Vessela Letcheva, President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, and Mihail Vanchev, a well-known Plovdiv journalist and public figure, received honorary medals at the World Rowing Championships as a token of gratitude for their support in organizing the Under-19 World Championships in Plovdiv.
Vessela Letcheva expressed the Bulgarian Olympic Committee’s respect for all young athletes and wished them that the championship in Plovdiv would be part of their journey to Olympic glory. She also took part in the official opening of the championships; on the final day, she participated in the medal ceremony; and during the official closing ceremony, Lechova herself was honored by World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland, who is a member of the IOC.
For 15 years, Mihail Vanchev has been responsible for part of the media operations and has coordinated the massive teams of volunteers who make every major championship possible. This year he turned 70, but he continues to enthusiastically assist his younger colleagues, both at the press center and throughout the entire Plovdiv Rowing Complex!
“Thanks to the excellent work of a huge team of people, our athletes had excellent conditions. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to the tremendous success of this championship. My admiration goes to Plovdiv and the Organizing Committee. Your traditions and experience helped us put on an excellent competition,” said World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Roland.
Bulgaria’s participation in the championships concluded with Rumyana Stoyanova finishing 4th in Final B of the women’s single sculls, which placed her 10th in the final standings.
Plovdiv’s uniqueness as a host for the World Rowing Championships was further demonstrated during the closing ceremony. At that time, Jean-Christophe Roland accepted the World Rowing Federation flag from Organizing Committee Chairman Ivan Popov—which is supposed to be handed over to the next host—and immediately returned it to him, since in 2027 Plovdiv will host the Under-19 World Championships and the Under-23 World Championships
