Katerina Marinova

Katerina Marinova
Nickname(s)Katya
Born (1999-07-13) 13 July 1999
Varna, Bulgaria
Height164 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Gymnastics career
DisciplineRhythmic gymnastics
Country
represented
 Bulgaria
(2012 - 2014)
ClubChar DKS Varna
Head coach(es)Filipa Filipova
Assistant coach(es)Filipa Filipova
ChoreographerSonia Manukian

Katerina Marinova (Bulgarian: Катерина Маринова, born 13 July 1999 in Varna) is a Bulgarian former rhythmic gymnast. She competed at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Personal life

Marinova's favorite rhythmic gymnasts are Boyanka Angelova, Evgenia Kanaeva, Ulyana Trofimova and Sylvia Miteva.[1] She became engaged to Ilian Iliev Jr. in December 2024.[2]

Career

Marinova began training in the Grazia club as a kindergartner and had a back injury at age 6 that continued to bother her for years afterward. When she was 11, she moved clubs to Char DKS and joined the national team.[1]

In 2013, Marinova competed in the junior division of the Grand Prix in Moscow, where she placed 7th in the all-around.[3] At her next Grand Prix event in Brno, she finished 4th in the all-around.[4] Domestically, she won three internal control competitions.[1]

Marinova started the 2014 season competing in the junior division at the 2014 Moscow Grand Prix, where she finished 6th in the all-around.[5] Next, she competed in the World Cup series in Pesaro and qualified for three of the four apparatus finals.[6]

On 10–16 June 2014, Marinova competed at the 2014 European Junior Championships with her teammates Erika Zafirova and Boryana Kaleyn. The team finished fourth,[7] and Marinova qualified for three event finals, placing 4th in hoop and clubs and 6th in ribbon.[8] Her next event was the junior event at the Sofia World Cup, where she finished 5th in the all-around and won bronze in the team event with Kaleyn.[9]

Marinova had lower back issues in early August, but she went on to represent Bulgaria at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.[10] A shaky performance left Marinova out of advancing into the top 8 finals after she placed only 9th in qualifications.[11]

She announced her retirement in April 2015 due to an injury to her cruciate ligament.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c Toncheva, Desimira (30 September 2013). "Катето мечтае за олимпиада" [Kateto dreams of the Olympics]. Presa. p. 36. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Голям двоен празник за футболист на ЦСКА навръх Коледа СНИМКА" [Big double celebration for CSKA footballer on Christmas Day]. Blitz.bg (in Bulgarian). 25 December 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Ансамбълът със сребро от Москва" [The group with silver from Moscow]. Blitz.bg (in Bulgarian). 2 March 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Катерина Маринова четвърта в многобоя в Бърно" [Katerina Marinova fourth in the all-around in Brno]. Sportal.bg (in Bulgarian). 5 October 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Qualification Youth Olympic Games. Individual" (PDF). GYMmedia. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Катерина Маринова остана без медал от финалите на отделните уреди в Италия" [Katerina Marinova was left without a medal from the individual apparatus finals in Italy]. Bulgarian National Radio (in Bulgarian). 13 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Девойките четвърти на Европейското по художествена гимнастика" [The girls are fourth at the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships]. Blitz.bg (in Bulgarian). 14 June 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Българка с бронз при девойките от Европейското в Баку" [Bulgarian wins bronze at the European Championships in Baku]. Blitz.bg (in Bulgarian). 15 June 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  9. ^ "България с бронз от международния турнир по художествена гимнастика в София" [Bulgaria with bronze from the international rhythmic gymnastics tournament in Sofia]. Bulgarian National Radio (in Bulgarian). 8 August 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  10. ^ Prodanov, Boris (6 August 2014). "Катерина Маринова има лека контузия" [Katerina Marinova has a minor injury]. Chernomore (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  11. ^ "2nd Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing - 6 European RG gymnasts qualified for the Final". European Gymnastics. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014.
  12. ^ "Националка спира със спорта" [National team member retires from sports]. Blitz.bg (in Bulgarian). 10 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.