site.btaBiathlete Lora Hristova: "My Dream Was an Olympic Medal, and I'm Happy I Won It"

Bulgarian biathlete Lora Hristova told a news conference of the medallists that she had fulfilled her dream of winning an Olympic medal. The 22-year-old Bulgarian finished third in the women's 15-kilometre individual biathlon race at the Olympic Games, securing her first Olympic medal.

"I took up biathlon when I was 11. My goal was an Olympic medal, and I'm very happy that I managed to win it," the young Bulgarian told the official press conference.

"I heard in the locker room that Franziska Preuss asked, 'Who is this Bulgarian girl who took bronze?' It was then that I knew I had a medal, because before that it all felt like a dream. I'm not surprised they didn't know me - this is my first strong result, if I can put it that way. I'm glad I was able to do it, and I hope I've inspired many young Bulgarians. I'm happy that I've helped to put Bulgaria back on the map," she added.

Hristova said she had followed her plan to stay focused throughout the race.

"The plan was to remain concentrated the whole time, not to expect any particular result, and to do my job properly up to the finish line," she said.

The Bulgarian had finished last, 89th, in the sprint during her Olympic debut at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Her desire to perform better was extra motivation ahead of Wednesday's race.

"I've worked hard since the last Olympics. I wanted to show that I can compete with the best, and I did," she said.

Hristova also paid tribute to the head coach of the national team, German specialist Wolfgang Pichler.

"From the very beginning, I felt confident with him. He's an inspiration to us and gives us confidence that we can achieve good results. We've worked hard over the past two years, and today it all paid off," she said. "I want to thank the entire team and everyone who has supported us," Hristova concluded at the press conference.

She told reporters after the news conference:

"My world has always been beautiful, and now it's wonderful too. I'm happy that I could make Bulgaria proud. This medal is the result of many years of hard work," said the 22-year-old. "I was calm, and apparently I was lucky to deliver my best."

The biathlete also said she would celebrate her success with a glass of wine on Wednesday evening, "but no more, because more races are coming up".

"This medal certainly gives me extra confidence. I remain focused on the upcoming events here. I haven't spoken to my family yet, and I want to thank them for believing in me all these years," Hristova said.