site.btaPetar Mitsin Named Bulgaria’s Swimmer of the Year

The Bulgarian Swimming Federation honored the country’s top swimmers and coaches for 2025 at an awards ceremony held in Sofia Friday. Federation President Georgi Avramchev reviewed the past season, describing it as mixed but overall positive, and outlined expectations and key goals for the year ahead.

Petar Mitsin was named Bulgaria’s Swimmer of the Year after winning the European under-23 title in the 400 meters freestyle and claiming two silver medals at the championships in Samorin, Slovakia. The 20-year-old also finished seventh in the 400 meters freestyle final at the World Championships in Singapore. Tea Nikolova placed second following her fourth-place finish in the 50 meters breaststroke at the European Championships, while Lyubomir Epitropov ranked third.

Avramchev noted that competition in international swimming is becoming increasingly intense but stressed that Bulgaria has a talented team capable of strong results. He said preparations are already underway with upcoming competitions in Prague and Graz, qualification deadlines set for late May, and major events ahead, including the European Championships in Paris in July and the short-course World Championships in Beijing in December. The long-term focus, he added, remains the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

National team head coach Kristian Minkovski and federation Secretary General Dimitar Bobev echoed this optimism, saying athletes are capable of rebounding after setbacks if they remain disciplined and ambitious.

Asked about Bulgarian swimmers’ participation in enhanced games, where entrants are not tested for doping, Avramchev said the federation supports clean sport, adding that while athletes make their own choices, such competitions are not endorsed by the Bulgarian Swimming Federation.