site.btaThree Weeks Before Winter Olympics, Bulgarian Snowboarders Deliver Their Most Successful World Cup Performance in Bansko

With less than three weeks to go until the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, sports fans in Bulgaria can, for the first time in 20 years, realistically hope that the country will secure a medal at the Games.

The strongest prospects for such a result come from the national alpine snowboard team, which this past weekend showcased peak form in front of a home crowd in the Bansko ski resort during the two World Cup races.

The competition concluded with a historic double podium for Bulgarian athletes, as Tervel Zamfirov and Radoslav Yankov finished first and third, respectively, in the men’s parallel giant slalom. The day before, on Saturday, they had placed fifth and tenth in the first event. Adding to this were two outstanding performances by 16-year-old Malena Zamfirova, who achieved fourth and fifth places against much more experienced competitors.

Bulgarian Ski Federation President Tseko Minev hinted at the team’s medal ambitions for the Olympics. Understandably, he was elated following another success for the snowboarders, who have dominated youth competitions at world championships in recent years, and with last year’s Tervel Zamfirov securing a world title at the senior level.

The snowboarders Bulgaria will rely on in Livigno - Tervel and Malena Zamfirova, Radoslav Yankov, and Alexander Krashniak - were more measured in their Olympic expectations, especially given the format. Unlike the World Cup, which holds two events over two days, or world championships, where both parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom are contested, the Olympics feature only one event - the parallel giant slalom - scheduled exactly three weeks from now, on February 8.

Hero of the day Tervel Zamfirov described the upcoming Olympic event as “a stop along the way,” while Radoslav Yankov, drawing on experience, added that “anything can happen.” Malena Zamfirova emphasized that, as the sole female representative, the expectations rest heavily on her shoulders, though she sees herself as “a normal girl.”

Alexander Krashniak and Petar Gergyovski seemed overwhelmed by expectations and were unable to show their full potential in Bansko. Gergyovski was eliminated twice in the qualifications, ending his hopes for an Olympic quota in Milan. Krashniak was still influenced by emotions from the parallel slalom in Bad Gastein earlier in the week, where he unexpectedly reached the World Cup final, recording the best finish of his career. Both remain part of the young wave of snowboarders on whom Bulgaria will rely in the coming years to achieve even greater successes, perhaps including wins like Zamfirov’s in Bansko or Yankov’s in front of a home crowd in 2017.

Over the past decade, Bansko has established itself as a leading destination for the Snowboard World Cup, and with a new contract signed by FIS, the ski resort will continue to host top-tier competitions. The high quality of the event was evident in the participation of the world’s best snowboarders. On Saturday, men’s gold went to Olympic champion Benjamin Karl of Austria, while the women’s podium was topped by four-time World Cup winner Ramona Hofmeister and team parallel slalom world champion Elisa Caffont, who emphasized how difficult it is to win in Bansko.

With its excellent organization and outstanding facilities, Bansko has become a global hub for snowboarding. With performances like those of the Bulgarian national team this past weekend, the resort can also become a stronghold for the country’s sporting achievements.