2024-08-02 02:14:46
Burdened with huge expectations from all over Bulgaria, the golden girls from the national rhythmic gymnastics team are not slowing down with the thought of the upcoming competitions at the Olympic Games in Paris. On the contrary. They sweat from morning to night, staring tiredly at the goal under the five Olympic rings.
Although the schedule for entering the Olympic village is from the beginning of next week, the Bulgarian gymnasts arrived earlier in France – at a pre-Olympic camp on French soil in the Paris suburb of Antony. It is hot in the hall, the air conditioners do not smoke at all in the high temperatures. It’s getting even hotter – all the seats in the stands are occupied by fans who want to touch the Bulgarian graces.
Vesela Dimitrova’s ensemble – Sofia Ivanova, Rachel Stoyanov, Kamelia Petrova, Margarita Vasileva and Magdalina Minevska – has been practicing since 8 in the morning. Twice – with a short lunch break, but in the hall itself.
Our Olympians in the individual competition Stiliyana Nikolova and Boryana Kalein start training at 10 o’clock. It’s almost 6 p.m. and they’re still training. 8 hours without a break. They are preparing for what awaits them very soon – a long and terribly tiring race on the way to Olympus.
The loads and repetitions of the elements are of particular difficulty also because of the heat. The sweat pours, but the Bulgarian girls just wipe it off, put powder on the devices and continue. Training for champions – both for the individual players and for our team. In addition to the final refinement of the routines, they also have classes in classical ballet.
But what do the gymnasts see when they come into the gym at Antoni on the first two days of their camp? The fans are already there waiting for them. They took their seats before 8 am. French, Spanish, Belgian, Canadian… Lots of girls. Families. They are there – in the hall because of the gold ones. They held their breath and were ready to applaud even every repetition of an individual element. And do it again and again. Like the Bulgarian graces.
The training sessions take place under the watchful eye of the coaches, but also of the president of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Iliana Raeva. Touching every detail. Then sleep. And the next day – from the same. Many hours of sweating in the name of the great goal.
On August 6, after having already entered the Olympic village, the gymnasts will have the opportunity to enter the “Port de la Chapelle” rhythmic gymnastics hall for the first time. Gabriela and Stefani Stoevi have played in it so far, because the arena first hosted the Olympic badminton tournament. After its end, it will be transformed into rhythmic gymnastics. A day later is the podium training.
Qualifications in the individual competition are on August 8. August 9 is the final, in which the whole of Bulgaria should keep its fingers crossed for Stiliyana Nikolova and Boryana Kalein. On the same day are the qualifications for the ensembles. And on August 10 is the battle for the medals, when the eyes of the Bulgarians should be directed to the girls of Vesela Dimitrova.