Ivanka Khristova

Ivanka Marinova Hristova was a Bulgarian shot putter, born on 19 November 1941 in Osikovitsa, Bulgaria. She established herself as one of the premier throwers of her era, representing Bulgaria on the world stage throughout the 1970s.

Hristova's greatest achievement came at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where she claimed the gold medal in the shot put. This triumph built on her earlier Olympic success at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where she had won the bronze medal. She further cemented her status as a dominant force in European athletics by winning the 1976 European Indoor Championships.

Hristova passed away on 24 February 2022 at the age of 80, leaving behind a legacy as one of Bulgaria's most accomplished track and field athletes and an Olympic champion in the shot put.