The “Pride of Plovdiv,” Bulgarian long jumper Elena “Lena” Atanasova was favored to win gold at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships held in Grenoble, France. However, a spontaneous groin injury forced her to pull out moments before her first run-up. In the ensuing confusion, Atanasova seized the opportunity and disappeared into the crowd, implementing her backup plan: defecting to the West.
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acrylic gouache on illustration board
20" x 30"
framed
item no. 230
after a photo by Inna Mykytas