Katrin Yankova Taseva (; born November 24, 1997) is a retired Bulgarian individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2017 European Silver medalist with Ribbon, 2019 Grand-Prix Final All-around bronze medalist, the 2019 World Cup series All-around and Ball winner and the double (2018, 2019) World Cup series Ribbon winner. Taseva had won multiple medals at the European Games and is also the 2018 Bulgarian National Champion and a four-time (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020) Bulgarian National All-around silver medalist.
Personal life Taseva announced her engagement to her partner, Bulgarian pastry chef, Stanislav Sivkov, on her personal Instagram account in December 2022. Her first child, a son called Nikolay, was born in Plovdiv on 9 June 2023. She was previously engaged to Bulgarian wrestler, Nikolai Shterev, who died of COVID-19 in 2020. Taseva sold medals from previous world competitions to help raise money for his hospital care. Her son is named in Shterev's memory. After retiring from rhythmic gymnastics in 2021, she revealed that she gained ten kg. She previously struggled with an eating disorder as a gymnast and was vegetarian to maintain her weight. She resides in Asenovgrad and works as a rhythmic gymnastics coach for children, where she organizes master classes and training camps.
Career Taseva was born in Samokov. A member of the Bulgarian National team since 2010, she appeared in international junior competitions in 2008. Taseva began competing at the 2015 FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Bucharest, Romania and Budapest, Hungary.
2016 season In 2016, Taseva competed in several World Cup and Grand Prix Series. She had her highest placement finishing 9th in the all-around at the 2016 Baku World Cup. She then finished 13th in the all-around at the 2016 European Championships. She was unable to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics as Bulgaria qualified only one individual rhythmic gymnast that went to Neviana Vladinova who earned her Olympic qualifications at the 2015 World Championships.
2017 season In 2017 Season, Taseva made her breakthrough at the 2017 Kyiv Grand Prix where she finished 4th in the all-around and won the gold medal in ball final. She then competed at the 2017 Marbella Grand Prix where she finished 6th in the all-around and qualified to 3 apparatus final. At the 2017 Pesaro World Cup, Taseva finished 5th in the all-around ahead of teammate Neviana Vladinova. She also qualified to all the event finals finishing 4th in hoop, 5th in ball, 6th in ribbon and 8th in clubs. The following week, at the 2017 Tashkent World Cup, Taseva made her World Cup breakthrough, where she won her first all-around medal, a bronze, and in addition, a silver with clubs and a bronze with ball. At the 2017 Sofia World Cup, Taseva won another all-around medal, a silver, behind teammate Neviana Vladinova. In the finals, she also won a bronze with ribbon. At the 2017 European Championships, Taseva, along with Vladinova and the Bulgarian junior group (Maria Spasova, Bilyana Vezirska, Bilyana Pisova, Boyana Gelova and Galateya Gerova) won the team all-around bronze medal, behind Russia and Belarus. In the finals she also won a silver with ribbon and placed fourth with hoop. On August 5–7, Taseva finished 6th in the all-around behind teammate Neviana Vladinova at the 2017 Minsk World Challenge Cup, she qualified in 3 apparatus finals and won finished 6th in ball, 5th in both ribbon, and clubs. On August 11–13, Taseva again finished 6th in the all-around behind Vladinova at the 2017 Kazan World Challenge Cup, she qualified in 3 apparatus finals and finished 6th in ball, 5th in clubs, ribbon. On August 30 - September 3, Taseva and Neviana Vladinova represented in the individual competitions for Bulgaria at the 2017 World Championships in Pesaro, Italy; she placed 8th in qualifications and finished 10th in the all-around final. On November 5–6, Taseva competed at the 2017 Dalia Kutkaite Cup finishing 5th in the all-around.
2018 season In 2018 season, due to Vladinova's injury; Taseva became Bulgaria's leading rhythmic gymnast. She began her season at Baltic Hoop International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament in Riga, Latvia, finishing 3rd in all-around. She won gold with hoop and ribbon at the events finals. On March 17–19, Taseva competed at the 2018 Kyiv Grand Prix where she won the silver medal in the all-around behind Ekaterina Selezneva, she qualified in 3 apparatus finals: taking the silver with ball, ribbon and bronze with clubs. On March March 24–25, Taseva finished 4th in the all-around at the 2018 Thiais Grand Prix behind teammate Boryana Kaleyn. on March 30-April 1, Taseva began the world cup events competing at the 2018 Sofia World Cup finishing 4th in the all-around behind Israel's Linoy Ashram, she qualified in all the finals and bagged individual medals with gold in clubs, silver in hoop, ribbon and bronze in ball. On April 13–15, Taseva won the silver medal in the all-around at the 2018 Pesaro World Cup behind Dina Averina, she qualified to all apparatus finals; taking silver with ribbon, bronze with hoop, clubs and finished 4th in ball. On April 27–29, Taseva competed in a World Challenge Cup event at the 2018 Baku World Cup where she won finished 4th in the all-around behind Belarusian newcomer Anastasiia Salos, she qualified in 2 apparatus finals finishing 4th in ball and 7th in hoop.
2021 season Taseva represented Bulgaria at the 2020 Summer Olympics and finished first in the qualification for the individual all-around, making her the fourth reserve for the all-around final. On August 6, right after her Olympic performance, Katrin announced her retirement from competitive sport on her Instagram profile.
Routine music information YearApparatusMusic title2020/2021HoopEye Of The Tiger by 2CellosBallFallin' by Nicola CavallaroClubsMalagueña by Stanley BlackRibbonA Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) by Fergie ft. Q-Tip, GoonRock2019HoopLovers in Paris by Jacob GurevitschBallElea by Worakls (Jimmy Sax' Rework)ClubsThink by Aretha FranklinRibbonI'll Never Love again (from A Star Is Born) by Lady GagaRibbon (Second)Mayas by Hanine2018Hoop"Camino" by Lili Ivanova / Ivan PeevBall"Epilogue (La La Land)" by Justin HurwitzClubs"Overture (from Jesus Christ Superstar)" by Andrew Lloyd WebberRibbon"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars2017Hoop"La Voce Del Silenzio / Se Bruciasse La Citta" by Massimo Ranieri, Silvia Mezzanotte, Linda ValorBall"The Beauty" by Beloslava (Белослава - Красотата)Clubs (2nd)"Danza Ritual del Fuego" by Paco de Lucía, Carlos MontoyaClubs (1st)"Rozov Kadilak" by Kolio Gilan BandRibbon"Djelem Djelem" by Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra
Competitive highlights (Team competitions in seniors are held only at the World Championships, Europeans and other Continental Games.)
International: Senior Year EventAATeamHoopBallClubsRibbon2021Olympic Games14th (Q)European Championships 7th4th6th7th5th5th2019World Cup Kazan3rd5th5th7th4thEuropean Games6th11th (Q)2nd4th3rdGrand Prix Brno3rd4th2nd2nd3rdGrand Prix Holon6th3rd6th1st European Championships3rd7th4th8thWorld Cup Sofia3rd6th2nd2nd2ndWorld Cup Pesaro5th6th4th18th (Q)2nd2018World Championships6th2nd7th8th8thKazan World Cup5th4th4th7th4thWorld Cup Minsk5th4th4th7thWorld Cup Baku4th7th4th2ndWorld Cup Pesaro2nd3rd4th3rd2ndWorld Cup Sofia4th2nd3rd1st2ndGrand Prix Thiais4th3rdGrand Prix Kyiv2nd2nd3rd2ndBaltic Hoop3rd1st1st2017Dalia Kutkaite Cup5thWorld Championships10thWorld Cup Kazan6th6th5th5thWorld Cup Minsk6th6th5th5thEuropean Championships3rd4th2ndWorld Cup Sofia2nd4th7th3rdWorld Cup Tashkent3rd4th3rd2nd5thWorld Cup Pesaro5th4th5th8th6thGrand Prix Marbella6thGrand Prix Kyiv4th1st2016European Championships13thWorld Cup Baku9th National Year EventAATeamHoopBallClubsRibbon2020Bulgarian Championships2nd3rd3rd1st8th2019Bulgarian Championships2nd3rd1st2nd2nd2018Bulgarian Championships1st2nd2nd1st1st2017Bulgarian Championships2nd8th2nd1st2nd2016Bulgarian Championships2nd Q = Qualifications (Did not advance to Event Final due to the 2 gymnast per country rule, only Top 8 highest score); WR = World Record; WD = Withdrew; NT = No Team Competition; OC = Out of Competition(competed but scores not counted for qualifications/results)
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