site.btaMinister Iliev Describes Milano Cortina Olympics as Bulgaria's Most Successful Winter Games in 24 Years

Caretaker Youth and Sports Minister Dimitar Iliev Saturday said that the Milano Cortina Olympics are Bulgaria’s most successful Winter Games in 24 years.

Bulgarian athletes won two bronze medals — Tervel Zamfirov in alpine snowboarding and Lora Hristova in biathlon. The only Winter Games in which Bulgarian athletes won more medals were 2002 Winter Olympics, where they earned three.

The Minister arrived in Italy on Friday and watched the women’s 12.5 km biathlon mass start from the stands on the penultimate day of the Games. On Sunday, he will attend the closing ceremony in Verona alongside Bulgarian Olympic Committee President-elect Vesela Lecheva. 

“The atmosphere here is unique. What makes me happiest is that this is the most successful Olympics for Bulgaria in 24 years. These young athletes have brought not only joy to Bulgarians but also a sense of unity and motivation for the whole nation, and we are truly grateful to them. We will do everything possible to ensure Bulgarian athletes are even better supported, so they can conduct their training and preparation under ideal conditions,” Iliev said.

Speaking about his objectives, Iliev, who took on his role on Thursday, added that he will hold meetings with all federations to identify the most urgent issues, explore solutions, and work together to ensure that athletes receive the support they need.

He added that he had requested reports on the financial status of all commercial entities managed by his Ministry, including the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator, and did not rule out the possibility of problems in the management of some of these organizations.