Petăr Popangelov (Bulgarian: Петър Попангелов, born January 31, 1959, in the city of
Samokov
Samokov ( bg, Самоков ) is a town in Sofia Province in the southwest of Bulgaria. It is situated in a basin between the mountains Rila and Vitosha, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia. Due to the suitable winter sports conditions, Sam ...
) is a
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
n
alpine skier
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...
known at home by his nickname "Pepe" Popangelov. He won the 1977 European Cup in slalom
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
in
Lenggries
Lenggries is a municipality and a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the center of the Isarwinkel, the region along the Isar between Bad Tölz and Wallgau. The town has about 9,500 inhabitants. By area, it is the largest rural municipality ("Gemeinde" ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. He continued racing in World Cup events for more than a decade from 1977 through 1988, finishing eleven times in first, second, or third place.
Biography
Pepe Popangelov competed in four Winter Olympiads. He took sixth place in two of those outings at the 1980 games in Lake Placid and at the 1984 games in Sarajevo. He won 26 Bulgarian national championships during his career.
Popangelov's father, the late Petar Popangelov Senior, was "Pepe's" trainer and was a famous Bulgarian ski champion in his own right who competed in five Winter Olympiads.
After earning such distinctions, the Popangelov family was awarded property in the Bulgarian ski resort of Borovets where they built their own bed & breakfast lodge and ski school known as the Hotel Popangelov. Pepe runs it with his wife Zoya. They have two daughters. The fireplace mantel and an entire wall in the hotel restaurant display a collection of photos and memorabilia chronicling Pepe Popangelov's ski career from toddler to champion, including a few of his 128 cups and 180 medals. He remains Bulgaria's best skier of all time.
One of the ski pistes in Borovets was renamed "Popangelov" in honor of Pepe. It is the site of an annual youth ski competition launched in 2010 in memory of the senior Popangelov, where Pepe personally awards trophies to aspiring boys and girls. Pepe Popangelov appears at international ski competitions held in Bulgaria and has been the advertising face of elite brand skis and automobiles.
Europa Cup results
Popangelov has won an overall Europa Cup.
*
FIS Alpine Ski Europa Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski Europa Cup is a second level international alpine skiing circuit organized annually by the International Ski Federation (FIS) beginning with the 1971-1972 season.
Although held in Europe, these races are also open to non-Eu ...
**Overall: 1977
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Popangelov, Petar
1959 births
Living people
People from Samokov
Bulgarian male alpine skiers
Olympic alpine skiers for Bulgaria
Alpine skiers at the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiers at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiers at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiers at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Sportspeople from Sofia Province