Bronze Olympic medalist Lora Hristova was honored with the traditional "Athlete of the Month" award by Press Club "Bulgaria" during a ceremony at the Press Club of the "Vasil Levski" National Stadium. The distinction was accompanied by a special gift – a brand-new Ford Puma provided by Moto-Pfohe – a gesture of recognition for the young biathlete's achievements and support for her future success.
The "Athlete of the Month" award is one of the most established traditions among sports journalists in Bulgaria and a symbol of respect for the country's most prominent athletes. Along with the honor, Lora Hristova received the traditional "Golden Bulgaria" pin. Symbolically, its first recipient was Ekaterina Dafovska – Bulgaria's first gold medalist from the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano 1998.
A special moment in the ceremony was the presentation of the keys to the brand-new Ford Puma from Moto-Pfohe.
The model is a modern compact crossover featuring a sporty design, dynamic handling, and advanced safety and connectivity technologies. The vehicle combines an efficient engine with a high level of comfort, making it ideal for both city driving and long trips.
The President of the Bulgarian Biathlon Federation, Atanas Furnadzhiev, emphasized that the award is recognition not only for this specific success but also for Lora's potential to reach even higher peaks in her career. As a sign of gratitude for her accomplishments and as an incentive for future victories, the federation also presented Hristova with a check for 20,000 euros.
“Lora is at a tender age for biathlon and has plenty of time to build upon what she has achieved. I wish for her to one day reach Olympic gold,” Furnadzhiev stated.
The ceremony was also attended by the federation's General Secretary and the national team's assistant coach, Borislav Pankov, who works directly with Hristova. According to him, the young biathlete's results are evidence of the potential of the new generation of Bulgarian competitors.
“Lora's successes bring confidence for the future of Bulgarian biathlon. We are entering the next Olympic cycle with great potential in both the women's and men's categories,” Pankov commented.
Lora Hristova herself thanked the federation, the coaches, and the entire team behind her preparation for their support.
“This medal is a dream come true and motivates me even more. I hope this success ignites a spark in many young athletes and shows that great results can be achieved here in Bulgaria,” she said.
Lora, who is also a three-time world champion in summer biathlon, emphasized that she is already looking toward her next goals – new strong seasons and more medals from World Championships and Olympic Games.
“The goal is for every next day to be better than the previous one,” Hristova said.
During the event, it was also noted that Bulgarian biathlon has a promising young generation of competitors, including Georgi Dzhorgov – Bulgaria's first world gold medalist – Georgi Naumov, and Raya Adzhamova. The federation's ambition is to build on these achievements during the next Olympic cycle and elevate the national team to an even higher world-class level.
