Rhythmic gymnast Kaleyn stays the course despite tough breaks

LONDON : Eleven years ago, at her first junior world cup event in Romania, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast Boryana Kaleyn broke her left leg while performing her ball routine to the tune of 'Memory' from the musical 'Cats'.

Rhythmic gymnasts may look delicate as they slip gracefully through hoops and catch clubs while doing the splits in the air but under the glittery leotards often lie the scars of serious injuries.

In Kaleyn's case, the 2013 setback was not to be her last leg break but she is nothing if not determined and will travel to Paris for her second Olympics with a genuine chance at a medal.

"I stepped abnormally from a jump and started to feel the pain," the 23-year-old said, recalling the incident.

"I told my coach it wasn't too painful and I felt well enough to compete but afterwards it got worse."

An X-Ray soon confirmed that Kaleyn had suffered a bad break and had to be rushed to hospital for surgery.

"It was a very hard moment," she told Reuters. "When my mother told me to stop, that I had to be healthy, I said 'no, I will be the best gymnast; you'll see'."

She would go on to break her right leg in 2014 and her left leg again in 2016.

"It was easier for me the second and third times because I knew I could go through it," said Kaleyn.

"I just love this sport. It's my life, really. I had three surgeries but I never stopped loving rhythmic gymnastics. I really hope at the Olympics in Paris I'm as successful as the (Bulgarian) team in Tokyo."

Bulgaria, which has medalled five times at the Olympics, won gold in the group all-around event at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Kaleyn started training when she was about six with Mariana Pamukova at the Levski-Triaditza club in Sofia and they have worked together for nearly 18