Simona Peycheva

Peycheva has a son born in 2009 named Alexei.{{Cite web |last=Димитрова |first=Светла |date=7 June 2009 |title=Симона Пейчева роди момченце |trans-title=Simona Peycheva gave birth to a baby boy |url=https://topsport.bg/other-side/simona-peycheva-rodi-momchentse.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Topsport.bg |language=bulgarian}}

Peycheva began artistic gymnastics in kindergarten after being selected by a coach. She later switched to rhythmic gymnastics and began training with Marieta Dukova. In 2000, she won the Bulgarian senior all-around title.{{Cite magazine |last=Turner |first=Amanda |date=March 2002 |title=Hoop Dreams |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/214007168/58D8F7A2AFF44A01PQ/4 |access-date=2025-04-08 |magazine=International Gymnast |volume=44 |issue=3}}

In 2001, she won bronze at the 2001 Goodwill Games behind Irina Tchachina and Alina Kabaeva. After Tchachina and Kabaeva were stripped of their placements at the 2001 World Championships for positive doping tests,{{Cite web |title=Ukrainian gymnast banned two months for doping offense |url=https://a.espncdn.com/oly/news/2002/1030/1453109.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=ESPN}} Peycheva won a total of six medals there: three gold (hoop, ball, and clubs), two silver (all-around and rope), and one bronze (team).{{Cite news |last=Krasimirov |first=Angel |date=7 February 2008 |title=Simona Peycheva fighting back from spinal surgery |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-gymnastics-peycheva/simona-peycheva-fighting-back-from-spinal-surgery-idUSL043578020080208 |access-date=2022-02-26}} She received a good reaction from the crowd, which Peycheva attributed to Bulgarian gymnastics emphasizing musicality and emotions when creating routines.

Peycheva competed on the Rhythmic Gymnastics Grand Prix in 2002 and won silver in rope and bronze in hoop and clubs at the Moscow stage. She also won three more bronze medals at the World Cup also held in Moscow.{{Cite magazine |last=Crumlish |first=John |date=May 2002 |title=All around the world |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/214005927/E381910E4253415BPQ/2 |access-date=2025-04-08 |magazine=International Gymnastics |volume=44 |issue=5}} Although Peycheva broke her foot in June, she continued to compete. That November, she won bronze in the all-around at the Grand Prix held in Holon.{{Cite magazine |last=Crumlish |first=John |date=January 2003 |title=All around the world |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/213999413/E381910E4253415BPQ/5 |access-date=2025-04-08 |magazine=International Gymnastics |volume=45 |issue=1}} Later in the month, she won two gold medals in ball and clubs and a silver in rope at the World Cup Final in Stuttgart.

The next year, she competed at the 2003 European Championships, where she won bronze with clubs. She tested positive for diuretics in an out-of-competition doping test and withdrew from the 2003 World Championships. A new medal ceremony was held there for the medals being redistributed from the 2001 World Championships, but Peycheva declined to participate, although she was present.{{Cite magazine |last=Turner |first=Amanda |date=November 2003 |title=Case closed |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/214005325/E381910E4253415BPQ/8s |access-date=2025-04-08 |magazine=International Gymnast |volume=45 |issue=11}} She did not feel comfortable receiving the new gold medals, and she gave one to Tchachina, returned one to Kabaeva, and kept one for herself.{{Cite web |date=28 November 2024 |title=Симона Пейчева пред БНТ: Не можах да приема тези златни медали за свои |trans-title=Simona Peycheva to BNT: I could not accept these gold medals as mine |url=https://bntnews.bg/news/simona-peicheva-pred-bnt-ne-mozhah-da-priema-tezi-zlatni-medali-za-svoi-1302604news.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Bulgarian National Television |language=bg}} In November, she had surgery on her foot, which required a bone graft.{{Cite web |last=Momova |first=Bistra |date=29 February 2020 |title=Симона Пейчева: Ако свикнеш, че когато има болка, можеш да си починеш, никога няма да надскочиш себе си |trans-title=Simona Peycheva: If you get used to the fact that when there is pain, you can rest, you will never surpass yourself |url=https://ladyzone.bg/laifstail/lica/simona-pejcheva-ako-sviknesh-che-kogato-ima-bolka-mozhesh-da-si-pochinesh-nikoga-njama-da-nadskochish-sebe-si-video.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Ladyzone.bg |language=bg}}

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she placed 6th in the final with a total score of 101.050. Peycheva dropped her ribbon, but she said of her performance, "I think that even if my program was perfect I would have been in the same position in the final ranking."{{Cite magazine |last=Atkinson|first=Vera |date=October 2004 |title=Harmony Itself |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/214008428/E381910E4253415BPQ/7 |access-date=2025-04-08 |magazine=International Gymnastics |volume=46 |issue=10}}

Peycheva stopped training for three months in 2005 and planned to retire. However, her coach, Dukova, persuaded her to return.

Peycheva began to suffer severe back pain before the 2007 World Championships; although she received painkillers, she could not train for a week before the competition due to the pain. Afterward, she went to Germany for surgery on her spine.

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, she finished 10th. It was her last competition, and she officially ended her career in December.

After her retirement from competition, Peycheva began a career as a television host.{{Cite news |date=27 October 2020 |title=Симона Пейчева отново на екран от 1 ноември - Българска национална телевизия |trans-title=Simona Peycheva back on screen starting November 1 |url=https://bnt.bg/news/simona-peicheva-otnovo-na-ekran-ot-1-noemvri-285210news.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241104214137/https://bnt.bg/news/simona-peicheva-otnovo-na-ekran-ot-1-noemvri-285210news.html |archive-date=2024-11-04 |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=Bulgarian National Television |language=bg}} She briefly returned to competing in 2013 and won an internal control training, although she had conflicts with the Bulgarian federation.{{Cite web |last= |date=15 October 2013 |title=Симона Пейчева се приближава към националния отбор |trans-title=Simona Peycheva is approaching the national team |url=https://blitz.bg/sport/sport/simona-peycheva-se-priblizhava-km-natsionalniya-otbor_199022.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Blitz.bg/sport |language=bulgarian}} In early 2014, she announced her second retirement.{{Cite web |last=Georgiev |first=Moni |date=22 January 2014 |title=Доказах на себе си, че мога |trans-title=I proved to myself that I could |url=https://duma.bg/?go=news&p=detail&nodeId=70359 |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=duma.bg}} Peycheva also founded her own gymnastics club in 2009, where she coaches, and began to run the "Simona Cup" in 2010.

{{Reflist}}

• {{FIG|bio=17636|lic=1928|name=Simona Peycheva}}
• [http://www.magicalaction.com/Gymnasts/Index.php?gymnast=Simona+Peycheva Simona Peycheva] at Magical Action
• {{Olympics.com|simona-peycheva|org_archive=20160924214400}}
• {{Olympedia}}
• {{Instagram|simonapeycheva}}

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Category:1985 births

Category:Living people

Category:Bulgarian rhythmic gymnasts

Category:Gymnasts at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Category:Gymnasts at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic gymnasts for Bulgaria

Category:Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

Category:Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships

Category:Competitors at the 2001 Goodwill Games

Category:Goodwill Games medalists in gymnastics

Category:Doping cases in gymnastics