Zlateva also competed in the Olympic Games twice. At the 1972 Summer Olympics she competed in 800 metres, winning her initial heat with the result 1:58.93 minutes. She finished second in her semi-final, and then fourth in the final race with 1:59.72 minutes.[1] 1:58.93 was an Olympic record, and Zlateva even led the first 600 metres of the final race, but was overcome by both Hildegard Falck, Nijolė Sabaitė and Gunhild Hoffmeister; Falck deleting Zlateva's Olympic record.[11] However, Zlateva improved Falck's world record by 0.97 seconds, when she ran in 1:57.48 minutes in Athens on 24 August 1973. She retained the record until 12 June 1976, when Soviet Valentina Gerasimova ran in 1:56.0 minutes.[12] At her second Olympic Games in 1976, Zlateva attacked her own personal best time. She first repeated the victory in the initial heat, then finished third in her semi-final with 1:57.93 minutes, and then sixth in the final race with 1:57.21 minutes. She also competed in the relay race, but the team failed to progress from round one.[1] 1.57.21 minutes remained her personal best time.[13] She had 52.9 seconds in the 400 metres, achieved in 1973.[1]
She became Bulgarian 400 metres champion in 1971 and 1976, and both 800 and 1500 metres champion in 1973.[14] She became Bulgarian indoor champion in the 400 metres in 1971, 1972 and 1973 and in the 800 metres in 1981.[15]
Personal life
Zlateva was once married to Olympic wrestler Ivan Kolev. During this time she was known as Svetla Zlateva-Koleva (Bulgarian: Светла Златева-Колева).[1]