Albert Popov managed a historic achievement. Although not finished in the first run of the last slalom season of the regular World Cup program in Kranjska Gora, Popov secured his participation in the World Cup finals.
They will be held in Saldeu (Andorra) next week and will feature the best 25 of each discipline during the season.
Today Popov is out of points, but still in the overall standings he is the 21st with 95 points and thus makes his participation in the slalom of the best in Andorra, which will be held next Sunday.
World Cup finals have been held since 1993, and Albert has become the first Bulgarian to take part in them.
Regarding today's race, Popov said the bad track has helped a lot for his dropping out.
"I started with the 20th number, the track already had a lot of holes, it collapsed, the weather did not allow the terrain to get better at night, I made a big mistake at the beginning, the track was not helping, but I kept going, but I had chances to get in Top 30. But the bottom hole took me out of the track and I did not finish, "he added.
Kamen Zlatkov took 35th place in the first round, lagging only 0.16 seconds from entering the second. On March 11, Popov and John Todorov will start in Kranjska Gora in the giant slalom of the European Cup finals. Popov then goes to Soldeu. Todorov and Kamen Zlatkov will participate in the 12th and in the slalom of the EC finals in Kranjska Gora.