Team Bulgaria - Profile

Highlights:

@ PYEONGCHANG 2018
Bulgaria competed with a team of 20 athletes (11 men, 9 women) across six sports - Alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, luge, ski jumping, and snowboarding. Its best finish was sixth by Aleksandra Zhekova in women's snowboard cross. Vladi Zografski had the best finish by a Bulgarian man in the normal hill ski jumping, where he placed 14th.

PYEONGCHANG 2018 FLAGBEARERS
Opening Ceremony: Rado Yankov (SBD)
Closing Ceremony: Yordan Chuchuganov (CCS)

OLYMPIC GAMES HISTORY
The National Olympic Committee of Bulgaria was formed in 1923 and IOC recognition followed the next year. Bulgaria first competed at the Olympic Games in 1924, and it has since missed only the Olympic Games of 1932, 1948, and 1984.

Bulgaria first competed at the Olympic Winter Games in 1936 and it has participated at every edition since, making 20 appearances in all. It has been represented by 191 Winter Olympians (147 men, 44 women), competing in 11 of the current 15 disciplines. Bulgaria has not yet competed in curling, freestyle skiing, skeleton, and speed skating.

Bulgarian Winter Olympians have won six medals, including one gold medal. Evgeniya Radanova has been its greatest Winter Olympian, winning three medals in short track speed skating (2002, 2006), with two silvers in the 500m and a bronze in the 1500m (2002). Biathlete Ekaterina Dafovska has won the only Bulgarian gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games with victory in the women's 15km individual at Nagano 1998. Ivan Lebanov won the first Olympic Winter medal for Bulgaria at Lake Placid 1980 when he won bronze in the 30km cross-country skiing. Its other medal was a bronze by Irina Nikulchina in the 10km biathlon pursuit (2002).

Bulgaria has had its greatest successes in strength sports, mainly weightlifting and wrestling. Bulgaria has won 230 Olympic medals, 55 of them gold. Shooter Mariya Grozdeva has won the most Olympic medals for Bulgaria, with five in total (two gold).

MILESTONES

First Competitor, Female: Mariya Dimova (28 January 1956) - 1956 - Cross-Country Skiing (10km) - 34th
First Competitor, Male: Borislav Yordanov (7 February 1936) - 1936 - Alpine Skiing (Combined) - DNF, Asen Tsankov - DNF

Youngest Competitor, Female: Viktoriya Dimitrova (15y-252d) - 1992 - Figure Skating (Singles) - 17th
Youngest Competitor, Male: Petar Fartunov (16y-252d) - 2006 - Ski Jumping (Normal Hill Individual) - 64th

Oldest Competitor, Female: Teodora Pencheva (35y-229d) - 2018 - Snowboarding (Parallel Giant Slalom) - 27th
Oldest Competitor, Male: Kilian Albrecht (36y-319d) - 2010 - Alpine Skiing (Slalom) - 20th

First Medallist, Female: Ekaterina Dafovska (9 February 1998) - 1998 - Biathlon (15km) - Gold
First Medallist, Male: Ivan Lebanov (14 February 1980) - 1980 - Cross-Country Skiing (30km) - Bronze

First Gold Medallist, Female: Ekaterina Dafovska (9 February 1998) - 1998 - Biathlon (15km) - Gold

Youngest Medallist, Female: Ekaterina Dafovska (22y-074d) - 1998 - Biathlon (15km) - Gold
Youngest Medallist, Male: Ivan Lebanov (22y-066d) - 1980 - Cross-Country Skiing (30km) - Bronze

Youngest Gold Medallist, Female: Ekaterina Dafovska (22y-074d) - 1998 - Biathlon (15km) - Gold

Oldest Medallist, Female: Evgeniya Radanova (28y-102d) - 2006 - Short Track Speed Skating (500m) - Silver
Oldest Medallist, Male: Ivan Lebanov (22y-066d) - 1980 - Cross-Country Skiing (30km) - Bronze

Oldest Gold Medallist, Female: Ekaterina Dafovska (22y-074d) - 1998 - Biathlon (15km) - Gold

Most Medals, Female: Evgeniya Radanova (3 | 0-2-1) - Short Track Speed Skating
Most Medals, Male: Ivan Lebanov (1 | 0-0-1) - Cross-Country Skiing

Most Gold Medals, Female: Ekaterina Dafovska (1) - Biathlon

Additional Information:

http://www.bgolympic.org/

Anthem Title: Mila Rodino (Dear Homeland)

Anthem Composer: Music: Tzvetan Radoslavov, Lyrics: Tzvetan Radoslavov

Anthem Inducted: 1964

Founding Date: 1923

IOC Recognition Date: 1924

Delegation President: Stefka Kostadinova

Delegation Secretary General: Belcho Goranov

IOC Members: Former:Dimitar Tzokov (1906-1912)Dimitar Stanchov (1913-1929)Stepan Shaprachikov (1929-1944)Vladimir Stoychev (1952-1987)Ivan Slavkov (1987-2005)

First OG/PG Appearance: 1936

Number OG/PG Appearances: 20

Summary: