Her twin sister Kamelia, was the pole player of the Bulgarian group exercise and became World Champion with the team in 1981.

Ignatova was born in Sofia on 17 May 1965 and was part of the "golden girl" generation which dominated the sport in the early eighties.

She repeated this feat at the 1981 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, winning additional golds for rope and hoop and silver for clubs.

Her routines combined a high degree of difficulty, such as a backward shoulder roll with a circling ribbon, with choreography set to a wide variety of modern and classical music.

She gradually transformed her performing style, starting from dynamic, playful routines and finishing with brilliant pieces of art as "Ave Maria", with the ball 1986, to the violin accompaniment of the famous Mintcho Mintchev.