1988 Olympic Games - Swimming - Women's 100 Meter Breaststroke - Tania Dangalakova BUL

After the 1986 World Championships, Bulgaria’s Tanya Dangalakova took a year off from competition, giving birth to a daughter, Anna, born in June 1987. She required further surgery in October 1987, and was hoping just to win a medal in Seoul, as the gold medal in the 100 breast was conceded to East German Silke Hörner, who had already won the 200 breaststroke in world record time, with Dangalakova fourth. In qualifying Dangalakova and Hörner tied for the best time with 1:08.35. Dangalakova realized that the prelims had felt easy and actually predicted that she could break the world record in the final.

That was not to be, but she did win the gold medal. Hörner led the final at 50 metres in world record pace, but Dangalakova was on her shoulder, and the Bulgarian had much more left, coming home for gold in 1:07.95, the second fastest time ever, behind Hörner’s world record. Dangalakova’s teammate Antoaneta Frenkova also finished strongly and passed Hörner for the silver.