Velichko Cholakov

Velichko Cholakov (Bulgarian: Величко Чолаков, 12 January 1982  – 20 August 2017) was an ethnically Bulgarian Azerbaijani weightlifter.[1]

Velichko Cholakov
Personal information
Born(1982-01-12)12 January 1982
Smolyan, Bulgaria
Died20 August 2017(2017-08-20) (aged 35)
Smolyan, Bulgaria
Height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight170 kg (375 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryAzerbaijan
SportWeightlifting
Event(s)+105 kg
Medal record
Representing  Bulgaria
Men’s Weightlifting
Olympic Games
2004 Athens+ 105 kg
World Championships
2003 Vancouver+ 105 kg
European Championships
2004 Kyiv+ 105 kg
2006 Władysławowo+ 105 kg
Updated on 26 July 2012.

Career

He competed in the over 105 kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, his first Olympics, winning an Olympic bronze medal. After missing two clean and jerk attempts at 245 kg, he managed to lift a total of 447.5 kg, placing him behind Latvia's Viktors Ščerbatihs and Iran's Hossein Reza Zadeh.

Velichko won the European weightlifting title in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2004, and finished second at the World championship in Vancouver in 2003. In 2002, he won gold medals at both the European and World Youth Weightlifting championships.

He was once measured during competition as 2.05 meters tall, thus making lifting more difficult both in regard to distance of elevation and less than ideal limb proportions.

Cholakov tested positive for a steroid in 2008 during an out-of-competition test, along with ten other weightlifters, and therefore Bulgaria's weightlifting federation withdrew its team from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Apart from Cholakov the athletes who tested positive were Ivailo Filev, Alan Tsagaev, Mehmed Fikretov, Ivan Stoitsov, Ivan Markov, Georgi Markov, Demir Demirev, Milka Maneva, Donka Mincheva and Gergana Kirilova. [2] He was supposed to compete for Azerbaijan during the 2012 Summer Olympics, but withdrew before the 105+ kg competition due to health issues.[3]

Career bests

Death

Velichko Cholakov died in Smolyan on 20 August 2017, aged 35, after a recent history of heart problems.[5]

References
  1. "Olympic Results, Gold Medalists and Official Records". International Olympic Committee. 18 February 2019. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  2. "Bulgaria pulls Olympic weightlifters for doping". USA Today. 28 June 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  3. "Величко Чолаков напусна олимпийското село". topsport.bg. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  4. "Cholakov Velichko (BUL)". www.iat.uni-leipzig.de. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  5. Former European champion Velichko Cholakov dies at 35: The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
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