site.btaBulgarian Kickboxers Bring Back Five Gold Medals from Kickboxing Championship in Antalya

Bulgarian athletes won five gold medals at the European Kickboxing Championships in Antalya (Turkey), after the national team took two more on the last day.

Kiril Iliev is now a two-time European champion after securing the gold in two separate tatami styles (kicklight contact and light contact) in the under 57kg category.

In the same style for women, Kalina Koleva became European vice-champion in kickboxing in the under 55 kg category. Before that she also took bronze on the tatami in point fighting style.

Alexandra Dimitrova became European Champion in Antalya, defeating the representative of the hosts Eminne Aslan in the up to 52 kg category in the full contact style. Dimitrova's title carries a lot of weight because of her opponent's stellar trackrecord. Emine Aslan is a two-time world champion from the 2019 and 2021 championships.

Bulgaria thus ends the championships with five gold, five silver medals and ten bronze medals.

The European champions are Borislav Radulov (point fighting, category up to 57 kg), Kiril Iliev (light contact, category up to 57 kg), Kiril Iliev (kicklight, category up to 57 kg), Ognyan Mirchev (K1, category up to 63.5 kg), Alexandra Dimitrova (full contact, category up to 52 kg).

Silver medals also went to Kalina Koleva (kicklight, up to 55 kg), Kristina Nikolova (kicklight, up to 50 kg), Mario Arzhanov (full contact, up to 54 kg), Ali Yuseir (K1, up to 75 kg) and Hristo Kalaidjiev (low kick, up to 86 kg).

Bronze went to Kalina Koleva (point fighting, 55 kg), Kristina Nikolova (point fighting, 50 kg), Kristina Nikolova (light contact, up to 50 kg), Ivan Krystanov (kicklight contact, 79 kg),  Mikhail Georgiev (kicklight, 63 kg), Petyo Futlev (kicklight contact, 69 kg), Georgi Denev (K1, 57 kg), Alexander Ribnikov (low kick, 67 kg), Ilia Nenov (low kick, 81 kg), Teodor Hristov (K1, 81 kg).

The Bulgarian referee Denitsa Milenkova received the prize for the best referee on the women's tatami at the European Championships in Antalya, and Kamen Slavov received a higher category "B" international referee.