Viktoria Angelova becomes first Bulgarian to win European Rising Star award

Bulgarian triple jumper Viktoria Angelova, 17, has become the first woman from her country to win the European Athletics Rising Star award, the Bulgarian Athletics Federation announced on Facebook.

The world and European junior champion received the award at the annual Golden Tracks ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Angelova beat two other finalists: Czech hurdler Linda Botkova, the European under-18 champion in the 400 metres hurdles, and Slovenia's Živa Remič, who won the European under-18 and world under-20 titles in the 800 metres this season.

The award follows a remarkable season for Angelova, who is coached by Georgi Pomashki. In July, she won the European under-18 triple jump title in Rieti, Italy, with a leap of 13.98 metres, setting a championship record and recording the world's best under-18 mark of the season.

Less than a month later, she won the world under-20 title in Eugene, United States, with a jump of 13.91 metres, claiming gold in an older age group at just 17.

Previous winners of the women's European Athletics Rising Star award include Olympic and world champions Nafissatou Thiam, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Femke Bol and Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova