Maria Gigova

Career

Gigova shared the world crown in the all-around in 1971 with Soviet Galima Shugurova, Both of their ribbon routines at this Championship were to the same music – a piece from Bizet"s ballet "Carmen". Gigova retired from gymnastics in 1974. In 1978 she was appointed vice-president of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, to become the federation"s president in 1982.

Gigova served on the Administrative Council of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation from 1989 to 1999 when she was elected president of the federation again.

Achievements

• Gigova was the first rhythmic gymnast to win 3 consecutive world titles in (1969, 1971 tied with Galima Shugurova, 1973). She was later equaled by fellow countrywoman Maria Petrova (1993, 1994, 1995 tied with Ekaterina Serebryanskaya) and Russian gymnasts Evgenia Kanaeva (2009, 2010, 2011), Yana Kudryavtseva (2013, 2014, 2015) but they won their titles when the world championships were held every year. First Bulgarian to win the World Championships. In 1972 she was awarded the title of Merited Master of Sport of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics.

Membership

As a member of the Bulgarian Team, she also earned team titles at the rhythmic gymnastics world championships in 1969 and 1971. After she finished her education at the National Sports Academy in Sofia, She became a member of the FIG Technical Committee, a post she held from 1978 to 1992. Since 2000, Gigova has again been a member of the Technical Committee of FIG.