Bulgaria Skating Champion Denies Partner Staviski Is in Sofia

Albena Denkova, Bulgarian world champion figure skater, has denied reports that her skating partner Maksim Staviski had been seen driving a jeep in the streets of Sofia.

"For a long time we’ve been working with Maxim in Russia, and we have not been back to Bulgaria since the summer. I have come back for a few days, but he is in Moscow and has not returned,” Denkova has stated on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the local online service, Dir.bg, had copied information from BLITZ Agency, which in turn referred to Galeria Newspaper, stating that Staviski was seen driving his Hummer jeep on the streets of the capital, despite the 4-year driving ban imposed on him after the accident that occurred in August 2007.

A deadly crash occurred after Staviski, at the wheel of the Hummer vehicle, veered into the opposite lane on a bridge over the Ropotamo River near the coastal city of Burgas, crashing headlong into another car with four people riding in it.

The driver was killed, while one of his passengers - 18-year-old Manuela Gorsova - was in a coma for almost a year. Stviski received a 2,5 year suspended sentence, with probation of 5 years, in addition to the driving ban.

Denkova added: "I don't know where the jeep is at the moment, but I can say that neither Maxim not I have been in that jeep since the day of the accident two years ago.”

According to Denkova, it was high time for the media to stop all speculation and sensation about Staviski and her.