Bulgaria reclaimed the European team title in rhythmic gymnastics on 31 May 2026, winning gold at the continental championships held at Varna's Palace of Culture and Sports. The Bulgarian squad accumulated 277.600 points across ten routines, ahead of Israel on 274.650 and Russia third with the same score.
The packed stands roared throughout the week, a far cry from Varna's usual quiet seafront weekends. By Sunday afternoon, jubilation spilled into the streets as Bulgaria's return to the top of the European rhythmic gymnastics podium became official.
Stiliyana Nikolova added an individual all-around silver medal to Bulgaria's haul, finishing with 118.750 points. The result marked her third consecutive European Championship podium, following gold in Budapest in 2024 and silver in Tallinn in 2025.
Varfolomeev Completes the Set
Germany's Darja Varfolomeev claimed the European all-around title with 120.150 points, the final major achievement missing from a career that already includes Olympic and double world all-around gold. Nikolova led after three apparatuses but Varfolomeev's clubs routine proved decisive, securing the title by 0.950 points. Ukraine's defending champion Taisiya Onofriychuk took bronze with 117.150 points.
The team victory returned Bulgaria to the top of European rhythmic gymnastics after Italy interrupted the run in 2025. Bulgaria had won the continental team crown in 2022, 2023, and 2024 before last year's break. The successful lineup included Nikolova and Eva Brezalieva in individual events alongside the group squad of Sofia Ivanova, Margarita Vasileva, Magdalina Minevska, Emilia Obretenova, Raya Bozhilova, and Magdalena Valkova.
Brezalieva, Bulgaria's second individual representative, finished 19th after the qualification phase, conducted under a new experimental competition format. Both Bulgarian gymnasts qualified for multiple apparatus finals: Nikolova advancing on all four and Brezalieva reaching three.
Group Competition and World Qualification
Bulgaria's group squad, coached by Vesela Dimitrova, placed sixth in the all-around with 49.750 points. The team earned 26.650 points in a five-ball routine despite minor inaccuracies, but their second exercise with three hoops and two pairs of clubs proved more challenging. An apparatus leaving the competition area resulted in 23.100 points and left them ninth in that apparatus ranking.
Spain successfully defended its group all-around title with 57.650 points, ahead of Russia on 53.450 and Israel on 53.350. Spain, Germany, and Italy completed the top six in the senior women's team standings.
The Varna championships acted as a qualifier for the upcoming World Championships, where the top twelve nations from the qualification rankings earn the right to compete with full teams. The results carry weight beyond European bragging rights, affecting which nations Britain and other competing countries will face at the global event.
What This Means for British Expats
British gymnastics fans following the sport's European landscape can track Bulgaria's sustained success as context for World Championship and Olympic dynamics. The event's role as a World Championships qualifier affects all competing nations, including Britain, making the results relevant to understanding future international competition structure and the teams British athletes will face.
For British expats in Bulgaria, the week offered a rare opportunity to watch elite international gymnastics on home turf. Events of this calibre typically require travel to Sofia or abroad. The atmosphere in Varna's arena throughout the competition week demonstrated rhythmic gymnastics remains a national obsession, even if Britain's own interest runs more readily to football and athletics.
About Darja Varfolomeev
Germany's Varfolomeev entered the championships as Olympic champion and two-time world all-around champion. The European title was the final major achievement missing from her collection, a rare career grand slam in rhythmic gymnastics. At 18, she has now won every major individual all-around title available in the sport.