On May 21, 2026, Bulgarian wrestlers secured two silver and a bronze medal at the Euro 2026 wrestling championships in Samokov, finishing fifth overall. Three of the contestants were defeated by Russian wrestlers. Ognyan Burgazov (41 kg) and Kamien Lozanov (52 kg) won silver medals, Robert Dimitrov (48 kg) claimed bronze, and Ivan Alexandrov (38 kg) finished fifth. In the decisive matches, Burgazov lost to Dmitry Telpez with a score of 1:10, and Lozanov lost to Dmitry Deryabin with a score of 0:8.

Young Talents Shine

Ivan Alexandrov (38 kg), who had to go through the repechage, lost to Ervin Sufyanov in the small final with a score of 0:9, finishing fifth overall. Robert Dimitrov secured the bronze medal. In a short 78 seconds, he won with a technical fall against Kamile Kiredzhevski (Poland) with a score of 8:0. For all three of our contestants, this is their first medal in their career. The achievement is particularly emotional for Ognyan Burgazov, who turned 15 the day before the final. "It could have been better," admitted the teenager from Orjahovo. "But in the final, I made a mistake when I was put on the mat. I was nervous. Otherwise, I felt good at this championship, confident in all the matches leading up to the final. I'm glad to have won my first medal."

Family Legacy and Support

After four years of intensive training, Kamien Lozanov also reached his first medal in his career. He is the grandson of world and European champion Kamien Lozanov, who also won a silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. "I like wrestling because it teaches you discipline, persistence, and builds character," Kamien said. "From my grandfather, I learned to keep going and not give up. I thank my trainer in the club Momcil Siraski and the national team trainers for the preparation they provided us with. And for all the conditions that were ensured for us before the European championships. Maybe I was a bit nervous at the final because it was my first time participating in a competition of this level. But I was not intimidated by the fact that my opponent was a representative of the Russian school. I hope the next time the result will be in my favor."