On 22 Sept. 2008 Bulgaria celebrated 100 years from the moment it was declared an independent state. Two days before the Bulgarian triathletes proudly waved the Bulgarian flag at the Balkan Triathlon Championships in Kladovo/Serbia. The youngest member of the team, Hrista Stoyneva, showed everyone that the wish to win overcomes pain - after fall during the cycling segment she continued to lead and managed to win even though blood was running down her chin. Her success was followed by Monika Mikova who won the Balkan Triathlon Title in category junior women. Emil Stoynev won the silver medal in category junior men coming second after the almost four years’ older representative of the Serbian team Vladimir Stoisavljevic.
The conditions of the race were very bad. With water temperature of 13 degrees C the youth had to compete in duathlon and the junior athletes had to overcome not only the cold water but the heavy wind blowing from the Dabube river.
With their will to fight till the end and to win our triathletes made us very proud of being Bulgarian.