Gabriel Marinov won Overall Gold in the Men’s 61 kg Category at the 2024 IWF European Championships

For Bulgaria, the second day of the European Championships was a memorable one. With everyone expecting fantastic results from wunderkind Karlos Nasar, people seemed to forget the tradition of the host nation in weightlifting and the fact that it can produce more than one talent that’s fighting for the top podium spots. 

In the men’s 61 kg category, Gabriel Marinov got the gold medal, winning the men’s 61 kg category and the first gold medal for Bulgaria in this championship.

Marinov started the competition with a below-expectations lift, only getting 121 kg on his final Snatch attempt, but thankfully, he managed to improve his result by lifting the whooping 160 kg on the Clean & Jerk – 10 kg more than any other contestant.

With that lift, he secured himself not only a gold medal for the C&J but also the top spot on the podium for the category. 

Last year, Marinov didn’t compete at the Europeans, however he showed a good result during the 2023 World Championships in Riyadh, managing to get inside the top 10 and finishing in 8th place, just below his teammate Ivan Dimov.

If you want to continue following the European Championships, make sure to stay up-to-date with our blog until the 20th of February, when the competition in Sofia will end. And for more exciting content, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our Instagram page.