Stefani Kiryakova
Full nameStefani Radoslavova Kiryakova
Alternative name(s)Stefi, Stefche
Country represented Bulgaria
Born (2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 23)
Burgas, Bulgaria
Height172 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight61 kg (134 lb)
DisciplineRhythmic gymnastics
LevelInternational Elite
Years on national team2017-2021
Head coach(es)Vesela Dimitrova
Assistant coach(es)Mihaela Maevska
ChoreographerMargarita Budinova
Medal record
Representing  Bulgaria
Group Rhythmic Gymnastics
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Group All-around
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Sofia 5 Hoops
Silver medal – second place 2019 Baku 5 Balls
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Sofia Group All-around
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Baku Group All-around
European Games
Silver medal – second place 2019 Minsk Group All-around
Silver medal – second place 2019 Minsk 5 Balls
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Minsk 3 Hoops and 4 Clubs
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Guadalajara 3 Balls + 2 Ropes
Gold medal – first place 2021 Varna 5 Balls
Silver medal – second place 2021 Varna 3 Hoops + 4 Clubs
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Guadalajara Team
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Guadalajara Group All-around

Stefani Radoslavova Kiryakova (Bulgarian: Стефани Радославова Кирякова; born 5 January 2001)[1] is a Bulgarian group rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2020 Olympic group all-around champion and the 2018 World 5 hoops champion. She is a two-time (2018, 2019) World group all-around bronze medalist and the 2018 European group all-around bronze medalist. She is also a two-time European champion.

Career

Kiryakova began rhythmic gymnastics when she was six years old.[2]

2018

In 2018, Kiryakova became part of the main senior group with Elena Bineva, Simona Dyankova, Laura Traets, and Madlen Radukanova, replacing the injured Teodora Aleksandrova. At the Sofia World Cup, they won gold in the group all-around and in 5 hoops and bronze in 3 balls + 2 ropes.[3] Then at the Baku World Cup they won gold in both apparatus finals but lost the group all-around to Italy.[4] They won another group all-around gold medal at the Guadalajara World Challenge Cup in addition to winning gold in 3 balls + 2 ropes and silver in 5 hoops.[5] She then competed at the European Championships. They won the bronze medal in the group all-around behind Russia and Italy and placed fourth in the 5 hoops final. In the 3 balls + 2 ropes final, they won the gold medal, and they won a team bronze medal with the individual juniors.[6] Then at the Kazan World Challenge Cup, they won the group all-around bronze medal behind Italy and Russia, and they won silver in 5 hoops behind Russia.[7] The same group competed at the World Championships in Sofia where they won the group all-around bronze medal behind Russia and Italy and qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games.[8] They then won the gold medal in the 5 hoops final and placed sixth in 3 balls + 2 ropes.[9] Kiryakova dedicated the group's 5 hoops gold medal to her mother, who had a stroke days before the World Championships began.[2]

2019

Kiryakova competed with the same 2018 group during the 2019 season. They won the gold medal in the 3 hoops + 4 clubs final and the silver medal in the group all-around at the Pesaro World Cup.[10] Then at the Sofia World Cup, they won the group all-around gold medal.[11] She represented Bulgaria at the 2019 European Games where the Bulgarian group won silver in the group all-around by only 0.050 behind Belarus. They also won the silver medal in the 5 balls final, this time behind Russia. In the 3 hoops + 4 clubs final, they won the bronze medal behind Belarus and Ukraine.[12] She then competed at the World Championships in Baku where the Bulgarian group won the bronze medal in the group all-around behind Russia and Japan.[13] They then won the silver medal behind Japan in the 5 balls final, and they placed fifth in the 3 hoops + 4 clubs final.[14]

2021

The Bulgarian team began their year at the Sofia World Cup, where the team won gold in the group all-around and in both apparatus finals.[15] They once again swept the gold medals at the Baku World Cup.[16] She then competed at the European Championships in Varna, Bulgaria. The Bulgarian team of the senior group, Boryana Kaleyn, and Katrin Taseva finished in fourth place.[17] The Bulgarian group finished fifth in the all-around, but they won gold in the 5 balls final and won silver in the 3 hoops + 4 clubs final behind Israel.[18][19][20]

Kiryakova was selected to represent Bulgaria at the 2020 Summer Olympics alongside Laura Traets, Simona Dyankova, Madlen Radukanova, and Erika Zafirova. In the qualification round, the group qualified in first place after receiving the highest scores for both of their routines.[21][22] In the group all-around final, they once again received the highest scores for both routines and won the gold medal with a total score of 92.100, 1.400 points ahead of Russia. This marked the first time a non-Russian team won the Olympic gold medal in the group all-around since Spain won in 1996, and it was the first time Bulgaria won the Olympic group all-around competition.[23][24] The Bulgarian group withdrew from the World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, four days before the start of the competition, after an injury to Traets.[25]

Detailed Olympic results

Year Competition Description Location Music Apparatus Rank Score-Final Rank Score-Qualifying
2020 Olympics Tokyo All-around 1st 92.100 1st 91.800
Water, Cosmos, Earth
by Elica Todorova, Stoyan Yankulov, Miroslav Ivanov 		5 Balls 1st 47.550 1st 47.500
Spartacus,ballet in 3 acts, op.8
by Aram Khachaturian, Bolshoi Theatre 		3 Hoops + 4 Clubs 1st 44.550 1st 44.300

References

  1. ^ a b "Stefani Kiryakova". Olympedia. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Kiryakova Stefani". International Gymnastics Federation. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Soldatova, Bulgaria take plaudits in Sofia opener". International Gymnastics Federation. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Sergeeva, Bulgaria shine as World Cup concludes in Baku". International Gymnastics Federation. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Ashram and Bulgaria earn All-around golds in Guadalajara". International Gymnastics Federation. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  6. ^ "34th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships Results Book" (PDF). European Gymnastics. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Soldatova, Italian group claim Kazan World Challenge Cup". International Gymnastics Federation. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Russia claims Rhythmic Group All-around title". International Gymnastics Federation. 15 September 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  9. ^ "36th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Results Book" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. International Gymnastics Federation. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Averinas complete second Pesaro clean sweep". International Gymnastics Federation. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Ashram and Soldatova shine in Sofia". International Gymnastics Federation. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Minsk 2019 Results Book Rhythmic Gymnastics" (PDF). European Gymnastics. Minsk 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  13. ^ "37th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Baku (AZE), 16-22 September 2019 Group All-Around Final" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. International Gymnastics Federation. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  14. ^ "37th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Baku (AZE), 16-22 September 2019 Group Event Finals" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. International Gymnastics Federation. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Boryana Kaleyn, Bulgarian Group bloom for six golds at Sofia Rhythmic World Cup". International Gymnastics Federation. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Ashram, Bulgarian Rhythmic Group prevail in Baku". International Gymnastics Federation. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  17. ^ "37th European Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics Team Results" (PDF). European Gymnastics. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  18. ^ "37th European Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics Group All-Around Results" (PDF). European Gymnastics. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  19. ^ "37th European Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics 5 Balls Results" (PDF). European Gymnastics. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  20. ^ "37th European Championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics 3 Hoops + 4 Clubs Results" (PDF). European Gymnastics. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  21. ^ "Rhythmic Gymnastics — Group All-Around — Qualification — Results" (PDF). 2020 Summer Olympics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Bulgaria tops ROC in Rhythmic Group qualification". International Gymnastics Federation. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  23. ^ "Russian rhythmic dynasty topples, Bulgaria wins gold". Taipei Times. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  24. ^ "Bulgaria upsets ROC for first Olympic Rhythmic Group gold". International Gymnastics Federation. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  25. ^ Berkeley, Geoff (26 October 2021). "Olympic champions Bulgaria withdraw on eve of Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships due to Traets injury". Inside the Games. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
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