site.btaBulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Team "Calm and Ready" Ahead of Sofia World Cup

The podium training of Bulgaria's national rhythmic gymnastics team went well, and the girls are calm ahead of the World Cup, which begins on Saturday at Arena 8888 in Sofia, said Neviana Vladinova, Vice President of the country's Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, on Friday.

Vladinova told the media: "My girls look very good, calm. The podium training went well. They made minor mistakes, but these are not critical. That is exactly why we have podium trainings – to test the lighting, the carpet, everything in the hall, and to make the gymnasts feel as relaxed as possible during the competition. Of course, we expect them to perform at their very best."

A total of 92 individual gymnasts and 22 groups from 52 countries will take part in the Sofia World Cup.

Vladinova commented: "We are very happy that the competition is so strong because this is a test for the World Championships. The level will only grow, especially with the Olympics approaching, so for us, this is good. Everyone is very excited about the arrival of Russia and Belarus. Last year we saw Belarus at some of our competitions. We observed that they have not lost form; they have been training the entire time. I expect the same from Russia. I think they will come with strong gymnasts. We shall see."

For the first time in Sofia, a new real-time scoring system, developed by the Japanese company Seiko, will be tested. According to the Bulgarian federation vice president, this is a very important step for judging in rhythmic gymnastics and for making it as objective as possible. "Of course, the judges are currently under stress," she said. "It's a new system. They already have a very responsible task, and now they feel it even more so, but they will get used to it. It is not a coincidence that the whole team and the FIG presidents, the Technical Committee, and many other members of the committee are here to follow the competition and ensure that there will be no problems, that the judges remain calm, and that everything is scored extremely objectively. I think this is good for the audience as well," Vladinova said.

Discussing the Bulgarian group routines, Vladinova said: "Personally, I think our group is the best I have seen so far, with extremely strong routines. Very well executed and highly artistic. We never doubted the difficulty, but Vesela has once again outdone herself." She was referring to Vesela Dimitrova, the Head Coach of the National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team.

Vladinova also said about the group routines: "I don't have a favourite routine. They are so different and unique in themselves that I really like both of them. We saw that the girls performed very strongly, and I hope that over the next few days they will add even more. But of course, the most important thing is for them to be in their best shape at the World Championships." The World Championships will be held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from August 12 to 16, 2026.

Concerning the Bulgarian individual gymnasts Stiliana Nikolova and Eva Brezalieva, the federation vice president said: "Eva is a gymnast who loves variety, so it is no coincidence that all her routines have been changed. She quickly adapts and gets into form. From her – and Stiliana, of course – we expect them to show the very best of themselves at this moment and to win medals."