Petar Kirov

Petar Kirov ( Bulgarian Петър Киров; born September 17, 1942 in Kaltschewo, Yambol Oblast ) is a former Bulgarian wrestler. He was Olympic champion in 1968 and 1972 and multiple World and European champion in Greco-Roman flyweight.

Career

Petar Kirov began as a teenager with the rings. After initial successes, he was delegated to Sofia, began a sports studies there and became a member of " Akademisk " Sofia. Already at junior level he was one of the best Bulgarian wrestlers in Greco- Roman style, but was able to prevail against the strong domestic competition at the age of 24 years, which is late for a wrestler. Nevertheless, he still put down an unusually successful career that culminated three world champions and four European Cup titles in winning two Olympic gold medals.

His first start in an international championship in 1966 at the European Championships 1966 in Food in the flyweight weight class in which he only took in international championships. He won there in the first three fights on points and retired after one defeat against the Finns Reino Salimäki due to attainment of 6 points of failure and came to fifth place. A year later, he was European champion at flyweight in Minsk. He won there and Others against the Soviet starter Sergei Rybalko and against Rolf Lacour from the FRG. His victory could not prevent a point defeat against Hungary Imre Alker. At the World Championships in 1966 and 1967, competed for Bulgaria Angel Keresow.

In 1968 Petar Kirov remained at the European Championships in Västerås, Sweden, although in five fights undefeated, after a draw against Ivan Kochergin from the Soviet Union submitted its results but only for 2nd place. But he big crowed at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. He celebrated there for six victories, and thus won the gold medal. In the decisive battles he beat the Soviet wrestler Vladimir Bakulin and the Czech Miroslav Zemen each on points.

In 1969, he could not go to the starting line at the European Championships in Modena, because Bulgaria boycotted this championship. Reason was that the Italian organizers refused at the behest of the Italian government to hoist the GDR flag. But he had already participated in the March of the year in the World Championship in Mar del Plata and this is only the 4th Place. A draw against Bosko Marinko from Yugoslavia and a defeat against the Iranians Firuz Arlouzadeh cost him a medal there.

But in 1970 one of the most successful years in the career of Petar Kirov. Earlier this year he won the title at the European Championships in East Berlin and in the autumn he won at the World Championships in Edmonton. He won there and Others Imre Alker and at the decisive battle against Jan Michalik of Poland. A defeat in a first round battle against the Japanese Saburo Sugiyama was ultimately inconsequential.

In 1971, Petar Kirov focused entirely on taking place in Sofia World Cup. In Sofia he wanted to be world champion, of course, absolutely, and succeeded him. After victories over his toughest competitors Koichiro Hirayama from Japan and Stoiciu Gheorghe from Romania handed him to the final battle a draw against Jan Michalik.

In 1972, it seemed at first as if the star of Petar Kirov would be dying out. He lost namely at the European Championships in Katowice against Jan Michalik and Soviet wrestler Vitaly Konstantinov on points and therefore only came to 3rd place. At the Olympic Games this year in Munich so he was not necessarily my favorites. The shrewd tactician succeeded but again to win the gold medal. He defeated in Munich six opponents, including his nemesis January Michalik and lost against Koichiro Hirayama, a defeat that had no negative consequences.

In 1973 Petar Kirov paused at international championships. He was in 1974 but successfully recovered at the European Championships in Madrid. He won among other things about the Soviet Ringer Valeri Arutjunow and Rolf Krauss from Ludwigshafen am Rhein. Also at the World Championships this year in Katowice, he was successful. He was there in a great shape and defeated with Koichiro Hirayama, Bruce Thompson from the USA, Valeri Arutjunow, Lajos Rácz from Hungary and Romania Nicu Ganga from five world-class athletes. Only against Jan Michalik he had to settle for a draw.

The year 1976 should be for the now- 34 -year-old Petar Kirov to a grand finale as his hugely successful career. He won first in Leningrad by a final victory over the Soviet wrestler Vladimir Schatunow again the European title and launched optimistic in the Ringer tournament at the Olympic Games in Montreal. There, however, he had pronounced pitch, because he was injured in his first battle against Nicu Ganga so heavy that he had to give up this fight and could not wrestle.

Despite this adversity Petar Kirov was one of the most successful wrestler in Greco- Roman style of all time. After the Olympic tournament in 1976 he resigned. He finished his sports studies at the NSA ( National Sports Academy ) in Sofia and then successfully participated in several clubs in Sofia as a coach. From 1987 until his retirement he was a lecturer at the NSA. For his contributions to the sport wrestler he was taken in September 2007 in the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, European Championship EM =, GR = Greek and Roman. Styles, Fl = flyweight, bantamweight = BA, then 52 kg and 57 kg body weight)

Swell

• Journals Athletics from 1966 BISD 1975, The wrestler from 1976,
• Documentation of International Wrestling Championships FILA, 1976, pages: E -47, E -51, E -58, O- 82, W -80, E-75, W -86, W -101, E-84, O- 93, e-96, W -120, E -113 and O -98,
• Wrestling Database of the Institute for Applied Training Science at the University of Leipzig