Miroslav Gochev | |
Fullname: | Miroslav Angelov Gochev |
Birth Date: | 9 April 1973 |
Birth Place: | Burgas, Bulgaria |
Weight: | 880NaN0 |
Style: | Freestyle |
Club: | Slavia Litex |
Coach: | Miho Dukov |
Show-Medals: | yes |
Miroslav Angelov Gochev (Bulgarian: Мирослав Ангелов Гочев; born April 9, 1973, in Burgas) is a retired amateur Bulgarian freestyle wrestler, who competed in the men's light heavyweight category.[1] Gochev has claimed a bronze medal in the 76-kg division at the 1997 World Wrestling Championships in Wrocław, Poland, picked up a silver at the 2001 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and later represented his nation Bulgaria at the 2004 Summer Olympics.[2] Throughout his sporting career, Gochev trained full time as a member of the wrestling squad for Slavia Litex Sports Club in Sofia under his personal coach Miho Dukov.
Gochev qualified for the Bulgarian squad, as a 31-year-old veteran, in the men's 84 kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, by receiving an allocated berth from the International Federation of Associated Wrestling (FILA).[3] Facing against two Olympic medalists from Sydney four years earlier, Gochev opened an astonishing 4–2 victory over Macedonia's Mogamed Ibragimov, but could not push South Korean wrestler Moon Eui-Jae off the mat, and suffered a defeat by a 5–9 score at the end of the round-robin. Finishing second in the prelim pool and twelfth overall, Gochev's performance was not enough to advance him to the quarterfinals.[4] [5]