President Georgi Purvanov awarded Bulgaria's ice dance couple Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski an honorary medal.

The reward was given for their achievements in international competitions and contributions to the development of Bulgarian sport, Focus news agency reported.

With this victory Denkova and Staviski became a symbol of faith, professionalism and patriotism of a new kind, the President said during the award ceremony. The couple has won the hearts of the public, he added.

Denkova and Staviski's victory came after the two remained without a medal at this year's Winter Olympics. Their world champion title is regarded as 'compensation', the agency reported.