Blagoy Blagoev


Blagoy Blagoev 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. 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 May 1, 1983 in Varna and remains the heaviest weight ever snatched by a middle heavyweight.
Blagoev was a two time Olympian. He represented his native country Bulgaria at the Summer Olympics in Montreal and in Moscow. 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 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 3 consecutive World Cups in Varna, Bulgaria in 1982-1984 and 5 Bulgarian Championships. He later coached the Australian Paralympic Powerlifting Team in the 1990s to early 2000s.
Blagoev was disqualified and stripped of the silver medal at the 1976 Olympics for anabolic steroid use.

Weightlifting achievements

82.5 kg class:
90 kg class:
82.5 kg 175+197.5 Moscow 1980,
90 kg 190+227.5 Moscow 1983
82.5 kg 172.5+207.5 Varna 1979,
90 kg 190+227.5 Moscow 1983, 192.5+225 Vittorio, Spain.1984
90 kg Halmstad 195+217.5 1982