LONDON (GBR), FIG Office, July 28, 2012: For a man who claims his “body is falling apart”, Iordan Iovtchev is not doing too badly.
The 39-year-old Bulgarian made Olympic history on the opening day of the Artistic Gymnastics competition by becoming the first gymnast to participate at six different Games – and he duly marked the occasion by claiming a place in the Rings Final, the one event in which he is taking part.
The fact he had been out until the early hours of Saturday morning after carrying the Bulgarian flag in Friday night’s Opening Ceremony only underlined the scale of his achievement in qualifying with a score of 15.308.
He said: “It was the first time I’ve carried the flag. I stayed up until three in the morning but I didn’t care because 50 per cent of my duty here was the carrying the flag and the other 50 per cent is to compete so I’ve done all I wish to do. You know, I feel good to have made the final at 39 years old.”
One of only two Bulgarians competing in Artistics Gymnastics in London – the other, Ralitsa Mileva, features in women’s qualifying on Sunday – he was pleased to carry the flag for its potential knock-on effect for the sport in Bulgaria. “Carrying the flag is an honour and I think it motivates a lot the other guys, creating a positive energy.”
The prospect of providing an even bigger boost by winning his fifth Olympic medal is less likely, however. Iovtchev won bronze medals in Floor and Rings at Sydney 2000 and four years later in Sydney took a silver in Rings and a bronze in Floor. This time round he admits his hopes are slight: “For a medal there is always a hope but to be realistic, barely making eighth place [to get] in the finals is already telling me it is not [likely]. There is hope but not that much.
“Even if I get eighth place it’s great,” added Iovtchev, who was 19 when he competed in his first Games at Barcelona 20 years ago. Now in his fourth decade, he has no intention of carrying on competing after the Rings final on August 6, which promises to be his swansong.
“It is my last,” he insisted. “I am almost 40 years old. People keep saying ‘find something else to do’. My body is falling apart and I don’t want to bother anymore.” After all he has given the sport, who can blame him?
Check out an interview with Iordan Iovchev on the FIG YouTube channel.
