The second half of one of he most
renowned rhythmic "power duos" of the 1990s, Diana
Popova never seemed to resent her table-setting role. As the
supporting player to Maria Petrova, Popova quietly
built a reputation as a clean, consistent, level-headed athlete
who chose to demonstrate both style and substance in her
exercises.
Born in Plovdiv on
October 12, 1976, Popova, like all of the Bulgarian
greats, started training at an early age. Her cool
demeanor made her a favorite of coaches, who
cultivated her stylishness and deep sense of
musicality.
Popova's first top
finish came in the 1992 Olympics. Despite two drops
of the clubs, the brunette beauty finished 7th in the
all-around. A couple of months later she moved up a
notch at the World Championships in Brussels, where
she also stole a bronze on clubs. But in 1993, the
17-year-old surprised the gymnastics world by
retiring, citing exhaustion.
Eschewing the modeling
jobs she had been offered, Popova returned to
competition in 1994 and proved that she was still as
strong as ever with her 8th-place finish at the World
Championships. She finished 7th in 1995, and took
home 5 medals (including the all-around bronze) at
that year's World University Games. A successful
season in 1996 included medals at the World
Championships and several Grand Prix events. But at
the Olympics, a couple of small mistakes in the
semifinal round dropped Popova to 11th--and denied
her the chance to compete in her second Olympic
final.
Even though she never scored a
major international title, Diana Popova won herself a legion of
dedicated fans who thrilled to her every liquid body wave. She is
best know for her stunningly choreographed clubs exercise to
Ravel's Bolero, as well as her intense ball to The Four Seasons
by Vivaldi-- which included her trademark catch of the apparatus
between stomach and thighs while in a backspin.
After her retirement in 1996,
Popova married the son of famed Bulgarian coach Julieta
Shishmanova. Popova has since relocated to Italy, where she
accepted a coaching position with the national team.
Some have alleged that Popova was
not given her due by the Bulgarian Federation, instead having
been used to further the career of teammate and best friend
Petrova. But Diana herself has never supported this opinion. She
remains one of the most affectionately remembered gymnasts, the
uncommon athlete who showed equal grace on and off the
competition floor.
| Popova was
born on October 12, 1976. |
Interested in RSG? If so,
consider joining Rhythmic Gymnastics World, a monthly e-mail
newsletter containing the latest news briefs, competition
results, gymnast profiles, interviews, editorials, guest
opinions, and other features. To subscribe, send an e-mail to RGWorld@aol.com; include the word "subscribe"
in the subject line, and also include your name and country of
residence (for demographic purposes only) in the body text.
© 1999-2002. This page was created on July
3rd, 1999.
| 