The weightlifter from Plovdiv Milen Dobrev was triumphant with his champion?s title in the 94 kg category at the Weightlifting Championship in Vancouver, Canada. His fellow-citizen Nikolay Stoyanov became fourth. At the women? competition, Slaveyka Rouzhinska won the bronze prize in the 75 kg category, and Roumiana Petkova was seventh. Milen Dobrev went ahead in the pushing up in the last weight: 180 kg, together with the Olympic champion from Atlanta 96 Alexey Petrov (Russia). The Bulgarian weightlifter did it fine the first time, while the Russian managed at his second try. Both of them continued successfully with the 185 kg weight, but failed at the 187.5 kg weight, and thus finished the first run.In the second run, the two competitors started last again ? with the impressive 220 kg weights. Their first try was unsuccessful for both of them, but in the second one the Bulgarian did fine with the weight, while the Russian failed again. Their competition finished with their unsuccessful attempts to lift the 222.5 kg weight. So, Milen Dobrev got the first championship title for Bulgaria in Vancouver. At the moment, our team ranks seventh, but they sure will be among the first six, which take the full amount of Olympic quotes. Another three of the Bulgarian weightlifters, Alan Tsagaev, Velichko Cholakov and Damian Damianov are still to take part in the competition, while some of the teams in the leading six have already closed their participation.
The debutante among the women, Slaveyka Rouzhinska, got the first medal for the Bulgarian female weightlifters, winning the third place in the two-run competition. After the first run she was third, immediately after her fellow teammate Roumiana Petkova, but in the second run she managed to compensate and won the bronze medal. Our female team ranks third, and the full amount of Olympic quotes take the first 10 teams.
Congratulations, boys and girls! We are always so proud of you!