Bulgarian team for Athens

Sofia, BulgariaAlthough there could well be late additions to the team the selected Bulgarian squad for Athens at present reads as follows:

MEN

ILIYAN EFREMOV (POLE VAULT)
Born 02.08.1970 in Sofia. “AC “Levski”. Coach Miladin Parvanov (2.15 HJ). PB 5.70 (1998) & 5.70i (1998). Made 5.75 at Ostrava’s  square on 12 June 2003. Balkan champion four times. Single. Other pb: HJ 190; 110 m h 14.62. Best result in 2004: 565 outdoors and 5.73 indoors.

SPAS BUKHALOV (POLE VAULT)
Born 14.11.1980 in Plovdiv. “Trakia 96 Plovdiv. Coach Angel Lafchiev. Pb 5.70 (2003 & 2004) and 5.51 ind (2003). Balkan champion indoors 2003. Single.

PETAR DACHEV (LONG JUMP)
Born 15.06.1979 in Troyan. “CSKA”. Coach Lilyana Moneva Videva – 183 HJ). 1st at WCj in Annecy ’98 (8.14). Third at EC Budapest ’98. 11th at Oly ’00 Sydney. 1st ECi ’00. 3d at Eci ’02. 7th at WCi ’03. Pb 8.30 (2000) & 8.27 indoors (2002). Other pbs 100 m 10.58 (99). Sb 8.20. Single. His sister Petya Dacheva has 13.26 at TJ (2003). SB in 2004 – 8.20.

NIKOLAY ATANASOV (LONG JUMP)
Born 11.12.1974 in Botevgrad. “Lokomotiv” Plovdiv. Coach Atanas Atanasov (8.31 record in 1984). His father Atanas Atanasov (what a coincidence!) was Bulgarian record holder at 800 m (1:48.6) and 1500 m (3:40.6) from 1972 and Balkan champion 1968 &69 at 1500. Pb 8.31 (2003) /equaled his coach’s best/. Other pbs: 100m 10.56 (2003); 200 21.34 (98); 400 47.42 (97); TJ 15.40 (02); HJ 200 (98). Married, with a son – Aleksandar. SB in 2004 – 8.14.

IVAYLO RUSENOV (TRIPLE JUMP)
Born 09.09.1979 in Pleven. “Lokomotiv” Plovdiv. Coach Stoyko Tsonov (17.02 TJ ’96). Second WCj ’98 in Annecy. 8th at EC U23 in Amsterdam 2001. Pbs 17.02 (2003) & 17.12w (2003); LJ 795 (2003). Single. His younger brother Atanas Rusenov (1981) was Balkan Junior Champion at LJ in 2000 and has pb 8.06 (2004). SB in 2004 – 16.80.

MOMCHIL KARAILIEV (TRIPLE JUMP)
Born 21.05.1982 in Sliven. “ASC Sliven”. Coach Atanas Ivanov (219 HJ). Fourth at EC U23 at TJ. Pb 17.16 (2004)& LJ 749 (2003). Single.

GALIN KOSTADINOV (SHOT PUT)
Born 25.12.1979 in Dobrich. First coach – Vasil Donev, now coached by Ivan Petrov. Third at CE in Plovdiv 2004 with 19.46. Two days later for the first time he putted the shot over 20 m – 20.02m. Not married.

WOMEN

IVET LALOVA (100 & 200m)
Born 18 May 1984 in Sofiya. “Levski” Sofiya. Coach Konstantin Milanov. Her father Miroslav Lalov was national sprinter with 10.4 at sixties. Double European Junior Champion in Tampere at 100 & 200 m. Sensational break of national record at 100 m in Plovdiv with 10.77 (seventh in the world for all time). Best at 200 m 22.51(plus 22.36 windy) also in 2004. Single.

MONIKA GACHEVSKA (100m / 200m)
Born in Pleven on 30 January 1974. First coach Penko Kozarski. Since 1993 coached by Khristo Stoyanov. Twice Balkan champion at 200 m. National champion at 100 m (3 times) and at 200 m (6 times). Participant at 200 m at Olympic games Atlanta 1996 & Sydney 2000. Pbs: At 100 m 11.30 (1996), at 200 m 22.73 (2004) and at 400 m 53.20 (2004). And indoors: 60 m 7.42 (1998) & 200 m 23.43 (1999).

MARIYANA DIMITROVA (400 & 400 m H)
Born 29.07.1982 in Sliven. “Akademik Sofiya”. Coach Khristo Stoyanov. Pbs: 100 11.56, 200 23.22 (22.95w) 2004; 400 51.20 (2004); 400 h 56.33 (2004). Single. Balkan champion at 400 m for 2004.

DANIELA YORDANOVA (1500m)
Born in Slivnitsa on 08 March 1972. Caoch Dimitar Vasilev. Single. Club – “Cherno more Athletic” Varna. Fifth at EC indoors in Gent 2000 at 3000 m with national record (8:47.45). Tenth at Olympiade 2000 Sydney at 5000 m with national record (14:56.95). Fifth at 1500 m in Lisboa at the WC indoors 2001. Seventh at WC Paris 2003 at 1500 m. Fifth at EC Munich 2002 at 1500 m. Fourth at WC indoors in Budapest 2004 at 1500 m. Personal bests: 800 m 2:03.02 (2001), 1500 m 4:00.65 (2001), 3000 m (8:30.59) and 5000 m (14:56.95) – at 3000 & 5000 m – still national records.

SVETLA DIMITROVA-PISHTIKOVA (100m H)
Born 27.01.1970 in Botevgrad. “Elit Vratsa”. Coach – her husband Iliyan Pishtikov (with son Christian) born 1995. Twice first at WCj (’86 & ’88) at hepthathlon. Disqualified (dope offence for sydnocarp) at EC multiple in Helmond 1989 when made world junior record at Hep (6534). Returned 1992 with national Hep record (6658). Fifth Oly ’92 at Hep. Fourth at WC’93 at Hep. Double European Champion at 100 m hurdles 1994 & 1998. Second at WC ’97 100 m h. Fifth at WC ’99 (100 h) and fourth at WC ’01 with the time equal with the bronz medalist. Eight at EC ’02 (100 h). Pbs: 200 m 23.10 &23.06w; 800 m 2:07.90; 100 m h 12.36; 400 m h 59.07; HJ 188; LJ 664; SP 15.50; JT 49.18; Hep 6658. Second at GP overall 1994. SB in 2004 – 13.23.

VENELINA VENEVA (HIGH JUMP)
Born 13.06.1974 in Ruse. “Elit Vratsa”. Coach Georgi Dimitrov. Has made 1.93 at 15y 8m 11d in Dobrich on 24.02.1990. Second ECj ’91 at HJ. Fifth at EC ’98. Fourth ECi 2000. Ninth at Oly ’00. At WCi ’01 third. Fourth at WC Edmonton 2001. Pb 204 (2000) & 202i (2002). Other pbs: TJ 12.51; LJ 6.17i (1990). Her older sister Kremena was inaugural Bulgarian TJ recordholder with 12.11i (1990). Married with a daughter Neapola. SB in 2004 – 2.01.

TANYA STEFANOVA (ex KOLEVA) (POLE VAULT)
Born 08.03.1972 in Plovdiv. “Trakia 96 Plovdiv”. Coached by Iva Prandzheva (6.90i LJ& 15.18 TJ). Was in bulgarian female football team in 1991-93 – central defender. The furst bularian over 4.00 m at PV. National recordholder outdoors 4.45 (2003) & indoors 4.40 (2001&03). 20th at WCi ’99. Fifth at WCi ’01. Sixth at WCi ’03. Devorced (ex-husband Desislav Kolev (2.18 HJ ’88). Best in 2004 – 4.40 (and 4.46 on market square).

ANTONIYA YORDANOVA (LONG JUMP). Born in Kyustendil on 07 August 1976. Coached by Atanas Atanasov (LJ 8.31 from 1984). “Lokomotiv Plovdiv”. Divorced. Seventh at Junior EC in Nyiredyhasa at Hepthathlon. Eighth at Ec indoors in Wien 2002. Pb at LJ 6.78 (1994). Winner at EC Group A in Plovidiv 2004. At TJ 13.51 (2003) & 13.64w (2003). Other pbs: 100 m 14.41, 200 m 24.42, HJ 176.

MARIYA DIMITROVA (TRIPLE JUMP)
Born 07.08.1976 in Pleven. “Bononia Vidin”. Coach Valeri Tsvetkov (Bulgarian recordholder at HJ 2.19 ’79). Pb 14.52 (2004). Other pbs: LJ 6.39 (’04) & HJ 179. Single.

ANELIYA YORDANOVA-KUMANOVA (SHOT PUT)
Born 27.04.1972 in Mezdra. “AC Levski”. Coach Kharalampi Georgiev. Bulgarian recordholder at HT 65.35 (’00). Pb at SP 18.38 (2003). Other pb: DT 54.02 (’95). Married – her husband was at the time national wrestling competitor. SB in 2004 – 16.75.

TSVETANKA KHRISTOVA (DISCUS)
Born in Kazanlak on 14 March 1962. First coach was Sofiya Peeva. From 1977 to 1997 coached by Peter Rakhmanliev. Since 2000 coached herself. Khristova also is coaching the best Bulgarian discus thrower at the moment Encho Shterev (57.79). World champion in Tokio 1991. Second at OG in Barcelona and third at OG in Seoul 1988 at discus throwing. Third at WC in Roma 1987. European champion in Athens 1982 and winner of silver medal four years later at EC in Stuttgart 1986. Ten times Bulgarian champion at discus throwing. Has 14 contests with result of 70 m and more. Four times bate Bulgarian discus record. Pb: 73.22 (1987) – still remains Bulgarian national record holder. Married, with one son.

KHRISTINA GEORGIEVA (JAVELIN THROW)
Born in Sofiya on 03 January 1972. Her mother Mariya Chorbova was third at SP at EC indoors in Prague 1967. Balkan champion in 1999 & 2000. Bulgarian record holder with 63.22 from 2000. Coached by Delcho Karamarinov (the son of Dobromir Karamarinov). Best in 2004 – 62.32. Threw also 62.30 at CE in Plovdiv. Single.

NEVENA MINEVA (20 KM WALK)
Born in Gabrovo on 14 June 1972. Coached by her father Minyo Minev. Bulgarian record holder at 5 km (22:39) 10 km (46:04) & 20 km (1:32:11) at road. Twelfth at WC 2001 in Edmonton. Married, with one daughter. Best in 2004 – 1:43:28.