Vania Stambolova is a Bulgarian athlete. She competes in the 400 m hurdles and the 400 m event. At the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships she won a silver medal over 400 m. She also won a gold medal at the 2006 European Championships. At present, Stambolova is the highest paid female athlete in Bulgaria.

The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit". Gothenburg also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, and Stockholm, Sweden's capital, hosted 1958 European Athletics Championships.