{{short description|Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast}} {{BLP sources|date=April 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Family name hatnote|Raycheva|Raeva-Sirakova|lang=Bulgarian}} {{Infobox gymnast | name = Iliana Raeva | image = Iliyana raeva.jpg | imagesize = | caption = Raeva in 2014 | fullname = Iliana Raycheva Raeva-Sirakova | altname = Iliana Raycheva Raeva | nickname = | country = {{flag|Bulgaria|1971}} | formercountry = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|03|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Sofia, Bulgaria | hometown = | residence = | death_date = | death_place = | height = | discipline = RG | level = | natlteam = 1978–1983 | club = Levski-Spartak | gym = | collegeteam = | headcoach = Neshka Robeva | assistcoach = Zlatka Bontcheva | formercoach = | choreographer = | music = | eponymousskills = | retired = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = <!-- see Template:MedalRelatedTemplates --> {{MedalCountry | {{flag|Bulgaria|1971}} }} {{MedalCompetition | World Championships}} {{MedalGold | 1979 London|Clubs}} {{MedalSilver| 1979 London|Ball}} {{MedalSilver| 1981 Munich|All-around}} {{MedalSilver| 1981 Munich|Hoop}} {{MedalSilver| 1981 Munich|Ribbon}} {{MedalBronze| 1981 Munich|Rope}} {{MedalCompetition | European Championships}} {{MedalGold|1980 Amsterdam|All-around}} {{MedalGold|1980 Amsterdam|Rope}} {{MedalGold|1980 Amsterdam|Hoop}} {{MedalGold|1980 Amsterdam|Clubs}} {{MedalSilver|1980 Amsterdam|Ribbon}} {{MedalSilver|1982 Stavanger|Rope}} {{MedalBronze|1982 Stavanger|All-around}} {{MedalBronze|1982 Stavanger|Hoop}} {{MedalBronze|1982 Stavanger|Clubs}} {{MedalBronze|1982 Stavanger|Ribbon}} {{MedalCompetition | World Cup Final}} {{MedalSilver|1983 Belgrade|Clubs}} {{MedalSilver|1983 Belgrade|Hoop}} {{MedalBronze|1983 Belgrade|Ball}} }} '''Iliana Raycheva Raeva-Sirakova''' ({{nee|'''Raeva'''}}; {{langx|bg|Илиана Райчева Раева-Сиракова}}; born 15 March 1963) is a Bulgarian gymnast who competed in modern rhythmic gymnastics for her country from 1978 to 1983 . She was one of the Golden Girls of Bulgaria that dominated Rhythmic Gymnastics in 1980s.

== Biography== 220px|thumbnail|left She was born on 15 March 1963 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She was raised in Sofia, on the same street as fellow gymnasts Lilia Ignatova and Anelia Ralenkova, who also competed for the same Levski gymnastics club. Iliana was the recognized leader, both in their street games and in the team, who started learning gymnastics ABC under the clever and experienced eyes of the coach Zlatka Bontcheva in "Levski-Spartak " club, Sofia. At 15 Iliana went on to train under Neshka Robeva who had joined the club shortly before.

In March 1978 she was supposed to fly to Poland for a tournament, but missed a flight due to falling ill the day before. The plane crashed in undisclosed circumstances and to this day remains the deadliest plane crash in Bulgaria.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.168chasa.bg/article/11192612 |title=16 март 1978 г.: Как Илияна Раева не се качи в самолета за Полша и оцеля, а 66 спортисти загинаха |publisher=168chasa.bg | language=bg| access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref>

She placed sixth at her first European Championships in 1978 at the age of 16, and was 4th in the all round competition at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships where she won the gold medal for clubs, and the silver for ball. Raeva won her first all around gold at the 1980 Julieta Shishmanova Cup, and went on to dominate the European Championships in Amsterdam, winning the all around gold medal, gold for rope, hoop and clubs, and placing silver with the ribbon.

Iliana's first "great day" was in London, at the 1979 World Championships, when she shared the gold for the clubs routine together with the AA champion Irina Deriugina of (USSR) and Daniella Boshanska (CZE). One year later, at the 1980 European Championships in Amsterdam, Raeva swept the gold in the all around, rope, hoop and clubs.

She claimed all around silver at the 1981 World Championships, and tied with teammate Ignatova for the silver, one tenth of a point behind the winner Ralenkova. She won silver for hoop and ribbon, and bronze for the rope. She was third at the 1982 European Championships, picking up bronze in each apparatus final.

She relied on style and artistry, rather than excessively complex moves, with her 1980 ribbon routine to Zorba the Greek and clubs routine to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, which remain outstanding examples of the sport.

After retiring from active competition she married Bulgarian World Cup footballer Nasko Sirakov,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=44131 |title=Pioneer Sport & Lifestyle Mag Launched in Bulgaria |date=31 January 2005 |work=Novinite.com |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012130206/http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=44131 |archivedate=12 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and now runs her own gymnastics club "Iliana" in Bulgaria. In 1999, she became the Head of the Council of Coaches in the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation. She led the Bulgarian team in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. She was the coach of the Bulgarian Group, which won the bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

In 2012, she took over the management of the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.<ref>{{cite web|title=ПРЕДСЕДАТЕЛИ НА БФХГ |url= https://www.fbgr.org/istoriya-na-bfhg |publisher=BRGF|accessdate=13 January 2025|language=Bulgarian}}</ref> With Raeva at the helm, the Bulgarian team won a bronze medal for the second time<ref>{{cite web|title=Българският ансамбъл спечели бронзов медал и трето отличие за страната от игрите в Рио |url= https://bnt.bg/bg/a/balgarskiyat-ansambal-specheli-bronzov-medal|publisher=BNT|date=21 August 2016|accessdate=13 January 2025|language=Bulgarian}}</ref> and its first absolute Olympic title<ref>{{cite web|title=Златни български момичета!|url= https://bnr.bg/tokyo2020/post/101509968/zlatni-balgarski-momicheta|publisher=BNR|date=8 August 2021|accessdate=13 January 2025|language=Bulgarian}}</ref> in the ensembles, as well as a vice-Olympic title in the individual competition for the second time in history.<ref>{{cite web|title= Боряна Калейн завоюва сребърен медал в многобоя на Игрите в Париж, донесе седмо отличие на България от Олимпиадата |url= https://www.bta.bg/bg/news/sport/723643-boryana-kaleyn-specheli-srebaren-medal-v-mnogoboya-na-igrite-v-parizh-donese-se |publisher=BNR|date=9 August 2024|accessdate=13 January 2025|language=Bulgarian}}</ref> In October 2024, she was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term as president of the federation.<ref>{{cite web|title= Илиана Раева беше преизбрана за президент на БФХГ|url=https://bntnews.bg/news/iliana-raeva-beshe-preizbrana-za-prezident-na-bfhg-1295941news.html |publisher=BNT|date=7 October 2024|accessdate=13 January 2025|language=Bulgarian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= Илиана Раева беше преизбрана за шеф на федерацията по гимнастика|url=https://gong.bg/oshte-sport/drugi-sportove/multimedia/video/iliana-raeva-beshe-preizbrana-za-shef-na-federaciiata-po-gimnastika-812446|publisher=Gong|date=7 October 2024|accessdate=13 January 2025|language=Bulgarian}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{FIG|bio=17602|lic=845|name=Iliana Raeva}} * [http://www.nsa.bg/en/faculty/department/branch,48/subpage,93 NSA Bulgarian gymnasts]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raeva, Iliana}} Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Bulgarian rhythmic gymnasts Category:Gymnasts from Sofia Category:Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Category:Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships