site.btaUPDATED Turkiye Tops Medals Ranking at Balkan Athletics U20 Indoor Championships in Sofia

The Balkan Athletics U20 Indoor Championships were held at the Asics Arena in Sofia on Saturday. A total of 261 entrants from 19 member countries of the Association of the Balkan Athletics Federations, including nations which are not in the Balkans geographically, took part in the event. Bulgaria was represented by 40 competitors.

The top three countries in the medals' ranking of the tournament are Turkiye (7 golds, 4 silvers, 1 bronze), Bulgaria (5-2-3) and Romania (2-4-4).

The five titles won by Bulgarians went to Yoan Kamenov (men's 60 m sprint), Radina Velichkova (women's 60 m sprint), Iren Saraboyukova (women's high jump), Siyana Brambarova (women's long jump) and Zinga Barbosa Firmino (men's triple jump).

Yoan Kamenov gave a strong performance in the men's 60 m sprint, clocking 6.78 sec, a national U18 record for Bulgaria. Second place went to Ido Peretz of Israel (6.79 sec), and third place to Georgi Petkov of Bulgaria (6.81 sec, personal best).

Radina Velichkova triumphed in the women's 60 m, finishing in 7.37 sec, a personal best. Mia Wild of Croatia ranked second on 7.38 sec, and Ulyana Stepanyuk of Ukraine came in third in 7.41 sec.

Iren Saraboyukova grabbed the women's high jump title after jumping 1.78 m. She is followed in the discipline's ranking by another Bulgarian, Natali Kostova (1.75 m), and by Lena-Maria Ionescu of Romania (also 1.75 m).

Siyana Brambarova scored a personal best in the women's long jump after jumping 6.23 m in her fourth attempt.

The one-day Balkan championships were opened by Bulgaria's Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Stoyan Andonov. The entrants were greeted by Bulgarian Athletics Federation President Ivan Kolev and European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov. Karamarinov conferred a plaquette of honour on former Bulgarian 110 m hurdles star Plamen Krastev.

The Balkan Athletics U20 Indoor Championships were organized by the Bulgarian Athletics Federation and the Association of the Balkan Athletics Federations.