site.btaAlbert Popov after Historic World Cup Slalom Win: "I Have Always Known that I Have Potential to Become First"

The best Bulgarian alpine skier, Albert Popov, won the first victory of his career in the World Cup night slalom in the Italian winter centre of Madonna di Campiglio on Wednesday evening. After the win, which came exactly 45 years after Petar Popangelov won Bulgaria's first World Cup slalom victory, Popov thanked everyone who had helped him over the years and contributed to his achievement.

Popov gave his first interview after the historic win to Patrick Lang, son of the founder of the International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine Ski World Cup, Serge Lang, and author of the article about Popangelov's win in Lenggries on January 8, 1980.

"Thank you, everyone, I scored my first win for a World Cup and am extremely content, proud, and happy. I owe this success to my family, the whole team, the sponsors, the federation, to everyone who has helped over the years and does not stop helping me. We succeeded together, we climbed the highest peak. I had two great runs. In the second, I risked everything and was lucky to not make a single mistake," Popov said, as quoted by the Bulgarian SKI Federation.

"I have been in the skiing sport for a long time, I have put in a lot of work and I have always know that I have the potential to become first. I have not stopped believing. I have always striven to become number one. That kept me motivated and, finally, I showed result," Popov said further. "The second run was all or nothing. I had to take a big risk and I did it. I performed all transitions perfectly, I did not slow down anywhere and that made me a champion. At first, I did not realize what was happening. At some point, I was on the podium and in the moment I realized that I am a winner," he explained.

"I am happy that I achieved victory as early as in the first start for the year. I hope that this will continue in January," he went on to say, recalling that this year, there is a world championship in Saalbach. He hopes to be healthy and in good form so as to continue scoring wins.