Simona Peycheva

Career

Peycheva started Rhythmic Gymnastics in 1991 at the Academic Club in Sofia, under head coach Marietta Dukova. As a junior, she had victories at several international tournaments.

In 2001, Alina Kabaeva and her teammate Irina Tchachina, who originally won gold and silver medal in all-around, respectively tested positive for a banned diuretic (furosemide) and were stripped of their medals, Ukraine's Tamara Yerofeeva, who originally won bronze, was awarded the gold. With the disqualification of the Russian Team results at the 2001 World Championships, Peycheva took three golds (hoop, ball, clubs) as well as two silver (all around, rope) and one bronze (team).

Peycheva won the ball and clubs at the 2002 World Cup Final in Stuttgart. She missed the end of 2003 and the early months of 2004 due to a foot operation. She did compete in the 2004 European Championships and the 2004 Athens Olympics, qualifying in 7th and placing 6th in the final with a total of 101.050 (Hoop 25.375, Ball 25.675, Clubs 25.600, Ribbon 24.400). At the 2005 Corbeil-Essonnes Tournament she placed 2nd in Ball.

She competed in her last Olympics cycle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she finished 10th at the finals.

After four years, she resumed her career and she returned to the sport and recently she has just competed at the national Championship of Bulgaria finishing 6th. "My Return is not my whim! Trained by one month. If I am not part of the national team, my return is futile!"

Personal life

She is married to Goran and they have a boy named Aleksey.