taseva, who I am sure have also been  greatly emotionally affected by the tragedy.

While many have tried to place the blame on the Federation for Tsveti's condition, those who are close to the team know that everyone supported Tsveti and that she was seen by a clinical psychologist to help with her health condition. The coaches and the Bulgarian Federation have done everything to make Tsveti a successful gymnast and will support her in the future with her recovery as well.

Today, the Legendary Neshka Robeva Turns 70

I wanted to devote a blog post to her glorious achievements and to the imaginative, emotionally striking, original choreography that she has done both for gymnasts and for dancers. But I think dance speaks better than words on this one. So, here is a montage one of her big fans did. One of her thousands and thousands fans around the world, who agree with me that she is absolutely extraordinary:

To have watched Neshka's gymnasts and dancers perform has become a lifelong passion for me. I have chosen to follow her work for two main reasons. The first reason is the originality of her choreography. The second reason is that she always managed to showcase the best qualities of a gymnast so well that anyone who was talent could appear uniquely brilliant, truly shining. I would like to believe that the next generation coaches have learned from her and that they will embrace the Bulgarian style in gymnastics resiliently and with confidence that talent always wins.

I would like to remember Neshka Robeva as the creative spirit who made all gymnasts achieve their best. Even when she had to quietly pull their ears like in the picture below. This picture clearly shows how coach and choreographer never takes the center of the stage. Instead, she creates the whole stage and supports her performers with every breath.

And I can't imagine a greater birthday gift than the knowledge that you have helped many talented people rise to the best level they can. Happy 70th!

Bulgaria's New Star

Katrin Taseva is looking more confident with every competition and has recently received high scores both in Bulgaria and at international event. I previously really liked Katrin's ball and clubs routines, but she has shown great progress in all four events so I would like to share her ribbon routine with the fans.




I really like that Katrin has both very clean lines and flexibility.Each movement she makes flows into the next one. In the future, we will see even more amplitude and expression in her routines so I really hope we get to see her at many world-class tournaments..

This is How the Ribbon Should Move

This season Neviana Vladinova from Bulgaria presents four very different and original routines. I love them all, but I have been watching the ribbon over and over again because it simply shows an excellent example of how to use the apparatus.  Many of the ribbon routines in the elite do not achieve this level of mastery, namely:

1. The ribbon does not stop moving
2. The lines of the ribbon are clean and the shapes shown are different in different segments of the routine
3. The ribbon movement and throws "cover" the entire carpet
4. The ribbon stays close to the gymnast's body
5. Both the risks and the general handling show original decisions
6. The dance steps are in harmony with the ribbon movements
7. The ribbon moves in different planes: above the head, at the feet, close to the floor, at eye level etc.




Good luck to Neviana in staying consistent and clean. I think she is working on taking this routine to the next level. There are a lot of small, but intricate details in this routine that will just take them to "iron out." This routine is designed to capture the attention from start to finish.

Waiting for These Elements to Magically Appear in New Routines

Fans, I have some of the more spectacular apparatus difficulties from the not-so-distant past that I would really like see performed once more. Some of these are signature elements that I haven't seen for over 10 years now. In Diana Popova's case, the elegant ball catch where she is spinning her back has not been done since the mid-1990s. Filipa Siderova and Lyubomira Vasileva who are shown with ball both trained with Mariana Vassileva who has since moved on to working with the Azeri team.

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If Somebody Ever Told Her This Could Not Be Done, She Would Have Kept Spinning

Teodora Alexandrova is the 1995 European Junior Champion, who also won gold with hoop, and silver with rope, clubs, and ribbon at this European Championship. She started rhythmic gymnastics in 1986, which is before the time current gymnasts were born, but she has a lot to show in terms of her pirouette technique, her risks with the apparatus, and the overall brilliant, perfect control and confidence she demonstrated.

I have watched Teodora in practice for many hours and I always felt amazed to see that her enthusiasm keeps shining in her eyes even after 8 hours of doing the same elements. The same elements, which most gymnasts in the world would never dare to try. I have two amazing routines for you. In one of them, you can barely hear the music because of the Japanese fans screaming. Well deserved. Unforgettable.






Many theories attempt to explain why some gymnasts have better technique than others in terms of pirouettes. Does height have to do with it? Is it natural, or all learned?

In Teodora's case, we can say that she had all the natural talent imaginable, but it would not have been enough for her to execute these routines if she didn't have the impenetrable psychological preparation that came with them. Can you tell that her center of gravity is somewhere deep in her beautiful mind, so nothing can shake it out of balance? :-)

Take The 90s Gymnastics Quiz and Win a Gift

Crazy Fan's 90s Rhythmic Gymnastics Quiz

If you lived in the 1990s, a glorious gymnastics decade, I dare you to take this quiz.The person, who gets all correct answers first will receive a free Crazy Fan gift in the mail. Please take the quiz and send me a screenshot of your score at grashkina@gmail.com. Good luck!

1. In the early 90s, which gymnast won her first all around European title with 4 perfect 10.000s?
Oksana Kostina Maria Petrova Alexandra Timoshenko Bianka Panova
2. Which gymnast shared an all around European title with Alexandra Timoshenko?
Oksana Skaldina Dimitrinka Todorova Yulia Baitcheva None of the above
3. In 1993, this gymnast had to miss the World Championship in Alicante due to an ankle injury
Elena Vitrichenko Olga Gontar Amina Zaripova Larissa Lukyanenko
4. Who was the 1993 junior European champion?
Olga Gontar Diana Popova Yanina Batyrchina Ekaterina Serebryanskaya
5. When and where did Natalya Lipkovskaya become world champion with hoop?
1996 in Budapest 1998 in Seville 1997 in Berlin She was never a champion with hoop
6. Which Spanish gymnast won gold in Alicante?
Carolina Pascual Almudena Cid Tostado Alba Caride Costas Carmen Acedo
7. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, which gymnast received a deduction because her zipper opened?
Diana Popova Irina Deleanu Oksana Skaldina Maria Petrova
8. What apparatus did Ekaterina Serebryanskaya drop when she became the 1996 Olympic Champion?
Ribbon Clubs Rope She did not drop
9. Which 90s Ukrainian gymnast was known for her long and flexible feet?
Tatiana Popova Elena Shamatulskaya Elena Vitrichenko Tamara Erofeeva
10. When did Alina Kabaeva become European champion for the first time?
1998 2000 1997 1996

Neviana Vladinova Leaps Ahead of the Competition

Another short post about Neviana with very expressive photos by Dimo Dimov!

Neviana makes me very proud because she dares to dream and to go beyond what people can expect. Her recent finals with hoop and ribbon have really shown that she deserves to become part of the world elite. What distinguishes her is the risk, the artistic presence on the carpet, and the excellent choice of music that really brings out her personal style and character.

Good luck, Neviana! Stay strong!

Ribbon from Out of This World

Neviana Vladinova has been making the ribbon take on a life of its won for a while now. But this routine is extremely original, fast, risky and surprising. This is by far the best with ribbon we have seen from a Bulgarian in decades, better than Silvia Miteva or even Simona Peycheva. Enjoy watching!



Good luck to Neviana in Stuttgart where she has made her first ribbon final in big competition!

Thank you, Neviana, for this stunning, magical work with the ribbon.