Ivet Lalova
Ivet Lalova was born on May 18, 1984, in Sofia. She began in sport at the age of ten with swimming and gymnastics, but quickly gave them up and transferred to track and field. Lalova’s father Miroslav Lalov was a national sprinter with bests of 10.4 and 21.9 (Bulgarian champion at 200m in 1966). Also Ivet’s mother, Liliya Petrunova was a talented sprinter with 12.2 and 25.4 personal bests.
Lalova's first coach was Konstantin Milanov. In 2000 Ivet Lalova won a national title for the first time. That year she became Bulgarian Youth champion at 100m with 12.14 at the championships held in Sofia. Lalova took fourth place at 200m at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecer 2001.
In 2003 she became double European Junior champion at 100 (11.43) and 200m (22.88) in Tampere, Finland. At the 200m Lalova beat the Swede Jenny Ljunggren by 0.47 of a second. Lalova is the eighth European woman to have won this particular championship double In 2004, Lalova strode to an indoor national record for 200m of 22.87 (February 1). Ivet also continued with her excellent performances outdoors over the longer sprint, setting a 22.58 personal best on 20 June. At 100m Lalova began her summer with a 11.14 and an 11.32 clocking in rainy Plovdiv (June 5) to win the national title.
The following race was her astonishing 10.77 national record run in Plovdiv on June 19. Lalova became the third Bulgarian woman - after Aneliya Nuneva (10.85) and Nadezhda Georgieva (10.95 windy) to run 100m in under 11 seconds. At the Athens Olympics 2004 Lalova recorded Bulgaria's best performance so far, entering both 100m and 200m finals and ending fourth in the 100m finish.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Ivet Lalova placed 4th overall in the women's 100m competition, and 5th in the 200m. At the 2005 European Indoor Athletics Championships, she was awarded a gold medal for her time of 22.91 seconds in the 200m. On 19 June 2004 in Plovdiv she ran a tie for the 6th quickest 100m recorded among women, at 10.77 seconds. Currently Lalova is recovering from an injury.
In 2003 she became double European Junior champion at 100 (11.43) and 200m (22.88) in Tampere, Finland. At the 200m Lalova beat the Swede Jenny Ljunggren by 0.47 of a second. Lalova is the eighth European woman to have won this particular championship double In 2004, Lalova strode to an indoor national record for 200m of 22.87 (February 1). Ivet also continued with her excellent performances outdoors over the longer sprint, setting a 22.58 personal best on 20 June. At 100m Lalova began her summer with a 11.14 and an 11.32 clocking in rainy Plovdiv (June 5) to win the national title.
The following race was her astonishing 10.77 national record run in Plovdiv on June 19. Lalova became the third Bulgarian woman - after Aneliya Nuneva (10.85) and Nadezhda Georgieva (10.95 windy) to run 100m in under 11 seconds. At the Athens Olympics 2004 Lalova recorded Bulgaria's best performance so far, entering both 100m and 200m finals and ending fourth in the 100m finish.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Ivet Lalova placed 4th overall in the women's 100m competition, and 5th in the 200m. At the 2005 European Indoor Athletics Championships, she was awarded a gold medal for her time of 22.91 seconds in the 200m. On 19 June 2004 in Plovdiv she ran a tie for the 6th quickest 100m recorded among women, at 10.77 seconds. Currently Lalova is recovering from an injury.
