The Bulgarian athletics delegation achieved significant results on the first day of the European U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland. National champion Natali Kostova qualified for the final round in the high jump, confirming the ambitions of young Bulgarian talents.

In the qualifying series, Kostova recorded eighth place with a performance of 1.77 meters, successfully passing through the initial heights. Her attempts included jumps of 1.69 and 1.73 meters, and in direct competition with Finnish athlete Aino Alto, she shared the sixth position.

The final high jump competition for girls is scheduled for August 10, Sunday, at 5:30 PM Bulgarian time. The second Bulgarian representative in the discipline, Iren Sarboukova, finished in last place, 21st, with a height of 1.69 meters, facing certain technical challenges during the competition.

Parallel to her performance, Radina Velichkova, the European U18 champion in the 100-meter sprint from 2024, was eliminated in the semifinals. She finished fifth in the second series with a time of 11.85 seconds in side conditions of -0.3 m/s, ranking her 16th in the overall standings.

In the men's competition, Dimitar Pandeliev failed to advance in the 800 meters, finishing seventh in the second series with a time of 1:54.08 minutes. His elimination further highlighted the challenges faced by young Bulgarian athletes in the international arena.

The performance of Bulgarian athletes demonstrates potential and ambition among the young generation of track and field athletes who continue to fight for international recognition.