Bulgaria added another major achievement to its tally at the 2026 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Varna, capturing the women's team title while Stiliyana Nikolova secured a silver medal in the individual all-around competition. The championships, held at the packed Palace of Culture and Sports, drew enthusiastic home support throughout the week.
Nikolova finished second in the all-around standings with a total score of 118.750 points after strong performances on all four apparatuses. She received 30.550 on hoop, 29.100 on ball, 30.050 on clubs, and 29.050 on ribbon. The result marked her third consecutive podium finish at the European Championships following gold in Budapest in 2024 and silver in Tallinn in 2025.
The Bulgarian star opened her competition with an outstanding hoop routine that earned the highest score of the event at that stage, collecting 30.550 points. She followed with a steady ball performance worth 29.100 points, allowing her to remain among the leaders heading into the second half of the final.
Nikolova maintained first place after her clubs routine, which was awarded 30.050 points. However, Germany's Darja Varfolomeev produced a decisive score of 31.000 on clubs and ultimately overtook the Bulgarian gymnast. Nikolova's ribbon routine received 29.200 points, leaving her just 0.950 points short of the gold medal.
