Boryana Kaleyn Secures Historic Olympic Silver for Bulgaria in Rhythmic Gymnastics

Boryana Kaleyn delivered an outstanding performance at the Olympic Games in Paris, securing a historic silver medal for Bulgaria in individual rhythmic gymnastics. This achievement marks only the second time Bulgaria has won a medal in this discipline, following Adriana Dunavska’s silver in Seoul in 1988.

Kaleyn executed four exceptional routines with the hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon, earning her place on the podium. The only gymnast to surpass her was the reigning world champion, Darya Varfolomeev, who scored a total of 142.850 points, besting Kaleyn by 2.250 points. Kaleyn managed to outscore Varfolomeev only in the ribbon routine, while Varfolomeev dominated the other apparatuses, particularly excelling in the clubs with a score of 36.350, compared to Kalein’s 34.550.

The bronze medal was claimed by Sofia Raffaelli of Italy, the winner of the previous day’s qualification round. Despite a shaky start with the hoop and ball, Raffaelli’s strong performances in the clubs and ribbon secured her spot in the top three, finishing 6.550 points behind the new champion.

In her first routine, Kaleyn performed flawlessly, earning a score of 35.450 points. Following an appeal from the Bulgarian team, her score was adjusted to 35.850, thanks to an increase in the difficulty assessment of her body movements. This score placed Kaleyn in second position after the hoop routines, trailing only Varfolomeev, who scored 36.300. Meanwhile, Raffaelli and China’s Wang Zilu followed closely behind.

Kaleyn’s ball routine was equally strong, earning her 36.450 points, once again free of any errors. With a total of 72.300 points at the competition’s midpoint, Kaleyn remained in second place, just behind Varfolomeev, who scored 36.500 for her ball routine and led the overall standings by a narrow margin of 0.500 points.

"Achieving eight flawless routines requires an immense amount of training, not just physically but mentally as well. Competition is primarily a mental game. I can't express how thrilled I am. I've never had such a stable performance in my life, nor have I ever achieved such a total score. I've overcome so much, and I’m really happy. Since I started gymnastics at age six, I've dreamed of winning an Olympic medal. Childhood dreams can seem impossible, and we've faced many challenges along the way, but it's all been worth it. I would do it all over again if I had to.

I think it will take time for me to fully grasp what I've accomplished. I'm delighted with this medal, but I don't think it's fully sunk in yet. In recent years, I've enjoyed following in the footsteps of other great gymnasts. I had a feeling this might happen for a few months, but I tried not to let it affect me. In this sport, one mistake can cost you a spot on the podium," Kaleyn told BNT shortly after the award ceremony.

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