Dimitar Stanchov

Dimitri Stanchov was from a wealthy, but non-aristocratic family of Bulgarian merchants, who had lived for three generations in Svishtov, although they had origins in Berat. He studied law in Wien (Vienna) and then entered the diplomatic service. He was posted to Bucareşti and Wien, and then spent 11 years in St. Petersburg from 1895-1906. He was then made Minister for Foreign Affairs and when Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Petkov was assassinated, Stanchov served as acting Prime Minister from 12-16 March 1907. His other diplomatic roles included serving as ambassador to France from 1908-15, the United Kingdom (1908, 1920-21), Belgium (1910-15, 1922-24), Italy (1915), and the Netherlands (1922-24).

Stanchov was made an IOC Member in August 1913. He helped form the Bulgarian Olympic Committee in 1924 and served as its President from 1925-29. He resigned as President and as an IOC Member in 1929, when he also stepped down from public life.