Dimitri Petrov was born in the small spa town of Varshets in the Balkan Mountains in north-west Bulgaria. The slopes of the mountains provided Petrov with the perfect preparation to take part in skiing competitions, with him soon competing for the national team. In 1956 he became the Bulgarian cross-country skiing champion, earning himself a place at the Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics. At the Games, however, he had a disappointing performance in the 15 km event, finishing 53rd out of 62 competitors. He continued to compete, placing seventh in the 15 km at the 1957 Universiade, before finishing 10th in the Curicala Cup in Italy in 1959. By the late 1960s Petrov had won multiple 10 and 15 km titles in the sport, with him then working as a coach until the late 1980s.
Bulgaria