SMSU swimmer heads to Greece

Southwest Missouri State University Bears swimmer Raichin Antonov has qualified to be part of the Olympic team in his home country of Bulgaria, according to a news release from SMSU.

Antonov, who will be a senior during the 2004-2005 school year, qualified for the Bulgarian Olympic team in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle events.

Antonov, a native of Sofia, Bulgaria, has been the Bears' top freestyle sprinter for the past two seasons. He won the 50-yard event in the Missouri Valley Invitational this year, with a record time of 20.57 seconds, and he was second in both the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. He won the 100-yard butterfly title and took second in both freestyle sprints in the Missouri Valley Conference championship in 2003.

Antonov will be the second SMSU swimmer to participate in Olympic competition. Former Bear Roberto Bonilla swam for Guatemala in the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain.

Antonov has been a member of the Bulgarian national team since 1996, when he came to SMSU. He won national titles in the 100-yard freestyle in 2001 and the 100-yard butterfly in 2000. He also finished as a national runner up in the 50-, 200- and 400-yard freestyle events.