Bulgarian weightlifter Angel Rusev claimed his fourth title in the European competition, despite experiencing shoulder pain. Another Bulgarian participant, Dzhan Zarkov, unexpectedly secured third place. The second place was taken by Ramini Shamilishvili from Georgia, as reported by Gong.bg.

Angel Rusev entered the competition as the favorite in his respective category and started with an attempt of 105 kilograms. During his second attempt, he tried to lift 109 kilograms when he suffered a shoulder injury. Initially, the judges were unsure whether to acknowledge his attempt, but eventually, they approved it.

On his third attempt, Rusev added another two kilograms to the weight, reaching 111. But when it came to the jerk, the Bulgarian athlete relied on his ambitions and successfully lifted 135 kilograms, which increased his total result to 244 kilograms. This earned him the gold at the European Championship in Sofia.

Bulgarian weightlifters in the up to 55 kg category clinched gold and bronze in the overall competition, contributing to Bulgaria's total of four medals at the European Weightlifting Championships in Sofia.