Published on 27 January 2025 Yoana Ilieva won the Grand Prix tournament of the Fencing World Cup in Plovdiv, marking a historic achievement for Bulgarian fencing. This is the first individual victory for Bulgaria in women's fencing at the highest level. The NSA "Vasil Levski" student claimed the trophy by showcasing remarkable confidence and skill. Ilieva demonstrated outstanding form against 175 fencers from 32 countries, including eight of the world's top ten ranked athletes. A protégé of Ivaylo Vodenov and the "Svechnikov" club, she performed exceptionally well in all her matches. Yoana started confidently against China's Yun Chen, securing a decisive 15:5 victory. In the match for a spot among the top 16, she overcame France's Kelly Loussani with 15:11, and for a place in the Top 8, she defeated Hungary's Sugar Katinka Battai with 15:8. On her way to the final, Ilieva continued her impressive streak against Xinyu Zhang (China) with 15:10 and Greece's Despina Georgiadou with 15:8. In the final bout for the trophy, the Bulgarian faced Italy's Chiara Mormile. The clash was evenly matched until 11:11, after which Yoana displayed exceptional focus and class, triumphing 15:13 to the delight of the audience. Prior to this, the national athlete had secured two third-place finishes in World Cup tournaments. "I am very happy and grateful to the audience, who supported me throughout the tournament," Ilieva shared after her victory. "In the two tournaments where I finished third, I felt and knew I could achieve more. This time, I felt that Plovdiv would be my place. I was very calm, even when I reached the semifinals and knew the most important match was coming to surpass my previous results and reach the final. I was very positive and enjoyed playing on home soil. Now, my main goal this year is the World Championship in Georgia. But my ultimate dream is the Olympic Games in Los Angeles." Photos: Bulgarian Fencing Federation | 
