ROLLER SKI (SKI.BG) -- The 17th edition of the SIVEN ROLLER SKI CUP 2012 once again became a competitive race and brought a lot of emotions for both participants and audience.

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At 10:05 am sharp today, August 21st, 2012, was given the simultaneous start of the international roller ski competition in climbing the hard 19-km route from Yundola to High Mountain Sport Complex “Belmeken” for men and respectively the 9-km from Kurtovo or 5-km traces for women, boys and girls, children and veterans.

More than 120 athletes from Russia, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria took place in the competition, divided into different age groups. The race passed at great conditions and excellent organization, thanks to the perfect preparation by the organizers of the Bulgarian sportswear company SIVEN with the assistance of Municipality of Velingrad, HMSC "Belmeken" and Bulgarian Ski Federation.

The first place in the longest distance won the Olympic champion from Turin 2006 in cross-country ski double pursuit Evgeni Dementiev from Russia, who stopped the chronometer at 52:09 minutes. Second crossed the finish his fellow from the Russian national cross-country ski team Artem Maltsev (52:41 min) and the third was the leader of the Bulgarian national cross country ski team Veselin Tsinzov (52:55 min) - a representative of Sport Club “Alexander Logistics”. His team-mate Georgi Radkov remained 13th and Boyko Harizanov from Sport Club "Usana 2007" finished 16th.

Bad luck actually deprived Vesko Tsinzov of the silver medal a kilometer before the finish, when he fell in the short descent after crossing the wall of Belmeken dam and lost time, allowing Maltsev to overtake him.

The ladies top positions this year were fully occupied by the representatives of Russia. Valentina Nazarova from the Russian biathlon team was the fastest on the 9 kilometeres and finished for 25:44 minutes. Irina Hazova from the Russian national team left second, 15 seconds behind the leader, and the third place of the podium took her teammate Julia Chepalova with 26:06 minutes time. With this strong competition of 40 ski and biathlon runners from Russia, the Bulgarian national cross country ski team athlete Antonia Grigorova-Burgova managed to fight for the 13th place, and our second representative Kamelia Ilieva, remained 42nd.

In 9-km distance for adolescents, Bulgarian young hope Yordan Chuchuganov from Sport Club "Sapareva banya", which won this winter the most prestigious competition for children - Topolino, defeated the strong Russian rivals and deservedly took the gold medal in Belmeken. The podium also come up the cross-country skier Roman Kaygarodov from Russia and Viktor Stoichkov from SC "Sapareva banya".

In 5km category for juniors, first was Natalia Nepryaeva from Russia, followed by Alexandra Gomenyuk from "Petrodvorets", St. Petersburg, and Christina Dudina from Russian "Chaykovskiy".

In cadet category, Nikolay Viyachev from SC "Sapareva banya" finished first on 9km distance and Lydia Durkina from "Petrodvorets" St. Petersburg was first at 5km.

The gold for boys at 5km earned Simeon Ognyanov from SC "Rilski skior" and for girls at 5km - his teammate Christina Miteva.

Nancy Okoro (SC "Panichishte-2009"), Christina Miteva (SC "Rilski kior") and Vanessa Emilova (SC "Panichishte-2009")

The veteran race was won by Sergei Dergunov from Russia, followed by Alexander Zavyalov from Russia and Iliya Paparkov from SC "Atlas" Velingrad.

The winners received a remarkable amount of prizes, provided by the significantly increased number of sponsors this year - SIVEN, S-MAX, SLS, Mizuno, Craft, Number One, PEAK and others. Among the official guests of the race, who personally awarded the winners, were the Olympic medallist and current mayor of Velingrad Mr. Ivan Lebanov under whose patronage the competition was held, and the world and European short-track champion and multiple Olympic medallist Evgenia Radanova. Prizes are also awarded by the co-owner of SIVEN company Krasimir Venev, the organizer of cross-country ski department at Bulgarian Ski Federation Daniela Mashova, the coach of the national cross country ski team Plamen Nedyalkov, the former head of the cross-country ski department at Bulgarian Ski Federation and current member of the Advisory Board Peter Pankov, representatives of SLS and Craft, as well as the co-owner and editor of SKI.BG Vladislav Georgiev. All winners received the latest issue of SKI&BOARD magazine as well, and the audience were given hundreds of archival copies of the one and only winter sport magazine in Bulgaria.

The race at 5 km joined several foreign athletes with disabilities, who were also training at "Belmeken." At the end of the ceremony each of them received a small gift from the organizers, then everyone – winners, participants, para-athletes, organizers and official guests gathered around the podium for a photo as a souvenir.

Once again we should congratulate the organizers for the excellent preparation and conduction of the race and lets wish on August, 21st next year even more athletes from different nationalities to be at the start.

SKI.BG
August 21st, 2012

SKI.BG is the official media partner of SIVEN ROLLERSKI CUP.

The official results of SIVEN ROLLER SKI Cup 2012 can be found in cross-country skiing > RESULTS (Bulgarian language).

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