Article by John Manenti
The Wrestling, both free and Greco-Roman, is a Discipline in which Eastern European countries historically emerge – without prejudice to the United States whose athletes, however, excel in particular in the free specialty – and mainlyand the Soviet Union and, following its breakup, Russiabut also a nation like the Bulgaria, in whose overall Olympic medal collection there are 224 laurels, as many as 71 (equal to a third of the total …) come from the said Sportby far the most medalist in the history of the Games …
And, moreover, for a country that until the 1956 edition of Melbourne had not seen any of its representatives climb the top step of the podium, I am truly the wrestlers to give away the first Gold medals, with Nikola Stanchev establishing himself in the Middleweight category of Free Wrestling and then, four years later in Rome, it was Dimitar Dobrev’s turn to do the samebut in Greco-Roman wrestling, before the figure of the protagonist of our present-day Story emerged in that specialty, first athlete from his own country capable of repeating the Olympic Gold medal in two consecutive editions of the Gamesbecoming one of the major exponents in the light heavyweight category during the 60s.
Nato on February 25, 1942 in Morshino, today’s Pernik, Boyan Radev makes its first appearance in the International Panorama on the occasion of the World Championships held at the end of June 1962 in Toledo, in the United States, where he won the silver behind the Soviet Rostom Abashidzeto then conversely conclude in fifth place in the following year’s World Championship which takes place in Helsingborg, Sweden, where the 27-year-old Soviet still imposes himself and therefore appears as a clear favorite at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics …
In the Japanese capital, the Greco-Roman Wrestling Tournament kicks off on 16 October 1964 on the platforms of the “Komazawa Gymnasium” and, in the first round, Radev wins by pinfall on the American Pat Lovellto then, the next day, take just 57″ to get the better of the South Korean Gang Du-Man and therefore remain the only athlete competing with 0 penalties after the third round on October 18, when he imposed himself on the Finn Aimo Paenpaa.
In a tournament where you are eliminated upon reaching 6 penalty points, the 22-year-old Bulgarian begins to smell Gold, given that even in the fourth day he manages to prevail on points over the Turkish Giyasettin Ylmaz, despite having to serve a penalty point and still remain in command of the standings compared to the 3 points of the German Heinz Kiehl with 3 and the Romanian Nicolae Martinescu and the Swede Pelle Svensson, meanwhile among those eliminated is the aforementioned reigning world champion Abashidze …
Hence, in the fifth round, the challenges between Radev and Martinescu and between Kiehl and Svensson can already be decisive for the awarding of the Medals and so indeed it happens, with the Bulgarian winning his fifth consecutive match on points, while Kiehl’s defeat against the Scandinavian also leads him to reach 6 penalty points on a par with Svensson, who, however, wins the silver having imposed himself in the direct confrontation and Radev can celebrate his own Olympic Glory.
To tell the truth, there is someone who “he twists his mouth” compared to his statement, as Radev would have been favored by the pairings of the Board, meeting only in Martinescu (silver the previous year with Svensson fourth …) one of the best wrestlers on the international scene, but in any case the Bulgarian will be able to silence his detractors in the four years to come …
And even if at the subsequent World Championships at the beginning of June 1965 in Tampere, Finland, Radev does nothing but confirm the fifth place in Helsingborg – with the Soviet Valery Anisimov on the Hungarian Ferenc Kiss – here is that in the 1966 edition which returns to Toledo, Ohio, where he had made his debut with silver four years earlier, the now 24-year-old Bulgarian takes the world title, with Anisimov and Martinescu completing the podiumwhile the following year, at Review of early September 1967 scheduled in Bucharest, takes a second silver behind the Soviet Nikolai Yakovenkowith Martinescu still bronze.
This time, when it takes off the Olympic Tournament at the 1968 Mexico City Games, there can be no doubt about Radev’s credentials – which, among other things, he had won silver at the European Championships in mid-June in Vaesteras won by Kiss – for a four-year-old Gold confirmation in Tokyowith the competition to begin on 23 October on the platforms of the “Insurgentes Ice Rinkof the Mexican capitaland the reigning Champion made his debut by overcoming the American Henk Schenk in the first round, with the same fate touching the Turkish Gurbuz Lu the following day, so that after two days Radev is the only one who still hasn’t collected a single point of penalty…
Immaculate box that comes “soiled” by only 0.5 points in the October 25 games, when a Radev is awarded the victory by superiority over the Swiss Peter Jutzelerbut compared to Tokyo Martinescu and Yakovenko are in close contact, with just one penalty eachwhile both Svensson and the Norwegian Tore Hem are on the verge of elimination, with 5 and 4 penalties respectively.
Being in 5 still in contention, Yakovenko is exempt from the fifth round which, conversely, sees Radev pin Hem and keep the lead with his just 0.5 penalty points, while despite the victory on points by Svensson over Martinescu, the Swede reaches the 6 penalty points that oust him from the race for the podiumand the Romanian, having accumulated 4, is virtually out of the possibility of conquering the Gold Medal, which becomes a two-way affair between the Bulgarian and the Soviet, when the three are called to face each other in the final three-way mini round …
The match between Yakovenko and Radev ends on equal footing, which means 2.5 penalty points for both and so now it’s time to Martinescu challenge the Soviet in a match that ends with the latter’s victory on points, which thus brings him to 4.5 penalty points compared to Radev’s 3.0while the Romanian can only aspire to silver if he exceeds the Bulgarian before the limit – both would get 7 penalty points, with Martinescu prevailing by virtue of the direct confrontation – but evidently it must be destiny that to certify Radev’s Olympic triumphs must be the challenge with the Romanian, who this time wins before the limit, thus legitimizing his encore at the Gamesthe first athlete in his country to accomplish such a feat.
A curious detail, from the revelations that appeared in 2010 from the Bulgarian Secret Service Dossiers at the time of the communist regime, emerged how, during the period in which it participated in its two editions of the Games, Boyan Radev was a Secret Agent of his own country, to then become, after the competitive activity, Deputy Head of the Intelligence Unit for State Security, a position he held until 1991 to then, with the fall of Communism, completely change his face until he is one of the most appreciated art collectors in his own country …
It’s really true, as a well-known song said, “how do you change …” …