Aleksandra Zhekova
Aleksandra Schekowa ( Bulgarian Александра Жекова; born October 5, 1987 in Sofia) is a Bulgarian snowboarder.
Career
Made her international début at the age of 13 years Schekowa at youth competitions of the FIS in Italy in 2001. She quickly reached in March while the podium ranks. The Snowboard Junior World Championship 2003 in Prato Nevoso they achieved a good result with rank 10 in snowboard cross. In addition, they landed in the Parallel Giant Slalom ranked 24th in March Schekowa launched for the first time in the Snowboard European Cup. On February 7, 2004, she finally gave in Berchtesgaden at the age of 16 years, her debut in Snowboard World Cup. Here she succeeded in its first A- rank competition with 18 of the first World Cup points win.
The Snowboard Junior World Championship 2004 Schekowa reached in the parallel giant slalom in Klínovec the 22nd place, before she went to court 37 at snowboard cross in Klingenthal. After two successful launches in the European Schekowa won her first national title at the Bulgarian Championships 2004 in Pamporovo in the parallel giant slalom. In Parallel Slalom, she landed in fifth place.
After Schekowa in the World Cup reached the points twice in December 2004, she was awarded a place at the snowboard World Cup 2005 in Whistler. After Rank 29 in snowboard cross, she was disqualified in the parallel giant slalom. The World Cup, she finished 43rd in the parallel slalom. The following Bulgarian championship in 2005 in Pamporovo they missed the defense of their title from last year almost. Their only success was the silver medal in the parallel slalom. A little later she was in the second part of the championships in Berchtesgaden and Bansko still win bronze and gold in snowboard cross.
The Snowboard Junior World Championships 2005 in Zermatt Schekowa missed as fourth in snowboard cross and parallel giant slalom medal just barely. From September 2005 she finally belonged firmly to the World Cup squad. This Schekowa could always continue to improve its performance in snowboard cross and finally focused more on this discipline. In Bad Gastein, she reached in January 2006 as Sixth first time a top- 10 ranking. A little later she stood as third parties on the Kronplatz first time at a World Cup podium.
The Snowboard Junior World Cup 2006 in South Korea Vivaldi Park Schekowa achieved two seventh places. Just a week later, she traveled to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. There Schekow failed in Parallel Giant Slalom and Snowboard Cross already in the qualifying rounds and ended the competition on the courts 25 and 22 A little later in the Bulgarian Championships in her hometown of Sofia, she won silver in the big air in Borovets them a little later also won bronze in the parallel Giant Slalom. After a victory in the European Cup in April in Bansko Schekowa launched in October 2006 again in the World Cup.
After two points finishes in Bad Gastein she reached the qualification for the Snowboard World Most shank 2007 Arosa. The World Cup was mixed for Schekowa. Highest ranking was 13th in parallel giant slalom. In the Bulgarian Championships in 2007 in Bansko and Sofia Schekowa won the title in the parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom and in the Snowboard Cross and Bronze in Big Air at the World Cup in Furano Schekowa reached as Second Parallel Giant Slalom their hitherto best World Cup placing. Also in the snowboard cross in Lake Placid, she stood as third on the podium.
The Snowboard Junior World Championship 2007 in Bad Gastein Schekowa won the silver medal in snowboard cross and parallel giant slalom. After a streaky year in the World Cup with varying results Schekowa won at the Bulgarian Championships 2008 in Bansko again gold and silver. At the end of the season 2007/ 08 she was in Valmalenco second place in the snowboard cross on the podium again. In the parallel giant slalom she missed another podium in fourth scarce. Two more national titles won Schekowa in the Bulgarian Championship 2009 in Bansko. They also won the Argentine Chapelco the South American Cup.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where Schekowa was the Bulgarian flag bearer at the opening ceremony, she fell at the competition in the Snowboard Cross, and even then could not participate in the parallel giant slalom. Also, the first World Cup in Valmalenco after the games they had to suspend injury. Another week later, she won the Bulgarian Championship in Sofia again gold in snowboard cross.
At the beginning of the 2010/11 season Schekowa was back to its former strength and impressed with two podium ranks in Lech am Arlberg and Telluride. In the Snowboard World Cup 2011, it launched only in snowboard cross and was ranked 14th end of the season they won their first two World Cup Arosa. In the 2011/12 season Schekowa started after finishing sixth in Telluride with a second and third place in Veysonnaz. In the Bulgarian Championships 2012 in Borovets itself Schekowa once again secured the title in the snowboard cross. Even a year later, it secured this item.
In the X Games 2012 in Aspen is Schekowa secured the silver medal.
In the 2013/14 season Schekowa could after good results in the Montafon Valley, Lake Louise and in Vallnord in Andorra to qualify for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. In snowboard cross competition they reached fifth place and thus missed a medal just barely. She was placed in the finals for a long time in third place, but fell back after a collision with the Italienierin Michela Moioli.
Schekowa trained with her father Viktor Schekow that for the sailing events at the 2004 Summer Olympics, also coached the contestant Irina Konstantinova in Athens.