Eleven Bulgarian athletes, three of whom are medal pretenders, will start their participation at the Beijing 2008 Olympics as early as the first day of the games, August 9 2008, Dnevnik daily reported.

The first Bulgarian to appear at the games will be Desislava Balabanova, who will compete in the women's 10m air rifle qualification. This is the discipline that will award the first medal winner at the Olympics. Balabanova's participation starts at 3.30am Bulgarian time. The two-time Bulgarian Olympic champion Tanyu Kiryakov will take part in the men's 10m air pistol qualification, the discipline that has brought him biggest success, at 7am Bulgarian time, Dnevnik wrote.

Bulgaria's two-time rowing women's single sculls medal winner Roumyana Neikova will compete in heat four with Cuban Maira Gonzalez, South African Rika Geyser and Shwe Zin Latt from Myanmar. This event starts at 9.20am Bulgarian time. Later, at 12.20pm Bulgarian time, starts the series of the brothers Ivo and Martin Yanakievi in the men's double sculls. Their rivals in heat three will be world champions Luka Spik and Iztok Cop from Slovenia and world vice-champions Jean-Baptiste Macquet and Adrien Hardy from France, Dnevnik said.

Another Bulgarian athlete that arouses hopes for a medal, Yordan Yovchev, will take part in the gymnastics men's qualifications subdivision three at 3pm Bulgarian time. At these Olympic Games in China, Yovchev will focus on his rings performance, according to Dnevnik.