DESIMIRA TONCHEVA
Kalina Nikolaeva (PSK “Cherno More” – Varna) and Yasen Bonev (Club “Asteri” – Varna) are the winners of the 84th edition of the oldest swimming competition in Bulgaria, the Galata – Varna swimming marathon.The organizers are the Navy of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Municipality of Varna and PSC “Black Sea”, with the assistance of the “N.Y. Vaptsarov” Naval Academy.
267 participants from 7 countries – Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark and Turkey, started from the Fisherman’s Port “Karantina”.
Nikolaeva stopped the timers at 1.06.31, and Bonev finished with a time of 1.03.46.
The prize fund of the marathon is BGN 9,100. The competition was excellently organized.The event was perfectly secured by “Volunteers with Ustrem”.
The director of the marathon is Capt.I rank o.z.Kamen Kukurov.The chief judge is Vili Tsekov.
After Kalina Nikolaeva, the positions from second to sixth place were taken by the following ladies: Jasmina Mednikarova – 1.16.24;Eva Hristova – 1.18.30;Ina Bozhena Reshitniak – 1.18.37;Ivet Shumkova – 1.19.00 and Kalina Zaharieva – 1.33.30.
Men’s prize winners after the winner Yasen Bonev were: Ivaylo Milev – 1.06.52;Kaloyan Dragnev – 1.07.09; Anthony of Morality – 1.07.24;Daren Kirilov – 1.07.36 and Angel Margaritov – 1.07.57.
The winners – a man and a woman – received the following cash prizes: 1st place – BGN 1,200;2nd place – BGN 900;3rd place – BGN 700;IV place – BGN 600;V place – BGN 500;VI place – BGN 400.
Subject prizes were awarded to the best performers: men and women from Varna – Kalina Nikolaeva and Yasen Bonev.BGN 250 is the prize for a disabled swimmer.Vesselina Velikova and Plamen Ivanov were awarded in this category.The swimmer Miroslav Savov who registered the largest number of participations in the marathon (a total of 40), got that much.
YasenBonev also won the “Dobri Dinev” Cup, which was presented to him by the wife of the giant of the Bulgarian marathon swimming Dobri Dinev – Margarita Dineva. Attractive prizes were awarded to the best performing boy and girl in two age categories – 12-15 years and 16-18 years, respectively Radoslav Tiholov and Viktor Vasilev and Yasen Bonev and Jasmina Mednikarova.
During the solemn awarding ceremony, which took place at Buna 2, the emblematic Bulgarian swimming coach Borislav Georgiev received an anniversary commemorative trophy.The trophy was presented to him on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the mythical “Varna – Odessa” swimming marathon, which the man from Varna successfully swam only at the age of 16.
The prize winners in the marathon were awarded by the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Stoyan Andonov, the Mayor of Varna Blagomir Kotsev, the Deputy Mayor IliyaKoev, Capt.I rank Vanyo Musinski, the director of OP “Sport – Varna” Yurzhan Ahmed, capt.I rank Kamen Kukurov – director of the Galata – Varna marathon and Vladimir Varbanov – chairman of the board of the Bulgarian swimming champion PSC “Black Sea”.
“Tough time.Because of the wind, the sea pulls inward.There were also waves and jellyfish.Right from the start, I separated myself from everyone and swam alone, not with the group.I like it that way and I think I performed well”, commented the women’s winner Kalina Nikolaeva.
The men’s leader YasenBonev also expressed satisfaction with his performance and shared that he swam together with several other participants who saw the yellow flag and managed to head in the right direction.
“Thank you for the courage and dignity of everyone who swam the marathon!” commented the director of the emblematic event for the maritime capital – capt.I rank o.z.Kamen Kukurov, director of the marathon.
The swimmers’ performances were also applauded by the founder of the marathon – Nadezhda Parusheva.
