Kristina Guiourova

Guiourova's mother was rhythmic gymnastics coach Julieta Shishmanova, who died in a plane crash on 16 March 1978; she was on the way to a competition, along with several other officials and two gymnasts who also died in the crash. Guiourova's daughter, Julieta Cantaluppi, is named in honor of her mother. Cantaluppi also competed in rhythmic gymnastics for Italy and now works as a coach.{{Cite web |last=Ivanova |first=Kristina |date=2015-03-16 |title=37 години от смъртта на голямата Жулиета Шишманова |trans-title=37 years since the death of the great Juliet Shishmanova |url=https://bnr.bg/post/100533797 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Bulgarian National Radio |language=bg}}

In 1977, Guiourova competed at the 1977 World Championships and won bronze medals in the all-around and hoop. At the first European Championships in 1978, she was 7th in the all-around and won two medals in the apparatus finals, bronze with rope and ball.{{Cite web |title=1. European Championships in Madrid, Spain (10.-12. October 1978) |url=https://rsg.net/cgi-bin/show?events/1978/em_madrid_78.html |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=rsg.net}} She repeated her success at the 1979 World Championships in London, where she won a gold medal in rope and silver in ribbon.{{Cite web |title=Kristina Guiourova |url=http://www.the-sports.org/kristina-guiourova-gymnastics-spf172071.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912092121/http://www.the-sports.org/kristina-guiourova-gymnastics-spf172071.html |archive-date=2014-09-12 |access-date=2014-09-12 |website=the-sports.org}}

After her competitive career, she moved to Italy, married, and began coaching in Fabriano. While her daughter, Cantaluppi, was competing, Guiourova coached her.{{Cite web |date=2011-06-15 |title=Наши грации са кралици в Италия |trans-title=Our Graces are queens in Italy |url=https://www.24chasa.bg/ozhivlenie/article/929242 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=www.24chasa.bg |language=bg}}

In an interview during that time, she was critical of the organization of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Foundation as well as how her daughter's performance was judged at a recurring tournament named after her mother. When asked if she would return to the tournament the next year, she said, "Next year? No way. I won’t allow it. I was kicked out the moment my mother died. The Bulgarian federation kicked me out so that I wouldn’t participate anymore. They are just using my mother’s name as advertising."{{Cite web |title=Интервю с дъщерята на загиналата на 16 март 1978 г. в самолетна катастрофа българска треньорка Жулиета Шишманова |trans-title=Interview with the daughter of Bulgarian coach Julieta Shishmanova, who died in a plane crash on March 16, 1978 |url=http://www.burgasnews.com/nachalo/53-interview/28950-kristina-gyurova-federatziyata-izpolzva-imeto-na-majka-mi-kato-reklama |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228003817/http://www.burgasnews.com/nachalo/53-interview/28950-kristina-gyurova-federatziyata-izpolzva-imeto-na-majka-mi-kato-reklama |archive-date=2013-12-28 |website=Burgas News}} Guiourova also later alleged that her daughter was "not allowed" to compete for Bulgaria and that she was also not well-supported by the Italian federation.{{Cite web |last=Ivanova |first=Kristina |date=2024-04-30 |title=Кристина Гюрова: Майка ми нямаше да може да живее в този свят |trans-title=Kristina Guiourova: My mother would not have been able to live in this world |url=https://bnr.bg/post/101984949 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Bulgarian National Radio |language=bg}}

Cantaluppi began to coach alongside Guiourova after she finished competing. They worked together on choreographing routines, and Guiourova sometimes accompanied their gymnasts, such as Milena Baldassarri and Sofia Raffaeli, to competitions.{{Cite web |last=Krasteva |first=Stanislava |date=2016-04-12 |title=Кристина Гюрова: Милена Балдасари е много изразителна гимнастичка |trans-title=Kristina Gyurova: Milena Baldasari is a very expressive gymnast |url=https://gong.bg/oshte-sport/hudojestvena-gimnastika/kristina-giurova-milena-baldasari-e-mnogo-izrazitelna-gimnastichka-537389 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Gong.bg |language=bg}}{{Cite web |last=Ferrigo |first=Nadia |date=2023-09-21 |title=Caso ritmica, parla Kristina Ghiurova: “Fabriano mi ha cacciata, volevo continuare ad allenare Milena e Sofia ma me l’hanno impedito” |trans-title=Rhythmist, says Kristina Guiurova: “Fabriano kicked me out, I wanted to continue training Milena and Sofia but they prevented me from it” |url=https://www.lastampa.it/sport/2023/09/21/news/caso_ritmica_parla_kristina_ghiurova_fabriano_mi_ha_cacciata_volevo_continuare_ad_allenare_milena_e_sofia_ma_me_lhanno_-13397707/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=La Stampa |language=it}} However, Cantaluppi left Italy to become the head coach of the Israeli national team in 2023, and Guiourova said that she offered to continue coaching their gymnasts and was instead banned from the gym. Guiourova said that she did not support her daughter working for the Israeli federation, but that she supported her daughter and her gymnasts.

{{reflist}}

• {{FIG|bio=63758|lic=840|name=Kristina Guiourova}}
• {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325112527/http://www.rhythmicgymnasticsresults.com/ |title=Rhythmic Gymnastics Results }}

{{NavigationWorldChampionsRhythmicGymnasticsWomenRope}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guiourova, Kristina}}

Category:1959 births

Category:Living people

Category:Gymnasts from Sofia

Category:Bulgarian rhythmic gymnasts

Category:Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

Category:Bulgarian emigrants to Italy