Achievements
2011- World Swimming Championships China: 25 km 1st place
2011- Europien Swimming Championships Israel: 25 km 2ed place
2011 Winner of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix
2010 Winner of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix
2010 Inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
2009 Winner of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix
2009 Inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Fort Lauderdale, FL
2008 Winner of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China: 10 km 6th place
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China: flag bearer for the Bulgarian Olympic team
2007 Holder of the world record for the fastest ever verified swim of the English Channel: 6 hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds. The first swimmer to make the English Channel swim crossing in less than 7 hours.
2007 Winner of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix
2006 Winner of the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup
2005 World Swimming Championships Montreal, Canada: 10 km 3rd place, 25 km 3rd place
2005 Winner of the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup
2004 Winner of the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece: 400 m freestyle and 1500 m freestyle
2004 European Swimming Championships Madrid, Spain: 25 km 3rd place
2003 World Swimming Championships Barcelona, Spain: 25 km 3rd place
2003 Winner of the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup
2002 Winner of the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup
2001 Winner of the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup
2000 FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup 3 rd place;
2000 World Championships Open Water Swimming – Honolulu, Hawaii: 10 km 2nd place, 5 km 12th place;
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia: 400 m freestyle 35th place, 1500 m freestyle 30th place;
2000 European Championships, Helsinki, Finland: 1500 m freestyle 10th place, 5 km 6th place;
2000 World Championships Short Course, Athens, Greece: 400 m freestyle 16th place, 1500 m freestyle 11th place;
1999 FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup 2nd place;
1999 European Championships, Istanbul, Turkey: 5 km 9th place, 25 km 4th place;
1995 European Championships, Vienna, Austria: 5 km 6th place, 25 km 12th place;
1993 Started marathon swimming: first event Ohrid, Macedonia – 2nd place;
1993 European Youths Championship: 1500 m freestyle – 2nd place, 400 m freestyle – 3rd place;
1992-2004 Many times national champion and record holder: 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle;
1983 Started swimming at the age of 6.