Bulgaria’s Tezdzhan Naimova after the women's 100m (© Getty Images)
A new training schedule and a renewed approach to the sport are the secrets behind Tezdzhan Naimova’s success at the IAAF World Junior Championships.
The Bulgarian sprinter was relatively unknown before this year, but an 11.23 personal best in June and a wind-assisted 11.11 one month later thrust her into the frame as one to watch out for in Beijing. Nevertheless, the favoured runners to take the title were American duo Alexandria Anderson and Gabby Mayo – the two fastest juniors in the world this year.
But Naimova was never fazed by their presence and got down to business as soon as she stepped onto the track. Her heat and semi-final performances were won with metres to spare and Naimova emerged as a serious gold medal threat when running 11.53 into a -1.8m/s headwind to qualify for the final.
Looking every bit as sharp as she had done the day before, Naimova sped to a superb winning time of 11.28 – again into a headwind – to beat Mayo and 15-year-old Carrie Russell of Jamaica to the gold medal.
Naimova won by over a metre, just as she had done in the previous rounds, and pre-race favourite Anderson had to settle for fifth behind another 15-year-old, Asha Phillip of Great Britain.
“I’m very happy and I’m still in shock,” said Naimova after winning. “I don’t think I fully appreciate what has just happened and what I’ve achieved.”
Back in Bulgaria, however, they are no stranger to World junior sprint champions, and Naimova becomes the second woman from her country to win the 100m title at these championships – the previous winner being Nora Ivanova in 1996.
It is a country which is quickly gaining a reputation for producing great sprinters, especially in recent years with European indoor 200m champion Ivet Lalova and European 400m champion Vanya Stambolova being some of the greatest Bulgarian success stories.
“It is great that Bulgaria has such a strong sprint team and it makes me very happy,” said Naimova, who competed in the 60m and 4x400m relay at this year’s IAAF World Indoor Championships. “I hope that we can continue to improve so that we will have strong relay teams.”
But Naimova is quick to point out that she does not idolise her Bulgarian team-mates and is keen to make a name for herself in athletics. “I am trying to make my own way in this sport,” said the 19-year-old, before boldly adding: “Maybe one day Ivet Lalova will become one of my biggest rivals.”
With a World junior gold already round her neck, you would be brave to bet against Naimova scoring similar success on the senior stage. Her 11.23 personal best was the fastest 100m performance by a European junior since Lalova’s national junior record of 11.14 in 2003.
“I have improved this year thanks to many hours of training and hard work,” says Naimova, who is coached by Stoyko Çorrov – a former 16.86m triple-jumper – at the Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2004 club in Bulgaria.
“This year I have taken a much more professional approach to training, which helped me break my PB and to come and win here. Every hour has been dedicated to this.”
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
