site.btaA Total of 23 Bulgarian Athletes to Compete at Balkan Athletics Championships in Izmir

A total of 23 Bulgarian athletes will participate at the Balkan Athletics Championships for men and women in Izmir (Turkiye) on May 25 and 26. Some 13 men and 10 women will compete for prize-winning positions, personal records, quotas and standards, the Bulgarian Athletics Federation said on Monday.

Many athletes from the squad have won the Athlete of Bulgaria award in the last 10 years, medals from Olympic Games, World and European Championships, including Mirela Demireva (high jump), Tihomir Ivanov (high jump), Plamena Mitkova (long jump), Alexandra Nacheva (triple jump), Bozhidar Saraboyukov (long jump), Valentin Andreev (hammer), and the record holders in running Militsa Mircheva and Ivo Balabanov.

There are athletes who will take part in two disciplines: Kristen Radukanova (100 m and 200 m), Martin Balabanov (800 m and 1,500 m), Ivo Balabanov (3,000 m steeplechase and 5,000 m), Bozhidar Saraboyukov and Zinga Firmino Barbosa (long jump and triple jump), Militsa Mircheva (3,000 m and 5,000 m).

The 16-year-old Zinga Barbosa is the youngest member of the team, while Mirela Demireva, who turns 35 later this year, is the most experienced athlete in Bulgaria's selection.