Bulgarians in Montreal - Nelson Sleno (1976)

 

Also by the author: This chronicle defines the life of a man, short in stature but huge in spirit, who grows from rebellious youth to successful teacher and athlete, representing his country numerous times on the world athletic stage. 

https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/parkinsons-disease-cant-slow-down-65-year-old-powerlifter-13-photos-503719 

At forty-nine, the first signs of what was to be his greatest challenge got the next ten years, indeed the rest of his life, showed themselves, setting off a decision to not sit back idly and let Parkinson's disease defeat his warrior spirit. Ride along as Nelson plans and executes his strategies to force back the onslaught of "The Darkness." 

Rage, rage, against the dying of the light . . . 

This wee blog deal is nearing the 14.5 million page view mark. I chalk it all up to the dozen guys who read it having trouble finding that article they're looking for. 

BULGARIANS IN MONTREAL

by Nelson Sleno

With the Olympics here upon us in Montreal everyone looks forward to witnessing in person world record performances. 

Olympic lifting and just plain GREAT LIFTING. 

What people watch taking place on the platforms is spectacular. But I and a few others were given the chance to watch what goes on before the lifters even get there. 

For over two weeks I was able to observe the Bulgarians training alone in seclusion at their National Training Center in Montreal. The mystique of the Bulgarian weightlifters, in a country of only eight million people, rising to world supremacy with the Russians, was enhanced by their desire to remain completely separate from everyone else until the competition. Having visited the site where the lifters of all other countries were, you could hear the question "where are the Bulgarians" and "what are they doing?" asked over and over in many languages. 

The Province of Quebec in weightlifting has maintained a good relationship with the Bulgarians thus enabling them to use our training center. 

My intention in this article is two-fold: First, to give an insight or their pre-competition training and, Second, to give a personal look at the lifters, as they were quite friendly and open with us. 

To start with, to most people who watched them it seemed that they were not following the same program from one lifter to the next. In the first training group they would all do, say, snatches together, but from then on they would all do different exercises, that is, snatch pulls, clean pulls, clean & jerks, etc. The first two days they were here they handled very light weights, doing a few power snatches, clean & jerks, pulls and some squats as they were still adjusting to the time difference. 

The Bulgarians warmup consists of nothing more than a quick rub by the masseur and then sets of empty bar work and light weights; yet their flexibility in the ankle, hip and shoulder joints is exceptional as they would handle considerable amounts of weight in squatting with the bar overhead with a Jerk grip. This is a precarious position for the not so flexible to say the least. 

Note: Before anyone gets all gung ho and prepares to lift like the Bulgarians, this was a very important and integral part of their training:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/A0_l9fDY1OI That being said, let's move forward with this article . . . 

The fourth day here they went full tilt. Georgi Todorov, world record holder in the snatch, did 130+62.5 to equal his snatch record and break the record total. I believe he was three kilos over weight. 

Khristov

Coach Abadjiev observes training session. 

Khristov

That same night Mitkov did a 190 kg. clean & jerk. It is interesting to note that the next night, Todorov could barely walk as he had aa recurrence of his knee injury which he suffered from at the Europe vs America competition in Montreal in December '75. He was quite literally in agony. 

Two nights later he came back with a 130 snatch and cleaned 150, jerked it, and just missed a second jerk with it. Bulgarian therapy does wonders! That same night Nurikyan (56), snatch record holder at 120 kg at the time and weighed in later for competition at 56 kilos. It seemed as if T. Todorov (second at European Champs 60 kilos) was not really going all out in training as if content to place second or third behind G. Todorov and Kolesnikov of USSR. 

Kolev came the the Bulgarian team as an alternate but was considered to be still recuperating from surgery. He suffered a serious leg injury in Moscow (torn patella tendon). One leg did seem a little smaller than the other. But can he snatch, injury or not! In training, he easily whipped up 155 and just missed 160. However, he was hurting in the clean & jerk as he was struggling with 180. 

Mitkov also snatched 155 in training. His pull is phenomenal; hunched back, lightning off the floor, straightens up and dives under looking like he's going to break in a dozen pieces and stands up like nothing (no wonder, since I saw him front squat 230 and almost made 240 in the same kamikaze style). 

The second group came in and took over where the others left off. Blagoev Stoichev (82.5), Shopov (90), Khristov, Semerdjie (110), and Plachkov. The most impressive of them all were Blagoev and Khristov. Twice in the workout I saw Blagoev toss up 170 kg like a toy only to miss it behind. Same thing with a 205 clean & jerk only to barely miss the jerk. It was a really effortless attempt. 

Khristov is phenomenal. 

https://starkcenter.org/igh/igh-v12/igh-v12-n3/igh1203p26.pdf  

Words are hard to describe the impression Khristov leaves on you. Half the time he looks like he's going to cry (once he did!). His pull (in the clean) is quite literally a deadlift off the floor with his back just barely straight and then at mid-thigh he explodes -- rockets under the bar to sit in the exact same position each time. 

In training he cleaned 227.5 four times with very little rest in between, but each time he could not rise. In the snatch, 180 was a toy. His lack of leg strength in the clean recovery seems to be his only setback, as I'm sure after watching his pulls that he could pull in 250. 

On another night he cried like a baby and argued with Coach Abadjiev. The following night he came in like a tiger. He tried a 180 snatch with straps, missed it, and without letting go of the bar made it. The next set he power snatched it and just missed the double. We thought this was pretty good, but he wasn't finished yet. In the jerk he worked up to 230 like a toy and then did the phenomenal 250 (550 pounds) off the rack, with room to spare, recovering from a deep split! To finish off he squatted 281. From crybaby to superman. 

Plachkov, on the other hand, seemed completely off as he was having trouble with a 180 snatch and a 225 clean & jerk. He seemed tired and sad all the time. 

Semerdjiev, the number two heavy, snatched 170 and racked 230 but was unable to stand. He has what seems to me an awkward bottom position in the clean & jerk, and twists a lot when he recovers.

What all this adds up to is that the Bulgarians before a major competition lift weights up to and over 100% of world records in training and up to approximately nine days before their competition and after that go down accordingly until the contest. 

To finish, I would like to add a few other little personal items of interest about the Bulgarians. 

Coach Ivan Abadjiev -- quiet, unassuming but in complete control. During the Olympics he seldom watches his lifters lift as he was staring up into the sky sniffing ammonia. Seems like he was praying! According to the team doctor, Abadjiev loses 5 kilos during a major competition. 

Note: so does the doctor who sweats oceans while the Bulgarians are lifting in competition. 

Nurikyan -- wears glasses, friendliest of the Bulgarian lifters, always smiling, infantry officer in Bulgaria. 

T. Todorov -- also friendly, university grad. He and Nurikyan are the oldest on the team at 28. 

Kolev -- super strong looking, thinks a lot about women and likes Elton John music.

Mitkov -- doesn't talk much.

Stoichev -- talks a lot.