site.btaAngel Rusev Becomes European Weightlifting Champion for Sixth Consecutive Time, Ivan Dimov Wins Silver

Bulgarian weightlifter Angel Rusev became the European weightlifting champion for the sixth time in a row on Monday. In the 60 kg category at the 2026 European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi, the Bulgarian finished with a 275 kg bout, beating Armenian Garnik Cholakyan. The Armenian won the silver medal, and the bronze medal in the match went to Turkiye's Yigit Erdogan.

Ivan Dimov won silver in the total (combined) lift in the 65 kg category.

The other Bulgarian in the 60 kg weiht class, Deniz Danev, also won a medal, but in the clean and jerk. There he gave the second-best achievement after Rusev - at 151 kilograms. Before that, Danev recorded a successful attempt at 147 kilograms, as well as an unsuccessful one at the same weight. 

With a weight of 266 kilograms, Danev remained sixth in the final standings.

After the clean and jerk, the two Bulgarians were sixth and ninth respectively. Rusev recorded 120 kilograms, having previously made a successful attempt at 117 and an unsuccessful one at 120. Danev started with 115 kilograms, but then failed consecutively at 119 and 120 kilograms.

The leader was the Georgian Goderdzi Berdelidze with 125 kilograms. However, in the clean and jerk he suffered a very serious injury on the first attempt. At 146 kilograms, Berdalidze lifted the bar above his head, at which point his right shoulder gave way and he fell to the ground, having to be taken off the podium on a stretcher. 

In the 65 kg weight class, Ivan Dimov achieved a total of 317 kilograms, with 145 kg in the snatch and 172 kg in the clean and jerk. His snatch result equaled the European record, earning him a gold medal in that discipline. He placed second in the clean and jerk. Dimov successfully completed his first five attempts on the platform and failed only his final attempt at 177 kilograms.

The overall champion with a total of 323 kilograms was Turkey’s Muhammed Ozbek. He was second after the snatch with 143 kilograms, but dominated the clean and jerk with a winning lift of 180 kilograms.

Another Turkish athlete, Ferdi Hardal, took bronze with a total of 293 kilograms, lifting 135 kg in the snatch and 158 kg in the clean and jerk.

The other Bulgarian competitor in the category, Zdravko Pelovski, also delivered a strong performance, finishing seventh overall with a total of 279 kilograms. He placed seventh in both individual disciplines as well, with lifts of 124 kg and 155 kg respectively.