Bozhidar Saraboyukov has rewritten Bulgarian athletics history. On 14 July 2026, the reigning European indoor champion soared 8.49 metres in the long jump at the Yordanka Arizanova Memorial tournament in Plovdiv, setting an all-time national record for Bulgarian athletes indoors and outdoors combined, according to 24 Chasa.
The jump came on his sixth and final attempt, beating his own previous best of 8.45 metres. That earlier mark had itself stood as the Bulgarian all-time record. The Bulgarian Athletics Federation confirmed the achievement, noting it is the finest leap ever recorded by a Bulgarian athlete in any setting.
A message from Monaco to Plovdiv
The context makes the result even sweeter. Just days earlier, Saraboyukov had finished fourth at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco with 8.36 metres, a result that left him frustrated. He described that performance as a disappointment where he could not feel the joy of his jumps. He registered for the Plovdiv memorial specifically to prove a point, 24 Chasa reports.
On the evening in Plovdiv, things clicked. All six of his attempts cleared eight metres, something he says he has never achieved in a single competition before. He credited faith, patience and hard work for the timing of the breakthrough: "Hard work pays off sooner or later. God is watching and I am really glad I did it in front of a Bulgarian crowd, to experience that emotion," he said, as reported by 24 Chasa.
Third in the world, with Birmingham ahead
The record places Saraboyukov third on the global seasonal rankings. Ahead of him, according to 24 Chasa, sit only Olympic and world champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece with 8.61 metres and Switzerland's Simon Ehammer with 8.51 metres. That is rare company for a Bulgarian track-and-field athlete in an Olympic discipline.
