Mariya Mateva

Mariya Mateva is a former Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast. She represented her country at international level.

Personal life

Born in Burgas, Bulgaria, her hobbies are music, painting. Mateva speaks Bulgarian and English.

Career

Junior

Mateva first big competition was the 2008 [Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships|2008 Junior European Championship] in Turin, where she performed with ribbon, ending 4th in the apparatus final.

Senior

Mariya competed at the 2010 [World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships|2010 World Championship] in Moscow, where she performed with rope and ribbon not advancing to any final and taking 7th place in the team competition.
2014 saw her performing at the 2014 FIG [Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series|World Cup] in Sofia, reaching the 9th place in the clubs' final, the European Championship where she was 11th in the All-Around, and the World Championship helping Bulgaria to finish 7th in the team final and she reached the 14th place in the All-Around final.
Mateva competed in three 2015 FIG Rhythmic [Gymnastics World Cup series|World Cup] stages in 2015, Pesaro where she ending the All-Around in 19th, Tashkent where she was 4th in the ball final, and Lisbon finishing 6th with hoop and with clubs, before the European Championship in Minsk where she didn't reach any final and was 10th with the team. She was then selected to compete at the 1st European Games in Baku along Neviana Vladinova, where she didn't reach finals and was 17th in the All-Around. In September she took part in the World Championship finishing 24th in the All-Around and 7th in the team competition.
Scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, lead to her being dropped from the Bulgarian squad in February 2016 by national coach Efrosina Angelova taking her by surprise and making it her official retirement from the sport.