Valentin Yordanov
Ten world medals, seven world titles, never pinned
- Born
- January 26, 1960, Sandrovo, Ruse Province, Bulgaria
- Nationality
Bulgaria- Style
- Technical flyweight
- Weight
- 52 kg
- Active
- 1981–1996
- Status
- Retired · age 66
The medals
1 Olympic gold, 7 world titles
The story
alentin Yordanov turned the 52 kg class into his personal collection. The Bulgarian won seven world titles between 1983 and 1995 and ten world medals in all, a record, along with seven European titles. His Olympic gold came late, in Atlanta in 1996, four years after a bronze in Barcelona. Bulgaria's national news agency credits him with 685 official bouts and says he was never pinned in any of them. After moving to the United States in 1990 he trained with John du Pont's Foxcatcher team while still wrestling for Bulgaria, and he later led the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation. In 2013 he returned his Olympic gold medal in protest when wrestling's place in the Olympic program was threatened.
- Olympic champion (1996)
- Olympic bronze medalist (1992)
- World champion ×7 (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995)
- European champion ×7 (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
- Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year (1989)
Defining matches
- 1983WINWorld Championships, Kyiv (first world title)
- 19923rd Barcelona Olympics (bronze)
- 1995WINvs Iran's Mohammadi (World final; seventh world title)
- 1996WINAtlanta Olympics (52 kg gold)
Treat pin defense as a skill: Yordanov reportedly went his whole career without being pinned. Drill bridging and turning to your stomach from bad positions until getting stuck on your back becomes rare.
2007–2024
