Does Salome Pazhava have a chance to win a medal in Rio? I wish she did! Her ball routine is one of the most innovative this season, but she has performed all four routines cleanly in most, if not all, recents competition. She has already shown off her style with hoop and clubs as well. If she has a "weak spot," I would say it is ribbon technique, but Salome has definitely earned her spot among the...
Team Israel has won gold at the European Championship, but the practices of the head coach Ira Vigdorchik have been under fire. Allegedly, she verbally abused and even physically hit some of the girls, made them train outside where there were holes in the grass, restricted their food intake and even prevented them from using the bathroom. None of these accusations have been proven but it has become...
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...
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...
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...
Today the Bulgarian national team won the bronze medal with hoops and clubs at the European Championship in Holon. In their fairy-tale blue leotards, they quietly reminded us that this sport is not about glitter and pirouettes. It is about strength of character as much as any other sport. And, just like in any sport, actions speak more clearly than any words. We all saw this team act as...
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...
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...
Fans around the world have been shocked and dismayed to hear that a member of the Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics group, Tsvetelina Stoyanova, has attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the 6th floor balcony of her apartment in the Sofia neighborhood "Nadezhda" (the name means "Hope"). She is in a critical state at the top Bulgarian trauma hospital, where she was admitted with heavy bleeding. The...
All gymnasts look beautiful, but Marina Durunda is far more than beautiful: she looks fierce and full of very strong energy all the time. She is also one of the few gymnasts who always wear very stylish leotards that really emphasize her best qualities. You can see a short video of how she prepared and performed during her most recent fashion photo shoot. She is wearing very original dresses and makes...
Finally, Katrin performed this intricate, risky routine cleanly much to the delight of her coaches and fans. Although Katrin has mostly been receiving compliments or her playful clubs routine and the wonderful ball routine, both of which placed her among the top 8 this year, I have always thought this routine has a lot of potential. My hope is that, in the future, clear routines from Katrin will receive...
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...
I was reading on some fan forums that the gymnast pictured below "does not have the right body" for rhythmic gymnastics. At first, I was outraged and I was mentally preparing for writing up a small rant on how sports is not about looks, and how, if you are able to perform cleanly, it should not matter how tall or thin you are, or aren't. But I changed my mind. I am going to say that it is fine to discuss...
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...
Prelims start today at the Olympic Test Event. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube....