Tervel Zamfirov Makes History with Bulgaria’s First Snowboarding World Title!

Tervel Zamfirov made history by securing Bulgaria’s first world title in Olympic snow winter sports. The 20-year-old triumphed in the men's parallel slalom at the World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland, defeating Austrian Arvid Auner in the final by 0.40 seconds. His path to victory was marked by a series of close contests, demonstrating both resilience and skill.

The Bulgarian faced stiff competition from the start, beginning with a dramatic round-of-16 duel against Germany’s Ole-Mikkel Prantl. Initially trailing by almost half a second at the first control, Zamfirov showcased remarkable speed in the lower section of the course, securing victory with a slim 0.09-second lead. His quarterfinal match against German Stefan Baumeister was equally tense, with the two competitors riding side by side for most of the race. Zamfirov edged out the world vice-champion in the parallel giant slalom by just 0.11 seconds.

In the semifinals, he went up against Italy’s Aaron March. Similar to his earlier heat against Prantl, Zamfirov found himself behind at the intermediate checkpoint but recovered brilliantly in the final stretch, winning by 0.13 seconds. This set the stage for his decisive final showdown with Auner, where he delivered another strong performance to claim the world championship title.

Following his triumph, Zamfirov revealed that he had not been in peak physical condition during the competition. Speaking to BFSki, he shared that he had been on antibiotics after battling an illness for the past week. His participation in the World Championships was uncertain until the last moment, as he had hoped to recover in time for the event. Despite not feeling fully healthy, he managed to gather his strength at crucial moments and deliver a stellar performance.

His victory was celebrated by the president of the Bulgarian Ski Federation, Tseko Minev, who highlighted the remarkable success of Bulgarian athletes in snowboarding and winter sports this year. Zamfirov's achievement places Bulgaria on the world stage in a discipline where the country had never before won a world title.

Meanwhile, in the women’s parallel slalom, Japan’s Tsubaki Miki emerged as the world champion, securing victory over Czech competitor Ester Ledecká in the final. The bronze medal was claimed by Dutch snowboarder Michelle Dekker.

The Bulgarian team had more representatives in the competition, but none of them managed to advance past the qualification rounds. Nevertheless, Zamfirov’s historic success stands as a milestone for Bulgarian snow sports, proving that the nation can compete at the highest level on the global stage.