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Bulgaria's team, men's team gets robbed, poor standings
[quote]September 3, 2007 - Going into the World Championships in Stuttgart, the Bulgarian team knew it would be competing without one of its top gymnasts. Yet the team hardly expected it would be scrambling to find grips and outfits to compete in. Women's judge Tsvetana Dobreva told IG on Monday the men's team had just been robbed, with thieves making off with their grips and other gymnastics apparel. The team is scheduled to compete today in the fourth subdivision of men's qualifying, which begins at 7 p.m. local time. [/quote][quote]One bright spot for the team is New Yorker Eddie Penev, 17, who holds dual U.S.-Bulgarian citizenship. Penev, a strong tumbler and vaulter, will help the team on several events. "We are perhaps strongest in tumbling, so floor exercise should be fine," said Yanev, who hopes to return in time for next year's European Championships. "I think we are the weakest on high bar and pommel horse." Veteran Jordan Jovtchev, 34, is still a contender for a medal on still rings. But Bulgaria's ability to win world medals in the post-Jovtchev era is in doubt. Yanev said the sport is simply struggling to stay alive in the country of 8 million people. Nearly all of the country's top gymnasts have emigrated to coach abroad, though Jovtchev and 1996 Olympic silver medalist Krasimir Dunev recently moved back to Bulgaria. [/quote]Both Jordan and Krasimir moved back to Bulgaria. [quote]"We only have two or three clubs that can produce young gymnasts who can grow all the way to the national team," he said. "We do not have sponsors. The only financing comes from the government and that is not enough. We do not have many kids in the gym and some of it is based on not having many young experts in the area of gymnastics." [/quote]Bulgaria's gymnastics used to be on top: [quote]In the 1980s and early '90s, the Bulgarian men's and women's teams regularly finished in the top six at the world championships and Olympics. The Bulgarian men finished 12th at the 1999 World Championships, earning a full team berth to the Sydney Olympic Games. The team was 18th at the 2003 Worlds, which let them send two individuals to the Athens Olympics. Absent in Stuttgart is World and Olympic vault finalist Filip Yanev (pictured above), who is still recovering from his third knee surgery. Yanev said he doesn't expect Bulgaria to finish much higher than in 2006, when the team was 21st. "We don't have many guys on the team who can replace injured gymnasts like me, so my absence will reflect on the team's performance," said Yanev, 25. Unable to afford plane tickets, the Bulgarian delegation drove 15 hours to Stuttgart. [/quote]current results: [quote]On Sunday, the Bulgarian women finished dead last, 24th out of 24 teams. Their top gymnast, former Ukrainian Olympian Viktoria Karpenko, was unable to compete because of a back injury. Nikolina Tankusheva finished just 79th, unofficially earning the final Olympic berth for an individual. [/quote]"Bulgaria Facing Bleak Reality at Worlds Men's team reportedly robbed in Stuttgart" - http://intlgymnast.com/events/2007/worlds/news_bulgaria.html
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According to Tim Daggett on the NBC coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics rings final, Jordan Jovtchev is living in the States, Houston Texas. [COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/showthread.php?p=80541&posted=1#post80541[/COLOR]
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