Stoyan Nikolov
Stojan Nikolov Ivanov ( born April 2, 1949) is a former Bulgarian wrestler. He was world champion in 1978 and 1976 winner of an Olympic silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling in heavyweight.
Career
The full name of this athlete is Stoyan Ivanov Nikolov. In most winners' list as it stands Stojan Nikolov, only sporadically as Stoyan Ivanov and never under his full name. For clarity, it is therefore only called Stojan Nikolov.
He began his career Ringer, in which he fully focused on the Greco-Roman style, as a teenager. Details of his tradition, his club and his coach are not known. As an adult, he was a member of the sports organization "Dynamo", therefore it can be assumed that he was a member of a state security organ.
His career on the international wrestling mat, he began in 1970 with a 5th place at the European Championships in Berlin (East) in the light heavyweight division. He won among others, there via the West German Starter Günter Kowalewski from Witten.
In 1971, celebrated its first major success. He was vice-champion in the light heavyweight division in Sofia. He defeated six opponents, inter alia, also the Olympic champion from 1968 Lothar Metz from Rostock. In the final battle he lost against Soviet athlete Valery Resanzew that of its main competitors was in the following years.
Even the Olympic 1972 Stojan Nikiolow started very successfully, for he was in Katowice European champion in light heavyweight. He defeated among others Dieter Heuer from the GDR, Darko Nišavić from Yugoslavia, Czesław Kwieciński from Poland and the starting for Resanzew Soviet athlete Omar Bliadse. More disappointing was for him then its start at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. He lost there against Czesław Kwieciński, whom he had defeated in Katowice and quite surprising, even against the landed on the international wrestling mat until then completely unknown Hungary Jozsef Percsi which he retired and in 11th place.
As early as 1973 found Stojan Nikolov back on track. At the European Championships in Helsinki, he successfully participated in Jozsef Percsi revenge for his defeat in Munich. In the final battle he was defeated, however, against Valeri Resanzew and thus became vice - European champion. A medal he won at the World Championships in 1973 in Tehran. He defeated among others the two German competitors Dieter Heuer and Fred Theobald, but was defeated in the finals against Czesław Kwieciński and again against Valeri Resanzew. He thus won a European Championship bronze medal.
1975 started Stojan Nikolov only at the World Championship in Minsk. He won there over its first five opponents and lost the final battle again against Valeri Resanzew, against whom he simply could not win. He thus became Vice World Champion.
At the European Championships in 1976 in Leningrad, he won among others again about Dieter Heuer and Fred Theobald, defeated the strong Vladislav Boyko from Czechoslovakia and Darko Nišavić and was defeated by the Resanzew representative Ants Nisu from the USSR and against Frank Andersson from Sweden, where he was a new dangerous rival in the light heavyweight adult. At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, however, he could defeat Frank Andersson and thus laid the foundation for winning the Olympic silver medal, because in the battle for the gold medal he had against Valeri Resanzew again no chance.
Stojan Nikolov continued to Montreal his career for another four years left. At the European Championships in 1977 in Bursa him there was even a victory over the Olympic champion from 1972 Csaba Hegedus from Hungary. He subsequently lost to Frank Andersson and quite surprisingly well against Herbert idol from the GDR, which he only reached the 7th place. At the World Championships 1977 in Gothenburg, he participated in Herbert Idol errolgreich revenge, defeating, among others also Czesław Kwieciński and again Csaba Hegedus, but was defeated by Petre Dicu from Romania and Frank Andersson and got away with it to 3rd place.
In 1978 Stoyan Nikolov succeeded then the biggest success of his career. He was in Mexico City world champion in the light heavyweight division. He defeated while the Soviet athlete Viktor Awdessjew, Valery Resanzew resigned after his Olympic victory in 1976, Pedro Pawlidis from the FRG, Jose Poll from Cuba and Darko Nišavić. In the final, he faced his eternal rival Frank Andersson. He could not defeat him, although this time, but after both wrestlers were charged with " passivity " of the mat, he was world champion because he was better after fault points as Frank Andersson.
1979 paused Stojan Nikolov at the international championships. But at the European Championships 1980 in Prievidza he won the light heavyweight again a medal, a bronze. In this championship, he defeated among others the strong Keijo Manni from Finland and Czesław Kwieciński. Against the new Soviet Starringer Igor Kanygin against Petre Dicu and against Frank Andersson he lost. At the end of his career, he then took part in Moscow for the third time in the Olympic Games. He arrived there in the light heavyweight division only to a victory over Darko Nišavić. Against Igor Kanygin and Petre Dicu he was beaten. He came in the final accounts so that on the 8th Place.
International success
(all competitions in the Greco-Roman style, OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, EM = European, Light Heavyweight, then up to 90 kg Körpergerwicht )