Ivan Yankov

Ivan Jankow, Bulgarian Иван Янков, ( born June 7, 1957 in Oreshak, Oblast Varna ) is a former Bulgarian wrestler. He was the silver medalist at the Olympic Games in 1980 and three times European Champion in free style.

Career

Ivan Jankow began as a teenager in " Spartak " Varna with the rings. He developed into an outstanding freestyle wrestler. In Bulgaria, Ivan had, however, to overcome initially tough competition before it, now starting for Slavia Sofia, got its first use in an international championship in 1973. But at the European Championships in Lausanne, he had made ​​an excellent debut, as he was with four wins European featherweight champion. In the embossed tactics of fighting against the Olympic champion from 1972 Zagalav Abdulbekow from the Soviet Union and Petre Coman from Romania Jankow and his opponents were asked for passivity of the mat. He handed it to win the European Championship before Zagalav Abdulbekow while Petre Coman empty-handed.

After Jankow disappointed in the World Cup 1973 in Tehran with an 8th place, he had to leave at the international championships Doucho Zekow precedence 1974. He finally arrived at the European Championship 1975 in Ludwigshafen used again and promptly won his second European title. Here, he also managed a victory over Zagalav Abdulbekow first time.

Also at the European Championships 1976 in Leningrad Jankow was on course for the title, because he had his main rival Sergei Timofeyev from the Soviet Union defeated before he surprisingly lost against Petre Coman and dropped back to third place. At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal Jankow lost to Dsewegiin Oidow, the double world champion from Mongolia, and was put together with the Japanese Kenkichi Maekwa because passivity of the mat, which he had come only to 5th place.

1977 moved Jankow in the lightweight, but managed in this weight class the leap into the absolute world top until 1978, when he won his third European title at the European Championships in Sofia and thereby also the Soviet athletes Ihaki Gaidarbekow defeated.

Also at the European Championships 1979 in Bucharest with the 2nd place, 1980 in Prievidza with the 2nd place and 1982 in Varna with the 3rd place won Jankow medals. At the peak of Jankow the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow should be. He had once more intensive preparation for the Olympic tournament, also won five fights, but failed short of the Soviet Ringer Seydullah Absaidow and therefore could be "only" won the silver medal.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, European Championship EM =, F = free style, Fe = Featherweight, Lightweight = Le, then to 62 kg and 68 kg body weight)

Swell

• Various editions of the journals " athletics " 1972-1975 and " The Ringer " from 1976 to 1982,
• International Wrestling Database of the University of Leipzig