Olympic crush: Ivet Lalova
Ivet Lalova has a reputation as a fast woman… and that's OK with her.
The 28-year-old Bulgarian sprinter has made a name for herself as a phenom on the track. She's turning heads not just for her sprint times, but also her rock-hard abs and a belly-button tattoo that just seems to, well, draw the eye. Whether or not Lalova makes it to the podium in London, she's already earned a silver for her model good looks and those solid gams, at least according to the Mexican newspaper De10. The paper awarded her the title of second-most beautiful female competitor at the London Games. So why not gold? I think I hear a protest coming.
[ Photos:Olympic Crush: Spring Ivet Lalova ]
Oh, yeah. And she can run. Lalova took the top spot in the women's 100-meter sprint at the European Track and Field Championship last month. She came in fourth to just miss medaling in the 100-meter at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Now, with a spot secured for the 100 semifinals in London, she has a second shot at precious metal.
It almost didn't happen. A freak accident at a race in 2006 derailed Lalova's running career. She collided with another sprinter and broke her leg. Seven operations later, she could walk, but competitive running was questionable. She built herself back up to become an elite runner again. Now she's eying a place on the medal podium, and the world is eying her. With that taunting tattoo, can you blame us?
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