Bulgarian rower Rumyana Neykova snatched the gold medal in the women's single sculls in rowing at the Beijing Olympics held in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park on Saturday.

The Bulgarian crossed the finish line in seven minutes and 22.34 seconds, followed by U.S. Michelle Guerette in 7:22.78 and Belarusian Ekterina Karsten in 7:23.98.

Chinese rower Zhang Xiuyun occupied the fourth place in 7:25.48.

"Until the end I still couldn't believe what I have achieved," Neykova said after the race.

Czech Miroslava Knapkova took a head in the first part of the race, but in the middle, she was surpassed by the Bulgarian rowing in the fifth lane.

The U.S. played very differently from the semifinals.

"I didn't have an early speed, but I thought I could sustain," she said.

Neykova, born in April 1973, is a double world champion, double Olympic medallist and triple World Cup double sculls winner. She won the silver medal in the event at the Sydney Olypmics and the bronze in Athens Games.

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2008)