Petar Popangelov is a Bulgaria ski legend. He won a total of 128 trophies and 180 medals in his rich sports career. Petar Popangelov participated at 37 Alpine Ski World Cups between 1977 and 1988 and won six silver and four bronze medals. In 1980 Popangelov won the Ski World Cup in Lenggries, Germany. He placed 6^th at the slalom discipline at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo. Petar Popangelov also won three trophies at the Winter Universiade in Spain (1981), Bulgaria (1983) and former Czechoslovakia (1987). He was a multiple winner of Balkan competitions in slalom and giant slalom competitions and a constant winner of the Bulgarian Ski Cup. He won 26 gold medals at local alpine ski competitions in all disciplines.

Petar Popangelov made his first steps in skiing at Musala Hut in 1962 shortly before he turned three. His first ski competition was four years later at Borovets ski resort. He took part at the Pioneer Cup and finished second. In Bulgaria we were practicing only before the start of the ski season. It the rest of the time, we were training at the glaciers in Austria and Italy, where you can ski in all seasons, Petar Popangelov told Radio Bulgaria and added:

Every athlete knows that victories are difficult and sweet, because they come as a result of a very hard work and plenty of luck. It looks easy, but the truth is that you give more than you take in sports. The victories in sports require talent, endeavor, proper methodology and training, Petar Popangelov says.

You must be faster than your opponents, in order to secure the victory, but you also learn from the defeats both in sports and life. Petar Popangelov likes all ski slopes in Bulgaria. Madonna di Campiglio in Italy and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Austria were not among my favorite ski slopes, because of their bigger angle of elevation, but most of my top performances at the Ski World Cup were on these ski slopes, Petar Popangelov went on to say.

How are ski races nowadays different from those he participated in?

Now the ski slopes are much firmer and many competitions are held on artificial snow. Therefore, the speed of the athletes is higher in all ski disciplines. Moreover, the ski equipment is much different now. All sport disciplines, including ski, are developing at breakneck pace. However, sooner or later we reach a limit that cannot be crossed, although skiing is a sport discipline of high speed and risk. Petar Popangelov was never in a state of desperation during his sports career. In 1985 he suffered a severe injury and his spleen was removed in a surgery. However, his active sports career continued until 1988 when he retired at the age of 29.

I never had the ambition to become a ski coach. I received many proposals from different ski federations, but I wanted to settle in Borovets and become a hotel keeper. In sports you focus in one direction, while hotel keeping is a difficult and complex business. Petar Popangelov says:

Skiing is an expensive sport. The celebrated Bulgarian skier gave his name to the foundation Petar Popangelov and Friends which helps young ski talents. Talented young Bulgarians should be able to train abroad as well. Their success depends on themselves and their coaches. They should know how to combine trainings and mental activity, because competition is ski sport is severe, Petar Popangelov explains.

Three decades after the end of Petar Popangelov’s brilliant sports career another Bulgarian skier Albert Popov has the chance to repeat his achievements.

Albert Popov made a giant leap this ski season. Now he is facing a psychological moment where he will find out whether he had reached the peak or he can grow and progress further. Everything depends on himself, Petar Popangelov concludes.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov