Andon Nikolov

Andon Nikolov ( Bulgarian Андон Николов, English transcription Andon Nikolov, . Born June 15, 1951) is a former Bulgarian weightlifter and officials. He was Olympic champion in 1972 in the middle heavyweight.

Career

Andon Nikolov was discovered at the beginning of the 1970s in the wake of a major talent search and promotion program, which was initiated by the in office since 1969, head coach Ivan Abadschiew, for the weight lifting. These young Heber found their economic backing by the inclusion in the Bulgarian People's Army, but could fully devote to training.

The 1.82 meter tall athlete was for the Medium weight, the weight class in which he took throughout his career, rather too large. He came anyway along well and worked because of this size, especially at break, extremely elegant.

His first competition on the international stage, he completed the weightlifting Danube Cup tournament of juniors in Vienna in 1971. He reached there in the middle heavyweight in Olympic powerlifting 420 kg ( 140-130-150 ) and won so before the Romanians Mate, who came to 390 kg. When Danube Cup seniors tournament in 1972 in Budapest, he has increased to 500 kg ( 165-150-185 ) and was already advanced into the top. He defeated in this competition, inter alia, the former world champion Győző Veres from Hungary, which reached 477.5 kg.

At the European Championships 1972 in Constanţa to Andon Nikolov increased in the Olympic triathlon to 525 kg ( 182,5-152,5-190 ) and ranking it behind David Rigert from the USSR, 557.5 kg ( 185-165-207,5 ) and his young compatriot Atanas Shopov, 527.5 kg ( 177,5-147,5-202,5 ​​) 3rd place. At the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, these three lifters were due to their favorites inputs on the medal gains, with David Rigert was considered absolute favorite to win the gold medal. But it was different, because David Rigert fabricated in the snatch three failed attempts and achieved no powerlifting result. Andon Nikolov took advantage of the opportunity and was on that day a little better shape than Atanas Shopov, so that he could defeat this 525 kg ( 180-155-190 ) to 517.5 kg ( 180-145-192,5 ) and thus won the gold medal.

1973 was abolished by the International Weightlifting Federation ( IWF) pressing. Since then pass the Wettkämofe only more of a duel, the tearing and piercing involves. Andon Nikolov came up with this new regulation along well, although in his future career, he won no other international titles more. However, this was only to David Rigert, who with his services, if he had not just three failed attempts in the snatch, all other lifts his weight class and his time was far ahead.

Andon Nikolov came at the European Championships 1973 in Madrid in the middle heavyweight with 352.5 ( 155 to 197.5 ) behind Rigert, 367.5 ( 165 to 202.5 ) to 2nd place. 352.5 kg ( 162.5-190 ), he also reached at the World Championships in 1973 in Havana. There, this performance was enough only for fourth place in the middle heavyweight. The winner was again David Rigert 365 kg ( 165-200 ).

At the European Championships in 1974 in Verona Andon Nikolov graduated without a doubt the best competition in his career. He rose in the middle heavyweight to 385 kg ( 175-210 ) and thus subject to David Rigert, who also scored 385 kg ( 172.5 to 212.5 ) just because of the slightly higher body weight. He was unlucky, however, at the World Championship 1974 in Manila, for there he succeeded in tearing no attempt, so he remained unplaced without duel performance. In thrusting he came to 202.5 kg and thus won the bronze medal in this particular discipline.

After Andon Nikolov was several times so severely injured that he could contest in 1975 and 1976 no competitions over the years. In 1977 he finished in the Bulgarian championship 325 kg ( 145-180 ) in the middle heavyweight 2nd place. However, for the participation in international championships, he was only in 1978 in terms of performance again ready. He managed this year at the European Championships in Havířov 352.5 kg ( 167.5 to 185 ) and finished in behind David Rigert, 397.5 kg and Rolf Milsner from the Federal Republic of Germany, 375 kg, the 3rd place. In the 1978 World Cup in Gettysburg to Andon Nikolov increased to 365 kg ( 170-195 ), but did so behind Rolf Milsner, 377.5 kg, Gennady Bessonov, USSR, 375 kg and Hungary Antalovics, 367.5 kg, only the 4th Place.

In 1979, he was charged with 357.5 kg ( 167.5 to 190 ) Bulgarian masters. He then stepped back for further injury problems.

After he graduated from the Sport University in Sofia and was weightlifting coach. In 2004 he became the successor of Anton Kodschabaschew President of the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation. He thus entered a difficult job, because hardly in office, he had been the doping case Rumjana Petkowa, the weightlifting world champion was to announce. Even harder hit with the Bulgarian weightlifters 2008, because this year the entire Bulgarian weightlifting team, a total of eleven athletes of doping was transferred. The athletes concerned were blocked by the IMF until 2012 and ruled the Bulgarian weightlifting federation of international championships. For this reason, no Bulgarian weightlifters were at the Olympic Games in Beijing at the start. To what extent Andon Nikolov is entangled himself in this affair, is not known.

International success

WM EM individual medals

• World Championship gold medals: 1972/Reißen/Mittelschwer
• World Championship silver medals: 1973/Reißen/Mittelschwer
• World Cup bronze medals: 1972/Drücken/Mittelschwer - 1974/Stoßen/Mittelschwer
• European gold medals: 1974/Reißen/Mittelschwer
• EM- Silver medals: 1973/Reißen/Mittelschwer - 1974/Stoßen/Mittelschwer - 1978/Reißen/Mittelschwer
• EM Bronzemendailen: 1972/Drücken/Mittelschwer - 1972/Reißen/Mittelschwer

World Records

Swell

• Journal athletics,
• Database of the Institute for Applied Training Science at the University of Leipzig,
• Website " www.sports - reference.net "
• Website " www.chidlovski.net "