site.btaBulgarian Snowboarders to Open Country’s Campaign at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

Bulgaria’s participation in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will begin on February 8 with alpine snowboarders Radoslav Yankov, Tervel Zamfirov, Alexander Krashniak, and Malena Zamfirova competing for medals.

World champion in parallel slalom from Engadin 2025, 20-year-old Zamfirov, four-time World Cup winner Yankov, 16-year-old rising star Zamfirova, and 21-year-old Krashniak, who recently finished second in the parallel giant slalom in Bad Gastein, Austria, will start in the qualification rounds at 10:00 am local time in Livigno. The top 16 men and women will advance to the elimination finals at 2:00 pm.

Experienced snowboarder Radoslav Yankov, 36, who has four World Cup wins and 13 podium finishes, will compete in his fourth Winter Olympics. In Beijing 2022, he was the only Bulgarian to pass the qualifications, finishing 15th after being eliminated in the round of 16 by eventual champion Benjamin Karl of Austria. For siblings Tervel and Malena Zamfirov, as well as for Krashniak, the Games will mark their Olympic debut.

On Sunday at 1:30 pm CET, cross-country skiers 23-year-old Daniel Peshkov and 21-year-old Mario Matikanov will also make their Olympic debuts in the 10+10 km skiathlon in Tesero.

Bulgaria’s biathlon teams, each consisting of four athletes, will open their competition on February 8 at 3:05 pm in the mixed relay 4x6 km in Antholz-Anterselva. The men’s team includes 38-year-old Vladimir Iliev, who will record his fifth Winter Olympic appearance, equaling Bulgaria’s national record held by short track legend Evgenia Radanova. The women’s team is led by Iliev’s wife, Milena Todorova, who finished 17th in the sprint in Beijing 2022. Both teams also feature 22-year-olds Konstantin Vasilev and Valentina Dimitrova, competing at the Olympics for the first time. The biathlon programme includes 11 events, comprising four individual races for men and women (sprint, pursuit, mass start, individual) and relay competitions.

On February 9, at 8:00 pm, ski jumper Vladimir Zografski will compete on the normal hill in Predazzo for the fourth consecutive Olympics, aiming to improve his best finish of 14th at PyeongChang 2018. His large hill event is scheduled for February 14.

On February 10, 24-year-old cross-country skier Kalina Nedyalkova will make her Olympic debut in the women’s sprint.

On February 16, Bulgaria’s top alpine skiing prospect Albert Popov, 28, will compete in Bormio. Popov achieved Bulgaria’s best Olympic result in alpine skiing at Beijing 2022, finishing ninth in slalom. He will start in the first run of the slalom after 11:00. Alongside him, 25-year-old Kalin Zlatkov will also compete in slalom, having made his Olympic debut in giant slalom two days earlier.

The last Bulgarian athlete to compete at the Games will be figure skater Alexandra Feigin. She will perform her short program on February 17 in Milan. If she ranks among the top 24, she will advance to the free skate two days later. The 23-year-old Feigin finished 23rd in her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022.

Bulgaria’s full Olympic schedule includes:

Athletes marked with * compete in the next stage only if they qualify.

February 8, Sunday

10:00 am – Snowboard, Parallel Giant Slalom (Men & Women). Qualifications: Radoslav Yankov, Tervel Zamfirov, Alexander Krashniak, Malena Zamfirova – Livigno
1:30 pm – Cross-country Ski, Men’s Skiathlon (10 km + 10 km). Mario Matikanov, Daniel Peshkov - Tesero
2:00 pm – Snowboard, Parallel Giant Slalom (Men & Women). Finals*: same athletes - Livigno
3:05 pm – Biathlon, Mixed Relay 4x6 km - Antholz-Anterselva

February 9, Monday

8:00 pm – Ski Jumping, Men’s Normal Hill Individual - Vladimir Zografski - Predazzo

February 10, Tuesday

10:15 am – Cross-country Ski, Sprint (Men & Women). Qualifications: Mario Matikanov, Daniel Peshkov, Kalina Nedyalkova – Tesero
12:45 pm – Cross-country Ski, Sprint (Men & Women). Finals*: same athletes – Tesero
2:30 pm – Biathlon, Men’s 20 km Individual – Vladimir Iliev, Anton Sinapov, Blagoy Todev, Konstantin Vasilev – Antholz-Anterselva

February 11, Wednesday

3:15 pm – Biathlon, Women’s 15 km Individual – Milena Todorova, Maria Zdravkova, Lora Hristova, Valentina Dimitrova – Antholz-Anterselva

February 12, Thursday

2:00 pm – Cross-country Ski, Women’s 10 km Interval Start (Free Style) – Kalina Nedyalkova – Tesero

February 13, Friday

1:00 pm – Cross-country Ski, Men’s 10 km Interval Start (Free Style) – Mario Matikanov, Daniel Peshkov – Tesero
3:00 pm – Biathlon, Men’s 10 km Sprint – Vladimir Iliev, Anton Sinapov, Blagoy Todev, Konstantin Vasilev – Antholz-Anterselva

February 14, Saturday

11:00 am – Alpine Skiing, Men’s Giant Slalom – First Run: Kalin Zlatkov – Stelvio
2:00 pm – Biathlon, Women’s 7.5 km Sprint – Milena Todorova, Maria Zdravkova, Lora Hristova, Valentina Dimitrova – Antholz-Anterselva
2:30 pm – Alpine Skiing, Men’s Giant Slalom – Second Run*: Kalin Zlatkov – Stelvio
7:45 pm – Ski Jumping, Men’s Large Hill – Vladimir Zografski – Predazzo

February 15, Sunday

11:00 am – Alpine Skiing, Women’s Giant Slalom – First Run: Anina Zurbriggen – Tofane
12:15 pm – Biathlon, Men’s 12.5 km Pursuit – Vladimir Iliev*, Anton Sinapov*, Blagoy Todev*, Konstantin Vasilev* – Antholz-Anterselva
2:30 pm – Alpine Skiing, Women’s Giant Slalom – First Run*: Anina Zurbriggen – Tofane
3:45 pm – Biathlon, Women’s 10 km Pursuit – Milena Todorova*, Maria Zdravkova*, Lora Hristova*, Valentina Dimitrova* – Antholz-Anterselva

February 16, Monday

11:00 am – Alpine Skiing, Men’s Slalom – First Run: Albert Popov, Kalin Zlatkov – Stelvio
2:30 pm – Alpine Skiing, Men’s Slalom – Second Run*: Albert Popov*, Kalin Zlatkov* – Stelvio

February 17, Tuesday

3:30 pm – Biathlon, Men’s Relay 4x7.5 km – Vladimir Iliev, Anton Sinapov, Blagoy Todev, Konstantin Vasilev – Antholz-Anterselva
7:45 pm – Figure Skating, Women’s Short Program – Alexandra Feigin – Milan

February 18, Wednesday

10:45 am – Cross-country Ski, Men’s Team Sprint (Free Style) – Qualifications: Mario Matikanov, Daniel Peshkov – Tesero
11:00 am – Alpine Skiing, Women’s Slalom – First Run: Anina Zurbriggen – Tofane
12:45 pm – Cross-country Ski, Men’s Team Sprint – Finals*: same athletes – Tesero
2:30 pm – Alpine Skiing, Women’s Slalom – Second Run*: Anina Zurbriggen – Tofane
3:45 pm – Biathlon, Women’s Relay 4x6 km – Milena Todorova, Maria Zdravkova, Lora Hristova, Valentina Dimitrova – Antholz-Anterselva

February 19,Thursday

8:00 pm – Figure Skating, Women’s Free Skate – Alexandra Feigin* – Milan

February 20, Friday

8:00 pm – Biathlon, Men’s 15 km Mass Start – Vladimir Iliev*, Anton Sinapov*, Blagoy Todev*, Konstantin Vasilev* – Antholz-Anterselva

February 21, Saturday

12:00 pm – Cross-country Ski, Men’s 50 km Mass Start – Daniel Peshkov – Tesero
3:15 pm – Biathlon, Women’s 12.5 km Mass Start – Milena Todorova*, Maria Zdravkova*, Lora Hristova*, Valentina Dimitrova* – Antholz-Anterselva