Ivan Harkov has once again reached the summit of the sambo world. The 29-year-old Bulgarian won the gold medal in the up-to-79-kilogram category at the World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, claiming the second world title of his career.
In the final bout in sport sambo, Harkov defeated Armenia’s Boris Shatveryan 2:0 on points. The Bulgarian competitor thus added another prestigious accolade to his impressive collection, having earlier this year also triumphed at the European Championships in Tbilisi.
The gold-medal bout was fiercely contested, but Harkov managed to impose his will. Midway through the match, he executed a successful attack, throwing his opponent and taking the lead.
The Bulgarian maintained his advantage until the final seconds, when he once again found a way to attack successfully and extend his lead to 2:0. With that, he put the finishing touch on the final and deservedly celebrated winning the world title.
For Harkov, this is his second gold medal at a World Championship, following his triumph in Yerevan in 2023. The Bulgarian sambist continues his impressive run, having now won medals at five consecutive World Championships.
In addition to his two world titles, he has also won three bronze medals – in 2022, 2024 and 2025. The latest success in Tashkent further cements his place among the leading competitors in world sambo.