IWF120y/75 – 2000: Nikolay Peshalov clinches sole Olympic gold so far for Croatia

Nikolay Peshalov is one of the very few lifters to have won four Olympic medals throughout a very accomplished career! Born in Bulgaria in 1970, he represented his country until 1998, then switching to Croatia. In 1989, he competes in his first major event, the World Championships in Greece – getting a silver medal in the 60kg category. A year later, in Budapest (HUN), he gets his first title in the IWF showcase, with a total of 127.5-170-297.5. Two more world gold medals will follow, in 1993 and 1994, respectively in 137.5-167.5-305 and 135-167.5-302.5. In the meantime, he qualifies for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and clinches his first success at this level – a silver medal. Four years later, in Atlanta, he is third. After the change of nationality, he qualifies for the Sydney 2000 Games under the Croatian flag and he climbs to the highest march of the podium (150-175-325), winning what is so far the only Olympic gold for Croatia in the sport of weightlifting. He concludes his brilliant career in Athens 2004, with a fourth podium presence – bronze. Those are still today the only successes for the Balkan nation at this level (while for Bulgaria, his two Olympic medals are part of a long and sustained tradition of the country at the Games in our sport). Peshalov improved five World Records as a lifter, namely three in the Clean & Jerk (his best: 170kg) and two in Total. Representing Croatia, and besides the Olympic gold, his best results were a silver at the 1998 Worlds and two European titles, in 2000 and 2001.