Svetoslav Stoychev BINEV
Bulgaria, World sumó champion 1998, 1999

Education

Binev winning the lightweight category at the 8th World Sumó Championships (click on the picture to enlarge).

Sports

SUMÓ

Video of Binev beating Atsuhiro IBATA of Japan in the final of the 7th World Sumó Championships 1997, Tókyó, Japan

Two-time World Champion: Tókyó, Japan (1998) and Riesa, Germany (1999)
Two-time European Champion: Riesa, Germany (1 998) and Kohtla-Järve, Estonia (1999)
Three-time Bulgarian Champion: Sofia, Bulgaria (1997, 1998, 1999)
Two-time Poland Open Champion: Kraśnik, Poland (1998) and Krotoszyn, Poland (1999)
Austrian Open Champion: Zausberg, Austria (1997)
California Open Sumó Champion (2000, 2001)
Rated # 1 in the world in 1998-2000 by the International Sumó Federation Current rating
Bulgarian National Sumo Coach (1998-2000), leading Bulgaria to #2 world ranking

　
Video of Binev beating Peer SCHMIDT of Germany in the final of 5th European Sumó Championships 1999, Kohtla-Järve, Estonia

Video of Binev beating Grzegorz Zieliński of Poland in the semifinal of 5th European Sumó Championships 1999, Kohtla-Järve, Estonia

POWER LIFTING
Bulgarian National Power Lifting Champion (1998)
HANDBALL
Bulgarian National Handball Champion (1997)
FREE-STYLE WRESTLING
Bulgarian National Free-style Wrestling Champion (1994)
TRACK & FIELD
Bulgarian National Junior Champion (1986)

Films

"Vincent J'ettorix" (2000) - Feature-length film, starring Christopher Lambert (J'ettorix), & Oscar-winner Klaus Maria Brandauer (Caesar). Binev played Caesar's wrestling coach 
"Novela Novela" (2000)

TV Programs

(1) featured in UPN News 13 "In Focus" specials (July 20, July 23 and August 22, 2000)
(2) featured on Globo TV, (September 4, 2000)
(3) featured on Fox Sport West
(4) contestant on UPN program "Battledome" (October 9, 2000)
Over 500 TV international TV appearances (1997-2000) in Bulgaria and all over Europe:
(1) News programs, interviews over 400 appearances
(2) Sports demonstrations over 80 appearances
(3) Live talk shows over 20 appearances

Publications

(1) Los Angeles Times (1,100,000): April 2, 2001, featured in sumo article
(2) UCLA Daily Bruin (50,000): February 13, 2001, featured in sumo article
(3) Street Zebra (200,000): August, 2000, featured in sumo article
(4) Over 800 articles worldwide, including front cover appearances in dozens of Japanese, Bulgarian, and other European magazines and newspapers.

Other

"Most Intelligent Sportsman of the Year Award" in Bulgaria (1998 and 1999)
Private Reception with Bulgarian President and other international dignitaries, televised live on all major Bulgarian television stations
Fluent in Bulgarian, Russian, and English

Biography

Svetoslav Stoychev Binev, born January 15, 1974, has a long and distinguished athletic career. Before trying sumó, he attained national championships in track & field, free-style wrestling, handball, and power lifting. Binev practiced and competed in free-style wrestling from the age of 7. By the time he was 23 in 1997, he had won numerous competitions.

In 1997, a friend invited him to try sumó. He agreed, and after just a few weeks of practice, he won the first competition he entered. Since then, he has won over 20 major national and international competitions and over 100 consecutive matches, except for a single loss, in the lightweight category.

Binev is very enthusiastic about sumó. He enjoys the dynamic pace. In many other martial sports, there are complex rules and scoring systems, but in sumó, the rules are simple and there is generally a clear winner. Binev feels that this is a very attractive aspect of the sport.

Binev also speaks of sumó as a very spiritual sport. It is necessary to focus the body and mind in harmony. Sumó also requires many competitive qualities, including speed, strength, balance, and technique. For all of these reasons, Binev looks forward to continued participation internationally. "I hope that the sport of sumó will continue to grow in popularity around the world and will get the recognition that it deserves," says Binev.

Binev won consecutive World Sumó Championships in 1998 and 1999 in the lightweight category. He trained very seriously for the 2000 World Sumó Championships, but his travel permission to leave the U. S. came one day late, and he was not able to compete in 2000. He is looking forward to competing in 2001.