Karlos Nasar: “I Am the Apex Predator in Weightlifting”

Karlos Nasar says he is targeting another world title despite a difficult month of preparation involving illness and an injury.

Speaking before the World Championships, the Bulgarian described battling a bacterial infection for around 10–15 days, followed by a viral infection and an injury sustained in an accident. Nevertheless, his message was confident: “Now I am as healthy as a bull.”

Nasar also discussed world-record ambitions, the difficulties facing Bulgarian weightlifting, and his commitment to representing his country.

Below is the English translation of the interview, edited for readability.

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Illness, injury and expectations before Worlds

Karlos Nasar: I have had quite a few unpleasant situations over the past 30 days. I hope there will be nothing to trouble me at the World Championships. I am sure that, as long as I am healthy, I will be able to get the job done.

Reporter: When the expectations of you are always for gold, what extra motivation is there to give even more?

Karlos Nasar: That does not weigh on me, because my own expectations are the same. As a child, I went into my first day of school to the Bulgarian national anthem. And I am going there for nothing less than the Bulgarian national anthem.

Reporter: Karlos, tell us a little more. What caused this injury?

Karlos Nasar: I actually had other problems. I had a bacterial infection that I battled for around 10–15 days. After that, I had a viral infection, and subsequently I suffered an injury in an accident.

In that accident, I tore some fascia and had bleeding, and so on.

Reporter: Was it painful?

Karlos Nasar: Yes, it was painful, but now I am as healthy as a bull.

“I am the apex predator in weightlifting”

 

Karlos Nasar: I think I have proved over the past few years that I am the apex predator in weightlifting. My competitors should be thinking about the competition more than I should.

Reporter: Will you go after another world record?

Karlos Nasar: My first goal is definitely to become world champion and beat the competition.

After that, it depends on whether I have the opportunity and the strength, because the last 30 days really have been quite difficult for me. I am not saying that to complain. I am simply being honest and open.

If I cannot manage a world record, perhaps I will pass on it—or if I do not need it. If I need it to become world champion, there will definitely be a world record.

The situation at the Bulgarian federation

Reporter: Yesterday we heard that you yourself wanted to speak to us. Perhaps about the situation in weightlifting?

Karlos Nasar: It was not that I specifically asked to. I simply have not been giving interviews anywhere, and I said that I now had the opportunity at my send-off and could answer questions.

Reporter: What do you think is happening at the federation at the moment? Is it going bankrupt or not?

Karlos Nasar: The federation going bankrupt? What can I tell you about the bankruptcy? I am not the one who bankrupted the federation.

It is a very ugly thing to do. I thought I did not know anyone whose conscience would allow them to take that step.

Reporter: Are you talking about Stefan Botev?

Karlos Nasar: Yes, I am talking about Stefan Botev. About the federation’s bankruptcy, because this is not just an ordinary bankruptcy, like bankrupting a company or something of your own.

It means that we athletes, if this had continued and a new president who could do something about it had not been registered, would have to compete under a neutral flag.

And when we win, we would not be able to hear the Bulgarian national anthem or wear Bulgaria on our backs.

At the very least, we would have no funding for our preparation and would not receive our salaries.

As you can imagine, in weightlifting, even if the weightlifters receive their salaries, none of them is going to become a millionaire.

These boys and girls want, so to speak, to break their bones for Bulgaria. That is an athlete’s life. And to take that away from an athlete… I thought I did not know anyone who could do such a thing.

Reporter: If you saw him now, would you greet him?

Karlos Nasar: I would certainly greet him. He is a great weightlifting champion. But the action is ugly.

There are things to discuss, because he was president of the federation. He definitely has things to say to me, just as I have things to say to him. I am not afraid to say these things to his face.

Reporter: We can only speculate, but what do you think could motivate someone to act like this, given that you say these actions came from him?

Karlos Nasar: I have no idea what could motivate it.

There is an elderly man where I am staying who greets me in the morning and takes an interest in what is happening in weightlifting.

I asked him the same question: “What kind of person do you have to be to do something like that?”

And he answered: “Stupid and uneducated.”

I am not the one saying that. That is how he answered me.

“I do this for Bulgaria”

Reporter: How much does all this affect your motivation?

Karlos Nasar: It does not affect my motivation in any way. I do this for Bulgaria.

I also do not want us to overlook the fact that the Minister of Sport did the impossible so that we could compete at the World Championships.

I want to thank my sponsors and everyone who supports and loves me.

Reporter: Can you thank Asen Zlatev already?

Karlos Nasar: I thank Asen Zlatev for the virtues he has as a person, because both Asen Zlatev and Stefan Botev are great champions.

But Asen Zlatev has far more virtues than Stefan Botev.

I do not want to diminish Stefan Botev’s achievements because of what is happening, because he is a great champion.

But, as I keep telling you, I thought I did not know anyone who would act in this way.

How the situation affects preparation

Reporter: You say that everything happening does not affect your motivation. But financially, and in terms of preparation, for both you and your teammates, how is this whole situation affecting you?

Karlos Nasar: It certainly is not pleasant.

I do not feel it quite as much, because my sponsors have not abandoned me for a single day in the past three years. There is no point in pretending otherwise: I have not gone without anything.

The Ministry of Sport also covered a large proportion of the athletes’ needs, including mine.

But this is certainly a major hardship we are enduring with the federation. Still, I believe that the other weightlifters and I will cope with this situation and manage to get through it.

In general, the last three or four years, perhaps even longer, have not been easy for us at all.

Many people looking in from the outside may see it as whining, complaining, and so on. But really, to be in a situation like this… I do not know how a person can end up in such a situation.

Carrying on Bulgaria’s weightlifting legacy

Reporter: Are you optimistic now, going forward?

Karlos Nasar: I am always optimistic. Always.

I always try to do whatever I can for weightlifting, because our champions, our Bulgarians, have left us this foundation that we have, so that the whole world knows where Bulgaria is.

Even if we compete under a foreign flag, they still know who we are. We have to carry that on.

Weightlifting has brought joy to the Bulgarian people many times, and it must continue.

The first thing that comes to mind as a source of pride in the present day is sport. And I do not think a handful of people should be allowed to kill it.

Reporter: You said “a foreign flag.” I hope that topic is closed?

Karlos Nasar: No, I mean a neutral flag, if it comes to bankruptcy, of course.

I have many offers, but there is nothing dearer to me than Bulgaria.

Translated from Bulgarian. Questions and answers have been lightly edited for readability. Statements about the federation and individuals represent Nasar’s comments in the interview.