The Bulgarian President Mr. Georgi Parvanov saw off the Bulgarian Olympic delegation for WOG Vancouver 2010 today. Guests at the offical event were Bulgarian minister of sport Mr. Svilen Neikov, president of Bulgarian Ski Federation Mr. Tseko Minev, president of BOC Mrs. Stefka Kostadinova, first Bulgarian medalist from Winther Olympic Games Mr. Ivan Lebanov (cross-country skiing) and first Bulgarian Olympic gold medalist Mrs. Ekaterina Dafovska.

The Bulgarian President Mr. Georgi Parvanov oficially saw off the Bulgarian Olympic delegation for WOG Vancouver 2010, photo © SKI.BG

The Bulgarian President Mr. Georgi Parvanov, The Bulgarian flag holder for WOG Vancouver Alexandra Jekova and the president of BOC Mrs. Stefka Kostadinova, photo © SKI.BG

Bulgarian snowboard princess Alexandra Jekova hold paper-bag with the Bulgarian flag for the XXI Winter Olympic Games Vancouver 2010, photo © SKI.BG

Left to right: biathlonist Martin Bogdanov, Bulgarian minister of sport Mr. Svilen Neikov, snowdoarder Alexandra Jekova, president of Bulgarian Ski Federation Mr. Tseko Minev, Bulgarian president Mr. Georgi Parvanov, president of BOC Mrs. Stefka Kostadinova, skier Maria Kirkova, first Bulgarian medalist from Winther Olympic Games Mr. Ivan Lebanov (cross-country skiing) and first Bulgarian Olympic gold medalist Mrs. Ekaterina Dafovska (biathlon), photo © SKI.BG

The president of BFSki Mr. Tseko Minev, Aleksandra Jekova and the president of BOC Mrs. Stefka Kostadinova, photo © SKI.BG

Bulgarian minister of sport Mr. Svilen Neikov and the president of BOC Mrs. Stefka Kostadinova, photo © SKI.BG

Alexandra Jekova (snowboard) and Maria Kirkova (alpine skiing), photo © SKI.BG

The Bulgarian snowboard star Alexandra Jekova, photo © SKI.BG

The Bulgarian Olympic gold medalist Mrs. Ekaterina Dafovska, photo © SKI.BG

Biathlonist Krasimir Anev, photo © SKI.BG

The Bulgarian biathlon Olympic team, photo © SKI.BG

Alexandra Jekova, photo © SKI.BG

Alexandra Jekova and National Head Coach Mr. Viktor Jekov, photo © SKI.BG

Alexandra Jekova, photo © SKI.BG

Bulgaria delegation departs for Vancouver Olympics

SOFIA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov held the traditional ceremony on Thurday to officially send off the Bulgarian Olympic delegation prior to their leaving for the Vancouver Winter Olympics which is to start on Feb. 12.

Parvanov handed the flag to the president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, Stefka Kostadinova, and Bulgarian flag-bearer and young snowboard star Alexandra Jekova, and gave the wishes for success to all athletes.

The president addressed before the delegation: "This is a traditional ceremony, a ritual that I hope will give you strength, courage and energy to our Olympians."

Bulgaria has performed successfully in many Olympic Games. Young athletes such as Alexandra Jekova could achieve good results this month in Vancouver, according to Parvanov.

"We hope that athletes will meet in a more festive atmosphere after the Games, honoring a truly worthy performance. Good luck," said Parvanov.

Bulgaria is sending 18 athletes in Canada. Bulgaria expects two sport stars to go for medals, Jekova and the short track star Evgenia Radanova.

Jekova, 22, has made 66 World Cup starts with five podium finishes.

Radanova, 32, who will compete in her six Olympics, has one silver and two bronze medals achieved in Salt Lake City and Torino. She was a double short track world champion, seven-time European champion and World record holder as well.

The only Bulgarian Winter Olympic champion was the biathlonist Ekaterina Dafovska 12 years ago. Excluding Radanova's medals, the country has two other bronze medals in biathlon and skiing respectively.

Bulgaria’s Olympic hopes

Bulgaria’s hopes for medals at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games will rest on the shoulders of 18 athletes, the Bulgarian Olympic Committee said on January 27.

According to the final list of names, Bulgaria will send 43 representatives to the 21st Winter Olympic Games, which will be held on February 12–28 2010 in Vancouver. The athletes will compete in six disciplines: short track, snowboard, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, biathlon, and luge.

Of the delegation, only 18 will be athletes, with snowboarders Ivan Ranchev and Radoslav Yankoulov waiting in reserve as they too might get a ticket for the games after a relocation of unused athlete quotas.

The 18 Bulgarian hopefuls will be looked after by 15 coaches and three medics, as well as by seven officials, which will include Stefka Kostadinova, the head of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. Bulgaria’s only Winter Olympic gold medalist Ekaterina Dafovska, who was a surprise winner in the 15km individual biathlon event during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, will travel to Vancouver as Olympic attache.

Overall, Bulgaria will spend a total of 407 000 leva on getting its delegation to the Games. As in previous Olympics, Bulgaria’s highest hopes for a place on the podium will lie with short track veteran Evgenia Radanova, (33), who has a distinguished Olympic record, with a silver and a bronze from the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City and a bronze from the 2006 Games in Torino.

Her World Cup record is even more impressive, including a total of 16 medals, including two gold and four silver. Radanova is also one of the few athletes to have taken part in both Summer and Winter Olympics, appearing in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she was part of Bulgaria’s cycling team.

She is still considered one of the best athletes in her discipline, as evidenced by the bronze medal she won at the 2010 European Championship in Dresden. However, the ever-growing competition, especially from Chinese athletes, and Radanova’s long years spent on the ice might prove too big of a challenge for her to finally win an Olympic gold.

Other than Radanova, Bulgarian eyes will be set on alpine skiers Maria Kirkova, Stefan Georgiev and Kilian Albrecht, the Austrian who holds a Bulgarian passport, and snowboarder Alexandra Zhekova.

According to Radanova, Zhekova could be Bulgaria’s surprise at the Games, much in the same way as Dafovska was in 1998.

The Sofia Echo
Jan 29 2010 09:58 CET