Petya Pendareva

Petya Pendareva was a Bulgarian track and field athlete who specialised as a sprinter. At the age of 19 Pendareva competed at the 1990 World Junior Championships in Bulgaria where she reached the semi-finals in the 100 metres and finished sixth in the 4 × 100 metres relay. One year later she had made it into the senior Bulgarian team as part of the quartet for the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo. Pendareva won her first medal at a major competition with bronze in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1994 European Championships in Helsinki. Her consistent performances earned her a place on the Olympic team for the 1996 Atlanta Games where she ran in the 100 metres and the relay.

Pendareva continued to have good performances at international meets, finishing sixth in the 100 metres at the 1998 European Championships and the 60 metres at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. Her best result came at the 2000 European Indoor Championships in Belgium when she won silver in the 60 metres. Later that same year she ran in the 100 metres at the Sydney Olympics where she reached the quarter-finals.

Following her retirement Pendareva became a coach, creating her own athletics club where she worked with promising young athletes. She also opened her own fashion boutique in her hometown of Kazanlak.

Personal Bests: 100 – 11.12 (1998).