18 Facts About Bianka Panova

Bianka Panova is a Bulgarian individual rhythmic gymnast.

Bianka Panova is a World and European champion and was one of the Golden Girls of Bulgaria that dominated rhythmic gymnastics in the 1980s.

Bianka Panova is the 1987 World all-around champion, 1989 World all-around silver medalist, 1985 World all-around bronze medallist and 1986 European all-around champion.

Bianka Panova was born on May 27,1970, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Bianka Panova lived in Belgium with her husband, physiotherapist and physician, Tchavdar Ninov, and their two sons, Stefan and Richard, before moving to Singapore in 2015 to establish a rhythmic gymnastics academy named after her, the Bianka Panova Academy.

In 2009, Bianka Panova was invited to compete in the Bulgarian edition of Dancing With The Stars and won with the highest public vote.

In 2013, Bianka Panova published an autobiography in which she criticized the treatment of gymnasts during the time period of her training.

Bianka Panova began gymnastics at age 8 and joined the Bulgarian national team when she 14.

At the age of 15, Bianka Panova won her first World gold medal at the 1985 World Championships in ribbon.

Bianka Panova competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics as the reigning World champion.

Bianka Panova went on to win silver in the all-around and with ball, and gold in the hoop and rope finals, though her results did not resolve the conflict with her coaching team.

Bianka Panova retired from competition in 1989 and became a coach in Italy.

Bianka Panova tried to make a comeback in 1992 but failed to make the Bulgarian Olympic team.

Bianka Panova returned to coaching in 1993, this time in Belgium.

Bianka Panova introduced her own method of flexibility conditioning for non-gymnast athletes.

Bianka Panova is the first rhythmic gymnast to get a clean sweep of all five gold medals at a World Championship.

Bianka Panova became the first rhythmic gymnast to enter the Guinness Book of Records by receiving perfect 10 marks in all her routines at a World Championship.

Bianka Panova achieved this at the 1987 World Championships in Varna and received the trophy personally from the president of the IOC at that time, Juan Antonio Samaranch.