Bulgaria's Zlateva Tearful: Silver Medal Is Such a Shame!

Sports | August 10, 2012, Friday // 14:09
Bulgaria: Bulgaria's Zlateva Tearful: Silver Medal Is Such a Shame! Photo by Georgi Filipov, Dnevnik.bg

With tears welling up in her eyes, Bulgaria's top female wrestler Stanka Zlateva could not hide her disappointment after Russian Vorobieva dashed her dreams for an Olympic gold.

"I lost, just like I always do," crest-fallen and repenting Zlateva told Bulgarian journalist after she failed to redeem herself for the disappointment she suffered four years ago in Beijing and settled for silver again, this time in London.

"Just when I have no right to make mistakes, I do the biggest mistakes, this is the worst thing."

"This is a big shame and disgrace, but there is no going back. I will have to carry my cross."

Asked about what she is planning to do next, Zlateva said that she will take a rest, but the tears overwhelmed her and asking the reporters to excuse her, headed for the dressing room sobbing.

Natalia Vorobieva of Russia dashed Bulgaria's dreams for a gold medal, even though Zlateva was in great shape and showed perfect tactics in the first part of the game.

Zlateva looked on course to improve on her silver medal from Beijing when she took the opening round by a single point.

However, Vorobieva pinned the world number one in the second round to clinch the gold medal.

This is the second Olympic silver medal in Zlateva's fabulous career, which however lacks Olympic gold only. This is also the first distinction gained for Bulgaria in the Olympic Games in London.

The five-time world wrestling champion reached the 72 kilograms freestyle finals of the Olympic Games on what could have proved to be one of the most successful days after winning over Spain's Maider Unda.

Earlier in the day Zlateva defeated Jenny Fransson of Sweden convincingly 3:0 after winning against world bronze medalist Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus in a tough opening match up.

In an incredible run of victories Zlateva beat Annabel Laure Ali (Cameroon) 3-1.

Prior to the Olympic Games Bulgaria's top female wrestler Stanka Zlateva found her way into a list of the ten top Olympians, whom everybody should watch even though they are flying under the radar.

Composed by Dominic Bossi for the Sydney Morning Herald, the ranking features stars like Laura Flessel-Colovic, Anky van Grunsven, Olafur Stefansson, Lin Dan.

Zlateva came at spot three and was presented to the readers as the tough lady who managed to beat the heroics of Novak Djokovic and be crowned the Balkan Athlete of 2010.

"So fearsome is her reputation throughout Bulgaria that competitors have preferred to forfeit bouts in national finals instead of facing the champion wrestler. The five-time world and European champion rivals Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov as the country's most prominent star," the article says.

At the end of 2011 Stanka Zlateva was named Bulgaria's best sports personality for a second year in a row.

Zlateva, who won that year her impressive fifth world title in female wrestling, was picked ahead of swimmer Petar Stoychev, while wrestler Elis Guri was declared third.

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Tags: London 2012, Olympic Games, Stanka Zlateva, London Olympics, wrestling, wrestler, summer Olympics

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