Yanko Rusev

Yanko Rusev (Янко Русев, born 1 December 1958) is a former Olympic weightlifter for Bulgaria.

In 1993 he was elected member of the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame. He was named the 1981 Sportsman of the Year for Bulgaria. In 2019 he was awarded the highest state award of Bulgaria in the field of sport - the Wreath of the winner. Rusev is an Olympic, five-time world and five-time European champion and multiple world record holder. He is the winner of the World Cup in 1981 and a gold medalist in cat. 67.5 at the strongest competition in the world in 1984 - the Friendship Games. Yanko is a three-time Balkan champion and a four-time champion of Bulgaria. Rusev is also world and European junior champion.

Early life
He was born on December 1, 1958, in Ivanski, Shumen. At 15, he attempted to enter the sport school "Olympian Hopes" (Олимпийски Hадежди) in Sofia, but was turned down on the grounds that he was a "hopeless" weightlifter.

Training
Rusev first began training for soccer and wrestling. Afterwards, he took an interest in weightlifting. During his education at 19, Ivan Abadzhiev noticed him, and soon Rusev was weightlifting in the world games at Stuttgart, and won a silver medal.

Weightlifting achievements

 * Olympic champion (1980 - 67,5 kg);
 * Five-time senior world champion (1978, 79 and 80 - 67,5 kg, 81 and 1982 – 75 kg);
 * Twice silver medalist in Senior World Championships (1977 – 60 kg and 1983 - 67,5 kg);
 * Five-time senior European champion (1978, 79, 80 - 67,5 kg 81 and 1982 75 kg);
 * Twice silver medalist in Senior European Championships (1977 – 60 kg and 1983 - 67,5 kg);
 * Set 36 world records during his career.
 * Sportsman of the year Bulgaria 1981

World Records by Yanko Rusev

 * 9/19/1977 Clean and Jerk 165 Featherweight Stuttgart
 * 7/18/1978 Clean and Jerk 179 Lightweight Athens
 * 10/5/1978 Clean and Jerk 180 Lightweight Gettysburg
 * 5/22/1979 Snatch 145 Lightweight Varna
 * 5/22/1979 Snatch 146 Lightweight Varna
 * 5/22/1979 Clean and Jerk 181.5 Lightweight Varna
 * 7/9/1979 Snatch 147 Lightweight Sofia
 * 7/9/1979 Clean and Jerk 185.5 Lightweight Sofia
 * 7/9/1979 Total (2) 325 Lightweight Sofia
 * 11/6/1979 Clean and Jerk 187.5 Lightweight Saloniki
 * 11/6/1979 Total (2) 332.5 Lightweight Saloniki
 * 2/1/1980 Snatch 147.5 Lightweight Varna
 * 2/1/1980 Clean and Jerk 188 Lightweight Varna
 * 2/1/1980 Total (2) 335 Lightweight Varna
 * 4/28/1980 Snatch 148 Lightweight Beograd
 * 4/28/1980 Clean and Jerk 190 Lightweight Beograd
 * 4/28/1980 Total (2) 337.5 Lightweight Beograd
 * 7/23/1980 Clean and Jerk 195 Lightweight Moscow
 * 7/23/1980 Total (2) 342.5 Lightweight Moscow
 * 9/16/1981 Clean and Jerk 206 Middleweight Lille
 * 4/8/1982 Clean and Jerk 206.5 Middleweight Varna
 * 9/2/1982 Total (2) 365 Middleweight Ljubljana
 * 9/22/1982 Clean and Jerk 208 Middleweight Ljubljana
 * 9/22/1982 Clean and Jerk 209 Middleweight Ljubljana
 * 9/22/1982 Total (2) 362.5 Middleweight Ljubljana