Yordan BIKOV

Yordan Bikov had a short international career, culminating in the year 1972. That year, he first won the European middleweight title, followed by the Olympic gold in Munich. His total at the Olympics, 485 kg, was also a new world record. The next year, he placed second at the European Championships, behind compatriot Nedelcho Kolev. It was to be his last international championship, as his coach expelled him from the team, supposedly for showing a lack of effort. Bikov, who subsequently became a weightlifting coach, had also competed at three World Championships, placing fifth in both 1970 and 1971. He also earned a gold medal in the clean & jerk - his strongest discipline - at the 1971 Worlds.