Bulgaria is going to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics with its smallest delegation since the Sarajevo Games in 1984. Sixteen athletes in seven sports will compete and try to show their best performance, and why not win a medal. Biathlete Ekaterina Dafovska did it when she grabbed the Olympic gold in Nagano back in 1998, surprising everyone as no expert had predicted such a success for the Bulgarian.

At the opening of the Winter Olympic Games on February 4, the Bulgarian national flag will be carried by biathlete Maria Zdravkova and snowboarder Radoslav Yankov. Bulgarian athletes will compete in alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, snowboarding, sledding and figure skating. Bulgaria will have eight Olympic competitors in biathlon, six participants in skiing and one athlete in each of the other sports. For the first time since the Olympics in Turin in 2006 Bulgaria will have a participant in figure skating and this will be Alexandra Feigin.

"Our team for Beijing is an alloy of experienced athletes. Some of them (biathlete Vladimir Iliev) are leaving for their fourth Olympics, while others are debutants who will experience the excitement and the unique atmosphere of the Games for the first time,” chair of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee Stefka Kostadinova has told the website of the organisation bgolympic.org.

The chair of the BOC did not make a forecast for the performance of the Bulgarian Olympic competitors, but hinted that they have their chances for a medal.

"Let's not burden our Olympic participants with forecasts and expectations in advance. You remember what happened in Tokyo and how despite initial negative comments, the Bulgarians achieved incredible successes. Now we also have our real chances in Beijing."

According to Stefka Kostadinova, excellent performance can be expected in biathlon – a sport in which Bulgaria traditionally has strong results.

"In alpine skiing, a Bulgarian talent currently attracts attention with his performance in the Ski World Cup, while in snowboarding and ski jumping, our two representatives have been part of the world's elite for 10 years," she says. "Even under the age of 20, our young figure skating star has already recorded prestigious rankings in Europe and the world in one of the most popular sports."

Just like during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo last year, the coronavirus pandemic would be a key factor in the activities of organizers but also of athletes. The good news is that the athletes will perform in front of local audience. The Bulgarian delegation will once again be accompanied by a "Covid officer" appointed by the Bulgarian Olympic Committee.

"I wish the participants, guests and organizers of the Olympic Games health and bright days" the BOC head says in conclusion. “I wish the spectators pleasant excitement and emotions with the performance of the world sport stars and, hopefully, with the successes of the Bulgarian Olympic competitors. Good luck, Beijing 2022!”

Compiled by: Diana Tsankova

English: Alexander Markov