Prominent Bulgarian Wrestler Stanka Zlateva Announces Her Retirement

Sports | January 18, 2016, Monday // 19:47|  views

Stanka Zlateva is pictured here celebrating her 5th world wrestling championship win in September 2011. Photo by BGNES

The prominent Bulgarian female freestyle wrestler Stanka Zlateva announced her retirement on Monday due to an injury in the back.

The treatment of the injury, which occurred in the summer of last year, was a lengthy one and it did not allow her to prepare for the forthcoming Olympic qualifications which are to take place in April.

During her impressive career, Zlateva represented Bulgaria at three Olympic Games – 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London, winning two silver medals at the last two Olympics.

She also claimed five gold medals at world championships – 2006 in Guangzhou, 2007 in Baku, 2008 in Tokyo, 2010 in Moscow and 2011 in Istanbul.

Zlateva also won six gold medals at European championships – 2006 in Moscow, 2007 in Sofia, 2008 in Tampere, 2009 in Vilnius, 2010 in Baku and 2014 in Vantaa.

She also earned bronze medals at the 2009 world championship in Herning and at the 2005 and 2011 European championships held respectively in Varna and Dortmund.

Zlateva became the first Bulgarian female wrestler to claim a world title and the first Bulgarian female wrestler to represent the country at Olympic Games.

She was selected as Bulgarian sportsperson of the year in 2007, 2010 and 2011.

The Bulgarian Wrestling Federation has offered Zlateva to become a coach of the team of junior female wrestlers.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!


Tags: Bulgaria, wrestling, Stanka Zlateva

Back  

» Related Articles:

Search

Search