National sport of Bulgaria

Content History of bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Champions “The Golden girls” of Bulgaria

History of bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics The Rhythmic Gymnastics in Bulgaria has 50 years story. And the most important club is Rhythmic Gymnastics club “Levski”.

The fusion result Levski Spartak (est The fusion result Levski Spartak (est.1969) created from the two sections of rhythmic gymnastics in Bulgaria – sport club Spartak (est. 1952) and sport club Levski (est. 1954) – is an outcome of the enthusiasm of the two clubs’ presidents: Yosif Asher and Yordanka Direkova.

Amongst the earliest trainers that made history, emphasing ambition, talent and assiduousness are - Lili Mircheva, Julia Trashlieva, Darina Yosifova, Zlatka Bontcheva. The first masters and honored masters of sport, that laid the foundations of the Bulgarian national teams, grew in experience and estimation under their guidance.

Levski Spartak‘s gymnasts Vera Marinova, Violeta Elenska, Stela Milusheva, Sonia Peeva, Bogdana Todorova and Kapka Blagoeva participants in the groups of Bulgaria in the World championships in Copenhagen 1967, Havana 1969, Varna 1971, Rotterdam 1973, won two gold medals and one bronze medal in these competitions. So they blazed the first Bulgarian golden trail in the rhythmic gymnastics history.

In 1974 Neshka Robeva was appointed for trainer to the Levski Spartak club. She launched the beginning of the most successful and cherished generation of Bulgarian gymnasts, subsequently called “The Golden Girls” of Bulgaria’s sport.

After two decades (1976-1996) working as senior trainer of the national team, the amount of her girls’ attainments adds up to a total of 14 champion titles earned in World championship competitions (individuals + groups), 16 titles in European championship contests, 5 titles won in World Cup and European Cup events, 2 vice champions titles in the Olympic Games battle.

Levski Spartak‘s gymnasts represent the most prominent part of these triumphs: Lilia Ignatova won 19 golden medals, Bianka Panova – 15, Maria Petrova – 13, Anelia Ralenkova – 12, Diliana Georgieva – 9, Iliana Raeva – 5, Mila Marinova 3, Yulia Baycheva – 2 and Christina Shikerova 1. In the groups: Ivelina Taleva, Valia Kevlian and Maya Tabakova with 6 golden medals, Elena Lazarova and Maya Taskova – 5, Denitza Koseva – 4, Paulina Krasteva, Viktoria Dimitrova and Snejka Mihailova – 3, Eli Milcheva, Stela Angelova and Maria Mincheva – 2, Viara Vatashka, Kristina Shikerova, Neli Atanasova and Iliana Ilieva – 1.

In Robeva’s team had worked the following trainers – Krassimira Filipova, Lushka Bachvarova, Despa Katelieva, Dimitrichka Masleva, Efrosina Angelova, Kamelia Ignatova, Lilia Ignatova, Valentina Ganeva; the choreographers – Valentina Verbeva, Liudmil Kocev, Zhivko Todorov, Samcho Samev; the chorepetitors Nikolai Kostov, Niki Ilievski; the physicians Dr.Nikola Nikolov, Dr.Nadejda Stoykova, Dr.Maria Lozanova, Dr.Mariela Sirakova; the rehabilitation therapistsVera Poptoleva, Margarita Petrova, Eva Yosifova and many other specialists of Levski RGC that form the Bulgarian drill of rhythmic gymnastics.

Nowadays “The Golden Girls” Ivelina Taleva, Valentina Kevlian, Kamelia Dunavska, Silvia Stoyneva, Valentina Simeonova and Mariana Vasileva work as trainers together with veteran professionals Neshka Robeva, Lushka Bachvarova and Krassimira Filipova.

The prima ballerina Vera Kirova and Zhivko Todorov chose the career of choreographers. All these talented people support with their dedicated hard work the symbol of “Levski”, which is its main vehicle of expression in the world’s sport rivalry.

Champions

The gymnasts of Spartak, Levski, Levski-Spartak and Levski (these are the club’s onomastic metamorphosis during the years) had won for Bulgaria in all 302 medals (152 golden medals, 94 silver medals and 56 bronze medals) from World and European championships, World and European cup events and from the Olympics.

Levski’s group medalists Levski’s individual medalists Levski’s Absolute World Champions Levski’s Absolute European Champions Levski’s Cup Winners

Levski's individual medalists Lili Ignatova - 19 gold, 12 silver, 2 bronze medals Bianca Panova - 15 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze medals Maria Petrova - 13 gold, 9 silver, 6 bronze medals Anelia Ralenkova - 12 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze medals Diliana Georgieva - 9 gold, 3 bronze medals Iliana Raeva - 5 gold, 8 silver, 6 bronze medals Mila Marinova - 3 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze medals Yulia Baycheva - 2 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze medals Kristina Shikerova - 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze medal Branimira Ivanova - 1 gold medal Diana Popova - 5 bronze medals Yulia Trashlieva - 2 bronze medals Maria Gateva - 1 bronze medal Stela Salapatiiska - 1 bronze medal

Levski’s Absolute World Champions Munich - 1981 - Anelia Ralenkova Stavenger - 1983 - Diliana Georgieva Valladolid - 1985 - Diliana Georgieva Varna - 1987 - Bianka Panova Alicante - 1993 - Maria Petrova Paris - 1994 - Maria Petrova Wien - 1995 - Maria Petrova

Levski’s Absolute European Champions London - 1980 - Iliana Raeva Stavenger - 1982 - Anelia Ralenkova Wien - 1984 - Anelia Ralenkova Florence - 1986 - Lili Ignatova and Bianka Panova Gœteborg - 1990 - Julia Baycheva Stuttgart - 1992 - Maria Petrova Solun - 1994 - Maria Petrova

Levski’s Cup Winners Lili Ignatova - World Cup winner from Belgrade - 1983 and Tokio - 1986 Maria Petrova - European Cup winner from Malaga - 1993

Levski's group medalists Vera Marinova - 2 gold (World Championship Varna - 1969 and Havana - 1971) and 1 bronze medal (WCH Copenhagen - 1967) Sonia Peeva - 1 gold (WCH Varna) and 1 bronze (WCH Copenhagen) Violeta Elenska - 1 gold (WCH Varna) and 1 bronze (WCH Copenhagen) Stela Milousheva - 1 gold (WCH Varna) and 1 bronze (WCH Copenhagen) Darina Yosifova - 1 bronze medal (WCH Copenhagen) Despa Katelieva - 2 gold (WCH Varna and Havana) Bogdana Todorova - 1 gold medal (WCH Varna) Asia Kursheva - 1 gold medal (WCH Havana) Kapka Blagoeva - 1 gold (WCH Havana) and 1 silver medal (WCH Basel - 1977) Rositza Mladenova - 1 gold (European Championship Madrid - 1978) and 1 bronze (WCH London - 1979) Camelia Ignatova - 2 gold (ECH Amsterdam - 1980 and WCH Munich - 1981) and 2 silver medals (ECH Stavenger - 1982 and World Cup Beograd - 1983) Galia Rangelova - 2 gold (ECH Amsterdam and WCH Munich) and 2 silver (ECH Stavenger and World Cup Belgrade)

Maria Kuzmanova - 1 gold (WCH Munich) and 1 silver (ECH Stavenger) Iliana Ilieva - 1 gold medal (WCH Strasbourgh - 1983) Svetla Tchobanova - 1 gold medal (WCH Strasbourgh) Paulina Krusteva - 3 gold мидала (2 from WCH Strasbourgh - 1983 and Valladolid - 1985, and 1 from ECH Vienna - 1984) Vicktoria Dimitrova - 3 gold medals (2 from WCH Strasbourgh and Valladolid and 1 from ECH Vienna) Maria Mincheva - 2 gold medals (ECH Vienna and WCH Valladolid) Maya Taskova - 5 gold medals (1 from ECH Florence - 1986, 1 from World Cup Tokio - 1986 and 3 from WCH Varna - 1987) Elena Lazarova - 5 gold medals (1 from ECH Florence, 1 from World Cup Tokio and 3 from WCH Varna) Snejanka Mihaylova - 3 gold medals (ECH Helsinki - 1988) Stela Angelova - 2 gold and 1 silver medal (WCH Saraevo - 1989)

Eli Milcheva - 2 gold and 1 silver medal (WCH Saraevo) Elena Zaharieva - 2 gold and 1 silver (WCH Saraevo) Denitza Koseva - 4 gold (1 from World Cup Brussel - 1990 and 3 from ECH Gœteborg - 1990) and 2 silver (World Cup Brussel) Ina Ananieva - 1 silver medal (WCH Athens - 1991) Ivelina Taleva - 6 gold medals (1 from ECH Bucurest - 1993, 1 from WCH Paris - 1994, 1 from ECH Prague - 1995, 2 from WCH Vienna - 1995, 1 from WCH Budapest - 1996), 9 silver (1 from WCH Athens, 1 from ECH Stuttgart, 2 from ECH Bucurest, 1 from WCH Paris, 2 from ECH Prague, 1 from WCH Vienna and 1 from Olympic Games Atlanta - 1996) and 1 bronze medal (WCH Paris) Stela Hristova - 1 silver medal (ECH Stuttgart - 1992) Maya Tabakova - 6 gold medals (1 from ECH Bucurest, 1 from WCH Paris, 1 from ECH Prague, 2 from WCH Vienna, 1 from WCH Budapest), 7 silver (2 from ECH Bucurest, 1 from WCH Paris, 2 from ECH Prague, 1 from WCH Vienna and 1 from OG Atlanta) and 1 bronze medal (from WCH Paris) Neli Atanasova - 1 gold and 2 silver medals (from ECH Bucurest) Kristina Shikerova - 1 gold and 2 silver medals (from ECH Bucurest)

Valentina Kevlian - 5 gold (1 from WCH Paris, 1 from ECH Prague, 2 from WCH Vienna and 1 from WCH Budapest), 5 silver (1 from WCH Paris, 2 from ECH Prague, 1 from WCH Vienna and 1 from OG Atlanta) Silvia Stoyneva - 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal (from WCH Paris) Viara Vatashka - 4 gold medals (1 from ECH Prague, 2 from WCH Vienna, 1 from WCH Budapest), 4 silver (2 from ECH Prague, 1 from WCH Vienna and 1 from OG Atlanta) Galina Marinova - 1 silver (from ECH Patra - 1997) Valentina Simeonova - 1 silver (from ECH Patra) Angelina Yovcheva - 1 silver (from ECH Patra) Borislava Ananieva - 1 silver (from ECH Patra) Gabriela Atanasova - 1 bronze (from ECH Basel - 2000)

“The Golden girls” of Bulgaria “Golden girls” is a generation of competitors of Rhythmic Gymnastic which present Bulgaria in period since 1976 to 1999year, when trainer is Neshka Robeva.

In this period the “golden girls” win 14 champion titles from World Championship; 14 champion titles from European Championship; 5 from World and European titles and 2 vice-champion titles from Olympic games.

The most prominent gymnasts among “golden girls” Adriana Dunavska Anelia Ralenkova Bianka Panova

Dilqna Georgieva Elizabeth Koleva Iliana Raeva

Lili Ignatova Maria Petrova Yulia Baicheva

Thank you for your attention!