Former Southern Methodist University (SMU) swimmer and current Bulgarian national record holder, Nina Rangelova, is one of 16 contestants in the running for title of Miss Bulgaria in USA 2015. The soon-to-be 25 year-old will compete against the other women, all Bulgarian-born, but living across the United States, for not only the crystal-encrusted crown, but also for a cash prize of $7,000.
Originally from Plovdiv, Bulgaria but now living in Dallas, Texas, Rangelova will trade in her goggles for more posh attire, as the 5’8’ athlete will compete in the categories of ‘designer dress’, ‘swimsuit’ and ‘evening wear’ in an effort to promote Bulgarian beauty and culture within the United States. According to the ‘Miss Bulgaria in USA’ organzation, the competition is more than a beauty contest – it is an opportunity to become a dynamic contributor to the Bulgarian collective.
Rangelova has certainly continued to add to the Bulgarian swimming collective thus far this year, having recently competed at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan. She finished in 16th place after the semifinals of the women’s 200m freestyle, and also swam in the heats of the women’s 50m and 100m freestyle events. Earlier this year, Rangelova had already earned 3 2016 Rio Olympic FINA “B” qualifying times (50m/100m/200m free) with her strong performances at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa. In doing so Rangelova became the first Bulgarian swimmers to surpass FINA Olympic standard cuts up to that point since the qualifying period opened on March 1st.
The actual ‘Miss Bulgaria in the USA’ contest takes place on October 24th in Chicago, but Rangelova fans can cast their vote for her in the “Popular Choice Award” category via Facebook here. The girl with the most votes/likes will be given the Popular Choice Award at the show.