Blagoy Blagoev

Blagoy Blagoev (Bulgarian: Благой Благоев; born 4 December 1956) is a retired Bulgarian weightlifter. Between 1976 and 1984 he claimed seven gold and five silver medals at the Summer Olympics and World and European championships.^[1] He set 18 world records. 13 of them were in the snatch. His last snatch world record was 195.5 kg in the 90 kg weight class, set on 1 May 1983 in Varna and remains the heaviest weight ever snatched by a middle heavyweight. Blagoev was twice declared the Best Weightlifter in the World by the International Weightlifting Federation - in 1982 and 1983. Blagoev was named Sportsperson of the Year in Bulgaria for 1982.

Blagoy Blagoev

Blagoev in 2000
Personal information
Born	(1956-12-04) 4 December 1956 (age 68)
Height	168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Sport
Sport	Weightlifting
Medal record Men's weightlifting Representing  Bulgaria Olympic Games 1980 Moscow -82.5 kg World Championships 1979 Saloniki -82.5 kg 1980 Moscow -82.5 kg 1981 Lille -90 kg 1982 Ljubljana -90 kg 1983 Moscow -90 kg European Championships 1976 East Berlin -82.5 kg 1979 Varna -82.5 kg 1981 Lille -90 kg 1982 Ljubljana -90 kg 1983 Moscow -90 kg 1984 Vittoria -90 kg IWF World Cup Winner 1982 Halmstad -90 kg 1983 Tokyo -90 kg IWF World Cup Final 1981 Vienna -90 kg 1982 Halmstad -90 kg IWF World Cup 1981 Athens -90 kg 1982 Atlantic City -90 kg 1982 Varna -90 kg 1983 Allentown -90 kg 1983 Varna -90 kg 1983 Budapest -90 kg 1984 Varna -90 kg 1984 Budapest -90 kg Friendship Games 1984 Varna -90 kg Junior World Championships 1975 Marseille -82,5 kg Junior European Championships 1975 Marseille -82,5 kg Bulgarian Championships 1979 Sofia -82,5 kg 1981 Vidin -90 kg 1982 Varna -90 kg 1983 Varna -90 kg 1984 Varna -90 kg Bulgaria Team Championships 1985 Kardzhali -90 kg 1983 Varna -100 kg 1982 Varna -90 kg 1982 Pleven -100 kg 1981 Varna -90 kg 1981 Kardzhali -90 kg Bulgarian Junior&Youth Championships 1976 Dimitrovgrad -82,5 kg 1974 Sevlievo -67,5 kg

Blagoev was a two time Olympian. He represented his native country Bulgaria at the Summer Olympics in Montreal (1976) and in Moscow (1980). He won a silver Olympic medal in the light heavyweight 1980 after being stripped of the silver medal in the -82.5 kg competition in 1976 Summer Olympics due to a positive steroid test. Blagoy Blagoev competed in the 82.5 kg and 90 kg weight classes. He was a 3x World Champion (1981, 1982, 1983) in the middle heavyweight. He won 4 gold European medals – as a light heavyweight in 1979 and as a middle heavyweight in 1981-1983. Blagoev also won three consecutive World Cups in Varna, Bulgaria in 1982-1984 and 5 Bulgarian Championships (1979, 1981-1984).^[2] He later coached the Australian Paralympic Powerlifting Team in the 1990s to early 2000s.^[3]

Weightlifting achievements

• Silver medalist in Olympic Games (1980);^[4][5]
• Senior World champion (1981,1982,1983);
• Silver medalist World Championships 1979,1980
• IWF Weightlifter of the Year 1982 and 1983
• World Cup Winner 1982 and 1983
• Sportsman of the year Bulgaria 1982
• Athlete of the Balkans 1983
• Senior European champion (1979, 1981, 1982 and 1983);
• Silver medalist in Senior European Championships (1976 and 1984);
• All-time senior world record holder in snatch (195.5 kg, competing at 90 kg);
• Best Sinclair lift of all times 195.5 kg in the Snatch at 90 kg bodyweight.
• Set 49 junior and senior ratified world records in 1975–1983.^[5]
• Master of Sports (Bulgaria) 1974
• Honored Master of Sports (Bulgaria) 1979
• Honored Coach (Bulgaria) 1987

Career bests

82.5 kg class:

• Snatch 175 1979 Bulgaria, 1980 Moscow
• Clean and Jerk 210 1979 Bulgaria
• Total 385 1979 Bulgaria

90 kg class:

• Snatch: 195.5 kg in 1983 in Varna
• Clean and jerk: 228.5 kg in 1983 in Varna.
• Total: 420.0 kg in 1983 in Varna.^[5]
• World Championships Best:

82.5 kg 175+197.5 Moscow 1980, 90 kg 190+227.5 Moscow 1983

• European Championships Best-

82.5 kg 172.5+207.5 Varna 1979, 90 kg 190+227.5 Moscow 1983, 192.5+225 Vittorio, Spain.1984

• World Cup Best

90 kg Halmstad 195+217.5 1982

References

1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Blagoy Blagoev". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
2. "Doping cases at Summer Games since 1968". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
3. Annual Report 2002–2003. Australian Paralympic Committee
4. "Blagoi Blagoev". databaseolympics.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
5. "Blagoy Blagoev". Lift Up. Retrieved 29 January 2010.

External links

• Blagoy Blagoev at Olympics.com
• Blagoy Blagoev at Olympedia (archive)
• Blagoy Blagoev at Lift Up