Blagoy Blagoev Explained

Birth Date:	1956 12, df=yes
Height:	168 cm
Sport:	Weightlifting
Show-Medals:	yes

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.

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. 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

Notes and References

1. Blagoy Blagoev . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418060707/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bl/blagoy-blagoev-1.html . dead . 18 April 2020 . 21 May 2011.
2. Web site: Doping cases at Summer Games since 1968 . www.chinadaily.com.cn . 2019-06-29.
3. https://www.paralympic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2002-2003-APC-Annual-Report.pdf Annual Report 2002–2003
4. Web site: Blagoi Blagoev . databaseolympics.com . 29 January 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070929104834/http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BLAGOBLA01 . 29 September 2007.
5. Web site: Blagoy Blagoev . Lift Up . 29 January 2010.