Nikola Dagorov

In his youth, Nikola Dagorov tried his hand in numerous different sports, from archery to volleyball, but it was track and field athletics that most interested him. He took a particular liking to the triple jump after his first competition in 1940 and went on to improve the Bulgarian national record in this event ten times over the course of his career. His first international competition was the 1947 Central European Games, where he won the gold medal by setting a new tournament record. In 1952 he was selected to represent his nation at the 1952 Summer Olympics, but injured himself shortly before the Games and finished 30th, failing to advance beyond the qualifying round. After suffering another injury prior to the trials for the 1956 Olympics, he retired from active competition in 1957.

Dagorov served in the military between 1944 and 1946 and then attended medical school, training for athletics during his spare time. He later specialized in sports injuries and rehabilitation, which sent him around the world training in and practicing medicine. He later received a PhD in Sports Medicine, in addition to numerous specialization certificates, and published several works on the subject of sports trauma.

Personal Best: TJ – 14.96 (1954).