Georgi Ivanov

Georgi Ivanov is a Bulgarian wrestler who represented his home country at the highest level of freestyle wrestling, namely at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Ivanov is also known for the time he spent in the United States, competing in the scholastic folkstyle circuit, where he became a 2x D2 All-American podium placer (2nd and 3rd) and a 2x NWCA All-Academic 1st team for the University of Nebraska at Omaha. After the UNO wrestling program was ceased, Georgi continued his scholastic wrestling career at Boise State University, where he became an NCAA qualifier and PAC 12 champion.

Georgi Ivanov Wrestling

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS

Highschool:
- All American @Junior Nationals (2008)
- 3rd Place Iowa State Tournament (2008)
- #5 by Wrestling USA Magazine HS Seniors (2008)

College:
- NCAA D1 Qualifier (2012, 2013)
- All American NCAA D2 (2010, 2011)
- PAC 12 Outstanding Wrestler Award (2013)
- 1st Place Dave Schultz Memorial Tournament (2013, 2014)
- 1st Place PAC 12 Championships (2013)
- 2nd Place NCAA Division 2 (2010)
- 2nd Place PAC 12 Championships (2013)
- 2nd Place Dave Schultz Memorial Tournament (2015)
- 3rd Place NCAA Division II All-American (2011)

Freestyle:
- Bulgaria World Team Member (2015)
- Bulgaria Olympic-Team Member (2016)
- 1st Place Bulgarian National Championships (2015)
- 2nd Place World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (2016)

Weight:
- Folkstyle: 157lbs
- Freestyle: 74 kg

Teams:
- University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO)
- Boise State University

Georgi Ivanov Biography

Georgi Ivanov was born on November 11, 1989, in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, being the son of Ivan and Maria Ivanov.

Ivanov was introduced to the wrestling mats at the age of 3, guided by his father. Very talented from the start, Ivanov quickly climbed the ranks in the competitive circuit, which earned him a place in his wrestling club's squad when the team visited the USA In 2001.

2001 was Georgi's first trip to the US, he decided to return to America in 2006 to visit a good friend of his family. Mr. Curt Wahle, at his farm in Western Iowa. Curt had two sons who wrestled for Nebraska-Omaha, and from this exchange between Georgi and the Wahle's, the Bulgarian athlete decided to apply for a student visa, an endeavor supported by another Iowa wrestling figure, Trevor Carritt, the wrestling coach at Lewis Central Lewis Central Community School. Ivanov was 16 years old and had a limited English vocabulary, but made it through.

Arriving as a senior high schooler, Georgi made his way through to the University of Nebraska Omaha, for whom he wrestled for two years, making the NCAA Division II and reaching All American status twice. From Nebraska Ivanov moved on to Division I University, Boise State.

Once again Georgi made it through to the NCAA Championships on two occasions before retiring from folkstyle wrestling and switching his focus fully towards freestyle, a ruleset in which Georgi would represent his home country at the Olympics and the World Championships.

Georgi Ivanov 2-on-1 Carry Variation Tutorial