Bulgaria at the Olympics
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Bulgaria first participated at the Olympic Games at the inaugural 1896 Games, with a single gymnast. However, since Charles Champaud was a Swiss national living in Sofia, some sources credit his appearance to Switzerland instead.
The Bulgarian Olympic Committee was created in 1923 and first sent a team to the Summer Olympic Games in 1924. The nation has participated in every Summer Games since then, except for 1932 (during the Great Depression), 1948 (Bulgaria's role in World War II) and 1984 (part of the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics). Bulgaria first participated in the Winter Olympic Games in 1936 and has attended every Winter Games since then.
Bulgarian athletes have won a total of 239 medals, with wrestling and weightlifting as the top medal-producing sports. After the fall of the communist regime in 1989–90, in Bulgaria's turbulent transition to free-market democracy, top-notch state support for Bulgarian Olympians disintegrated. Diminishing and marginalized medal returns were evident from the 2012 Summer Olympics, where Bulgaria, a former top-10 Olympic powerhouse in the late 1980s, fell out of its former high stature. Bulgaria's best performance to date has come in the 1980 Summer Olympics, where they finished third in the medal table. In the 1988 Summer Olympics, Bulgaria ranked 7th but won the nation's largest total of gold medals. Bulgaria's most successful Winter Olympics occurred in 1998 when the country ranked 15th in the medal table.
Medal tables
Medals by Summer Games
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Greece 1896 Athens | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1900–1920 | did not participate | |||||
| French Third Republic 1924 Paris | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Netherlands 1928 Amsterdam | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| United States 1932 Los Angeles | did not participate | |||||
| Nazi Germany 1936 Berlin | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| United Kingdom 1948 London | did not participate | |||||
| Finland 1952 Helsinki | 63 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 40 |
| Australia 1956 Melbourne | 43 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 19 |
| Italy 1960 Rome | 98 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 15 |
| Japan 1964 Tokyo | 63 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 11 |
| Mexico 1968 Mexico City | 112 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 18 |
| West Germany 1972 Munich | 130 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 21 | 9 |
| Canada 1976 Montreal | 158 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 7 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 270 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 41 | 3 |
| United States 1984 Los Angeles | boycotted | |||||
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 171 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 35 | 7 |
| Spain 1992 Barcelona | 138 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 18 |
| United States 1996 Atlanta | 110 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 22 |
| Australia 2000 Sydney | 91 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 16 |
| Greece 2004 Athens | 95 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 33 |
| China 2008 Beijing | 72 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 42 |
| United Kingdom 2012 London | 63 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 63 |
| Brazil 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 51 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 65 |
| Japan 2020 Tokyo | 42 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 30 |
| France 2024 Paris | 46 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
| United States 2028 Los Angeles | future event | |||||
| Australia 2032 Brisbane | ||||||
| Total (22/30) | 1,872 | 57 | 89 | 85 | 231 | 23 |
Medals by Winter Games
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nazi Germany 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Switzerland 1948 St. Moritz | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Norway 1952 Oslo | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Italy 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| United States 1960 Squaw Valley | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Austria 1964 Innsbruck | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| France 1968 Grenoble | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Japan 1972 Sapporo | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Austria 1976 Innsbruck | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| United States 1980 Lake Placid | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1984 Sarajevo | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Canada 1988 Calgary | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| France 1992 Albertville | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Norway 1994 Lillehammer | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Japan 1998 Nagano | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| United States 2002 Salt Lake City | 23 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20 |
| Italy 2006 Turin | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| Canada 2010 Vancouver | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Russia 2014 Sochi | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| South Korea 2018 Pyeongchang | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| China 2022 Beijing | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Italy 2026 Milano Cortina | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 28 |
| France 2030 French Alps | future event | |||||
| United States 2034 Utah | ||||||
| Total (22/25) | 334 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 41 |
Medals by summer sport
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrestling | 18 | 32 | 23 | 73 |
| Weightlifting | 13 | 17 | 9 | 39 |
| Athletics | 5 | 8 | 6 | 19 |
| Boxing | 5 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| Shooting | 4 | 7 | 6 | 17 |
| Canoeing | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 |
| Gymnastics | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 |
| Rowing | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
| Swimming | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Karate | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Judo | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Basketball | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Football | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Volleyball | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Equestrian | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Taekwondo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Tennis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (17 entries) | 57 | 89 | 85 | 231 |
Medals by winter sport
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biathlon | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Short track speed skating | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Cross country skiing | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Snowboarding | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (4 entries) | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
List of medalists
Summer Olympics
Winter Olympics
Multiple medal winners
Medals by sport and year
Summer Olympics
Athletics
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany 1972 Munich | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Canada 1976 Montreal | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Spain 1992 Barcelona | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| United States 1996 Atlanta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Australia 2000 Sydney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brazil 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 8 | 6 | 19 |
Basketball
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada 1976 Montreal | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Boxing
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland 1952 Helsinki | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Japan 1964 Tokyo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mexico 1968 Mexico City | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Germany 1972 Munich | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Canada 1976 Montreal | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Spain 1992 Barcelona | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| United States 1996 Atlanta | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Greece 2004 Athens | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| United Kingdom 2012 London | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Japan 2020 Tokyo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| France 2024 Paris | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
Canoeing
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany 1972 Munich | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Spain 1992 Barcelona | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| United States 1996 Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Australia 2000 Sydney | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 |
Equestrian
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Football
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia 1956 Melbourne | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mexico 1968 Mexico City | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Gymnastics
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy 1960 Rome | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| United States 1996 Atlanta | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Australia 2000 Sydney | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Greece 2004 Athens | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Brazil 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Japan 2020 Tokyo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| France 2024 Paris | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 |
Judo
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Greece 2004 Athens | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Karate
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan 2020 Tokyo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Rowing
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada 1976 Montreal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Australia 2000 Sydney | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Greece 2004 Athens | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| China 2008 Beijing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
Shooting
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan 1964 Tokyo | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Spain 1992 Barcelona | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| United States 1996 Atlanta | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Australia 2000 Sydney | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Greece 2004 Athens | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Japan 2020 Tokyo | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 4 | 7 | 6 | 17 |
Swimming
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Taekwondo
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France 2024 Paris | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Tennis
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Volleyball
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Weightlifting
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany 1972 Munich | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Canada 1976 Montreal | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Spain 1992 Barcelona | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| United States 1996 Atlanta | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Australia 2000 Sydney | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Greece 2004 Athens | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| United Kingdom 2012 London | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| France 2024 Paris | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 13 | 17 | 9 | 39 |
Wrestling
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia 1956 Melbourne | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Italy 1960 Rome | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Japan 1964 Tokyo | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Mexico 1968 Mexico City | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Germany 1972 Munich | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Canada 1976 Montreal | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Soviet Union 1980 Moscow | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| South Korea 1988 Seoul | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Spain 1992 Barcelona | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| United States 1996 Atlanta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Australia 2000 Sydney | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Greece 2004 Athens | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| China 2008 Beijing | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| United Kingdom 2012 London | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Brazil 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Japan 2020 Tokyo | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| France 2024 Paris | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 18 | 32 | 23 | 73 |
Winter Olympics
Biathlon
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan 1998 Nagano | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| United States 2002 Salt Lake City | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Italy 2026 Milano Cortina | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Cross-country skiing
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States 1980 Lake Placid | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Short track speed skating
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States 2002 Salt Lake City | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Italy 2006 Turin | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Snowboarding
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy 2026 Milano Cortina | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Bulgarian Olympic Flag Bearers
See also
- List of flag bearers for Bulgaria at the Olympics
- Category:Olympic competitors for Bulgaria
- Bulgaria at the Paralympics
External links
- . International Olympic Committee. 27 July 2021.
- . Olympedia.com.
- . olympanalyt.com.