Vladimir Iliev has received the Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year Award. He has topped the list of Bulgaria’s best athletes thanks to the historic silver medal he won at the World Championships in Östersund, Sweden in the 20 km individual discipline. Behind 32-year-old biathlete in the ranking came sprinter Ivet Lalova and world tennis star Grigor Dimitrov.

“I would like to thank all the journalists who voted for me, as well as the Ministry of Sports, the Biathlon Federation, the Bulgarian Army, my parents, my team, and everyone who has contributed to my success throughout the year. I wish you happy holidays and lots of health,” Vladimir Iliev said in a video message. He is currently in France for a competition part of the World Cup Biathlon and just days ago received the “Sports Icarus” – an award of the Bulgarian Sport Foundation.

Ivet Lalova demonstrated class and style at the ceremony where in addition to her second place in the journalist rankings, she won the Audience Award. The sprinter had one of her most successful years after taking seventh place in the 200m race at the Doha World Championships, winning two victories at 100m and 200m at the European Team Championships and the Balkan Championships, as well as two quotas for participation in her fifth consecutive Olympic Games.

“It is a great pleasure for me to be in this ranking for the eighth time and to have my highest place so far. Actually, it happens in time when more and more people have been asking me if I am going to quit,” the athlete said. “I will also share a story – more than 20 years ago it was in this hall where I saw the Bulgarian Championships for the first time and the love that athletics sparked in me has brought me here today.”

Tennis player Grigor Dimitrov finished the year 20th in the ATP rankings. At the United States Open, he reached the semifinals, defeating Roger Federer. After unsuccessful half-season, the Bulgarian returned to the elite, showing good shape from the times when he was ranked third in the world. Grigor Dimitrov confirmed his excellent performance at the Paris Masters, where once again he reached the semifinals.

“I am sorry that I cannot be present at the award ceremony tonight, but thank you for your exceptional support throughout these years,” Grigor Dimitrov said in a video message. “I wish all the athletes to continue to bring joy to Bulgaria and be even better in 2020.”

The award for best athlete with disabilities went to world champion in athletics Christian Stoyanov. The list of top ten most distinguished Bulgarian athletes in 2019 also included the names of Bozhidar Andreev (lifting weights), Taibe Yusein (wrestling), Albert Popov (skiing), Radoslav Pantaleev (boxing), Kubrat Pulev (boxing), Maria Oryashkova (sambo) and Boryana Calein (rhythmic gymnastics).

The Best Team and Coach of the Year awards went to rhythmic gymnastics. Simona Dyankova, Laura Traets, Madlen Radukanova, Stephanie Kiryakova and Erika Zafirova received the team award for the third consecutive year. During 2019 they won a silver and a bronze at the World Championships in Baku and many World Champinships medals, including a gold medal in Sofia.

“We are about to enter the most important and challenging year in our sports careers,” team captain Simona Dyankova said. “We hope to stand here again next year with the award in our hands – as athletes who have achieved their dream and made Bulgaria proud of them.”

Best coach for 2019 Vesela Dimitrova wished her athletes much success during the upcoming Olympic year.

“Most of all, I would like to thank my children, as I call them, for being extremely dedicated in their training. They have been working hard and have achieved tremendous success,” she said. “Children, I love you!”

“It has been a good year for Bulgarian sports and it will be remembered with success in men's biathlon, with the return of Bulgarian weightlifting to the top, with Bulgarian boxing being once again a world power, and with the fact that rhythmic gymnastics and women's wrestling in Bulgaria are top class,” Bulgarian Minister of Youth and Sports Krasen Kralev said, wishing athletes the place they deserve in accordance to their skills and abilities at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

English: Alexander Markov