She is the first big star of Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics, and today she turns 77.

Maria Gigova is a Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast, the world’s first three-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. She turns 77 today, she learned Sofia24.bg. She was born on April 21, 1947 in Sofia. Maria Gigova is the first big star of Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics. Her routines are characterized by great difficulty, high speed and originality. For many years, her competition with Neshka Robeva raised the bar in Bulgarian gymnastics to such an extent that Bulgaria became the biggest force in world gymnastics.

Gigova is a three-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics in 1969, 1971 and 1973. Since 1978, he is currently a member of the Artistic Gymnastics Technical Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). From 1980 to 1992, he was the chairman of the technical committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). From 1978 to 1982, he was the vice-president of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.

From 1982 to 1989 and in 1999 he was the chairman of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation. She was declared the “Gymnast of the century”. Awarded the first honorary sports “ICAR” from the “Bulgarian Sport – 2000” foundation. Awarded the “International Woman of the Year 2000-2001” medal from the International Biographical Center in Cambridge, England. Awarded the “Stara Planina” Order, 1st degree “for her extremely great merits for the development of sports” in 2017.