Mirela Rahneva

Sport:Skeleton
Birth Date:Jul. 26, 1988 (age 36)
Birth Place:Ruse, Bulgaria
Residence:Calgary
Twitter:@MirelaRahneva
Instagram:@mrahneva
Website:mrahneva.wixsite.com/skeleton

Some would argue Mirela Rahneva was born to compete. After all her mom was an elite sprinter, and her dad a competitive acrobatic gymnast.

Once the family moved to Canada from Bulgaria in 1998, she recalls her dad marking out a 100-metre sprint track on a bicycle path. Her father would get out a stopwatch to time Mirela. The process was repeated over and over through her childhood.

Little did Mirela know this precious time spent with dad was the foundation of her Olympic journey, paving a trail for a life in high-performance sport. Mirela was a standout rugby player in high school and at the University of Guelph. 

Following a short stint on the National Team playing rugby sevens, Mirela was inspired by teammates, and former rugby and bobsleigh star – Heather Moyse – to explore the sliding sports. Originally focused on bobsleigh, Mirela realized she was too small, but after a successful testing camp, was encouraged by Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton officials to look at skeleton. 

Mirela has never looked back. Leveraging those early days sprinting on the sidewalk at home as a child, Mirela is one of the most explosive athletes off the skeleton start block, which has helped her quickly progress through the Canadian ranks. 

Mirela enjoyed a breakout season six years ago in her rookie season on the World Cup Team, racking up four World Cup podiums and finishing third in the overall standings. 

Following a 12th-place finish at her Olympic debut in PyeongChang, Mirela captured her second Crystal Globe in 2019, finishing third overall for the second time in her young career thanks to two victories and a silver medal. 

Mirela continued to be a podium threat each time she hit the start line on the track to Beijing 2022 where she slid to a fifth place finish. She has sustained her position as one of the top head first sliders in the world in 2023 when she won her first World Championship bronze medal and a third Crystal Globe for finishing third overall on the World Cup. 

A hard worker both on and off the track, Mirela finds a unique balance in her life between training, competing, working, and most importantly, spending precious time with family.

She obtained a Masters in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from Smith School of Business in 2021 while sitting out the 2020/21 season injured with a C5/C6 bulged disk. Mirela also has a Bachelor of Commerce (specializing in tourism management). 

In addition to chasing the international podium, Mirelia is working full time at KidSport Calgary, a non-profit organization which aligns with her values of increasing access to sport for all kids. 

 

Career Highlights

  Gold Silver Bronze Other
2023 - World Cup, Sigulda, LAT       6th
2023 - World Cup, Innsbruck, AUT       4th
2023 - World Championships, St. Moritz, SUI       6th (Skeleton Mixed Team Competition)
2023 - World Championships, St. Moritz, SUI     Women's Competition
2023 - World Cup, Altenberg, GER       4th
2023 - World Cup, Altenberg, GER       4th
2023 - World Cup, Winterberg, GER      
2022 - World Cup, Park City, USA      
2020 – World Championships, Altenberg, GER       10th
2020 – World Cup, St. Moritz, SUI       4th
2020 – World Cup, Konigssee, GER       4th
2020 – World Cup, Igls, AUT       7th
2020 – World Cup, La Plagne, FRA       7th
2020 – World Cup, Winterberg, GER      
2019 - World Cup, Lake Placid        4th
2019 – Overall World Cup       
2019 – World Championships, Whistler, CAN       12th
2019 – World Cup, Calgary, CAN    
2019 – World Cup, Lake Placid, USA       4th
2019 – World Cup, St. Moritz, SUI      
2018 – World Cup, Winterberg, GER       5th
2018 – Olympic Winter Games, PyeongChang, KOR       12th
2018 – World Cup, St. Moritz, SUI       4th
2017 – World Cup, Igls, AUT      
2017 – World Cup, Winterberg, GER       4th
2017 – World Cup, Whistler, CAN       7th
2017 – World Cup, Park City, USA       4th
2017 – World Cup, Lake Placid, USA       7th
2017 – World Championships, Konigssee, GER       8th
2017 – World Cup, Pyeongchang, KOR       5th
2017 – World Cup, Igls, AUT      
2017 – World Cup, Konigssee, GER       4th
2017 – World Cup, St. Moritz, SUI      
2017 – World Cup, Winterberg, GER      
2016 – World Cup, Lake Placid, USA      
2016 – World Cup, Whistler, CAN       5th
2016 – Europa Cup, St. Moritz, SUI      
2015 – Europa Cup, Sigulda, LAT      
2015 – North American Cup, Whistler, CAN      
2015 – North American Cup, Calgary, CAN    
2015 – North American Cup, Whistler, CAN      
2014 – North American Cup, Calgary, CAN      
2014 – North American Cup, Park City, USA      

Olympic Winter Games Results

Season
Location
Result
2022
Beijing, CHN 5th
2018
PyeongChang, KOR 12th

 

World Championship Results

Season
Location
Result
2022/23
St. Moritz, SUI 6th (Skeleton Mixed Team Competition)
    3rd (Women's Competition)
2019/20
Altenberg, GER 16th (Women's Competition)
    10th (Skeleton Mixed Team Competition)
2018/19
Whistler, CAN 12th (Women's Competition)
    2nd (Team Competition)
2016/17
Konigssee, GER 8th (Women's Competition)
    9th (Team Competition)

World Cup Results

Season
Location
Result
2022/23
   
  Innsbruck, AUT 4th
  Altenberg, GER 4th
  Altenberg, GER 4th
  Winterberg, GER 2nd
  Lake Placid, USA 8th
  Park City, USA 1st
  Whistler, CAN 7th
2021/22
   
  St Moritz, SUI  3rd
  Winterberg, GER 5th
  Sigulda, LAT 13th
  Altenberg, GER 11th
  Winterberg, GER 3rd
  Altenberg, GER 18th
  Igls, AUT 11th
    14th
2019/20
   
 
Sigulda, LAT 21st 
  St. Moritz, SUI 4th
  Konigssee, GER 4th
  Igls, AUT  7th
  La Plagne, FRA 7th
  Winterberg, GER 2nd
  Lake Placid, USA 4th
    4th
2018/19
   
  Calgary, CAN 2nd
    1st
  Lake Placid, USA  4th
  St Moritz, SUI 1st
  Igls, AUT 13th
  Altenberg, GER 14th
  Winterberg, GER 5th
  Sigulda, LAT 12th
2017/18
   
  St Moritz, SUI 4th
  Altenberg, GER 22nd
  Igls, AUT 3rd
  Winterberg, GER 4th
  Whistler, CAN 7th
  Park City, USA 4th
  Lake Placid, USA 7th
2016/17
   
  Pyeongchang, KOR 5th
  Igls, AUT 2nd
  Konigssee, GER 4th
  St Moritz, SUI 1st
  Winterberg, GER 3rd
  Altenberg, GER 18th
  Lake Placid, USA 3rd
  Whistler, CAN 5th