Bulgaria Wins Three Golds at European Rhythmic Gymnastics

Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics celebrated a historic triumph at the European Championships in Budapest, securing three gold medals. The victorious performances in the "Papp László" arena resonated with the Bulgarian anthem three times, mirroring their success from May 20, 2023, in Baku, where they also won three titles in one day.

Stiliana Nikolova clinched her second consecutive European title in the all-around, following Boryana Kaleyn's victory in Baku. The 18-year-old Nikolova delivered stellar performances across all four routines, amassing a total of 143.750 points (35.700 on hoop, 37.200 on ball, 36.050 on clubs, 34.800 on ribbon).

Under the guidance of Valentina Ivanova, Nikolova excelled in each category. She began with an impressive 36.050 on clubs, followed by a flawless 34.800 on ribbon. Her performance on hoop earned her 35.700 points, and she concluded with a remarkable 37.200 on ball, the highest score of the championship. This gold marks her first European title, adding to her previous bronze medals from Tel Aviv 2022 and Baku 2023.

Boryana Kaleyn, the defending champion, finished fourth with a total of 135.550 points (34.150 on hoop, 33.300 on ball, 34.300 on clubs, and 33.800 on ribbon), marred by some inaccuracies.

The second all-around title was captured by the Bulgarian ensemble. Magdalina Minevska, Sofia Ivanova, Kamelia Petrova, Rachel Stoyanov, and Margarita Vasileva, coached by Vesela Dimitrova and Yasena Stoineva, dazzled in their performances, scoring 39,150 for their five-hoop routine and 34,850 for their three-ribbon/two-ball routine, totaling 74,000 points.

Bulgaria's third gold came in the team competition. The team, featuring Boryana Kaleyn, Stiliana Nikolova, Elvira Krasnobaeva, and the women's...