Georgi Palakarski, one of the longstanding figures in Bulgarian biathlon, has died at the age of 72 – . He passed away following a car accident, a brief stay in hospital and numerous underlying conditions, BNT reported.
The Bulgarian Biathlon Federation expressed its condolences to his family and loved ones. “He left a lasting and significant mark on the development of biathlon in the country,” the federation said.
Coach of the Olympic team in Calgary
Palakarski was head coach of Bulgaria’s Olympic biathlon team at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. He later worked as a coach in Slovenia, where he continued his professional career in sport.
For many years, he taught in the Department of “Snow Sports” at the Vasil Levski National Sports Academy in Sofia. His work involved training athletes and developing biathlon in academic and sporting circles.
Many years of work in Borovets
Georgi Palakarski was also the longtime director of the Mountain Training and Sports Base in Borovets. The National Sports Academy facility is used for ski and biathlon training and is associated with the education of generations of athletes and students.
His name also appears in archival materials from the Bulgarian Biathlon Federation dedicated to the history of the sport in Bulgaria. In them, Palakarski is presented as a coach who worked with Bulgarian biathletes and contributed to the development of the national school.
The Bulgarian Biathlon Federation paid tribute to his memory and expressed its condolences to his loved ones.
Sources: bntnews.bg, biathlon.bg