Yanko Bratanov
{{short description|Bulgarian former track and field athlete}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1952|06|10}}
| birth_place = Sliven, Bulgaria
| height = {{convert|182|cm|ftin}}
| weight = {{convert|70|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| country = Bulgaria
| sport =
| event = 400 m hurdles
| club =
| collegeteam =
| coach =
| highestranking =
| pb = 400 m hurdles: 49.77 (1976)
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Competition|European Indoor Championships}}
{{Medal|Gold|1976 Munich|400 m}}
{{Medal|Bronze|1975 Katowice|4 × 2 laps}}
| updated = 21 July 2015
}}
Yanko Ivanov Bratanov ({{langx|bg|Янко Иванов Братанов}}; born 10 June 1952) is a Bulgarian former track and field athlete. He won gold in the 400 metres at the 1976 European Indoor Championships and was an Olympic finalist in the 400 m hurdles in 1976 and 1980. After his athletic career he has worked as a coach in Qatar and Bahrain.
Biography
=Athletic career=
Bratanov was born in Sliven on 10 June 1952.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/br/yanko-bratanov-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418070120/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/br/yanko-bratanov-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Yanko Bratanov Bio, Stats and Results |access-date=21 July 2015 |publisher=Sports Reference LLC}} He took up athletics early, initially competing in the 110 m hurdles but switching to the 400 m hurdles as a youth.{{cite web |url=http://www.sportal.bg/news.php?news=369149 |script-title=bg:Янко Братанов "чукна" 60 |date=10 June 2012 |access-date=21 July 2015 |author=Vangelov, Aleksandr |publisher=sportal.bg |language=bg}} In 1970 he represented Bulgaria at the European Junior Championships in Colombes, but was eliminated in the first round.{{tilastopaja|id=48160}}
Bratanov equalled the Bulgarian record in the 400 m hurdles (51.8) in 1971; in 1972, he won the Bulgarian championship for the first time and improved the national record to 51.24.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/bul.htm |title=Bulgarian Championships |magazine=Athletics Weekly |access-date=21 July 2015}} He repeated as national champion in 1973 and 1974; at the 1974 European Championships in Rome he was eliminated in the semi-finals, but set a new Bulgarian record of 50.66. In 1975 Bratanov won bronze at the European Indoor Championships in Katowice as the Bulgarian team's anchor in the 4 × 2 laps relay.{{cite book |title=Statistics Handbook – Praha 2015 |pages=74, 188, 541 |editor=Jalava, Mirko |publisher=European Athletics; Organising Committee European Athletics Indoor Prague 2015 |year=2015}}
At the 1976 European Indoor Championships in Munich Bratanov won gold in the men's 400 metres, setting a new Bulgarian indoor record of 47.79 in the final to defeat West Germany's defending champion Hermann Köhler. Bratanov set his personal best in the 400 m hurdles, 49.77, in Fürth on 13 June 1976; he was the first Bulgarian to break 50 seconds. He made his Olympic debut in Montreal later that summer, running 51.84 in the heats and 50.11 in the semi-finals; he qualified for the Olympic final, in which he placed sixth in 50.03.
In total, Bratanov was a seven-time Bulgarian champion; five times outdoors in the 400 m hurdles (1972, 1973, 1974, 1978 and 1979) and twice indoors over 400 m (1974 and 1975).{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/buli.htm |title=Bulgarian Indoor Championships |magazine=Athletics Weekly |access-date=21 July 2015}} At the 1978 European Championships in Prague Bratanov was eliminated in the semi-finals, but at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow he again qualified for the Olympic final; he was the only athlete to make the 400 m hurdles final in both Montreal and Moscow.{{cite book |title= Urheilutieto 5 |last= Siukonen |first= Markku |year= 1980 |publisher= Oy Scandia Kirjat Ab |isbn= 951-9466-20-7 |language=fi |page=374|display-authors=etal}} He suffered a cramp in the Moscow final and placed a clear last in 56.35.
=Coaching career=
Bratanov retired as an athlete in 1983, but remained active in track and field as a coach. Initially, he coached in Bulgaria, moving to Qatar in 1992;{{cite web |script-title=bg:От 12 години Янко Братанов подготвя атлети в Катар |language=bg |url=http://novinar.bg/news/ot-12-godini-ianko-bratanov-podgotvia-atleti-v-katar_MTYyODszOQ==.html |publisher=novinar.bg |author=Ivanova, Snezhana |title=Novinar.bg |date=13 June 2005 |access-date=21 July 2015}} his Qatari pupils included Asian champions Samuel Francis and Femi Ogunode. {{As of|2015}}, Bratanov is coaching in Bahrain; he coached Bahrain's team for the 2014 World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon, but was unable to attend personally after being denied a visa.{{cite web |script-title=bg:Посолство отказа виза на най-успешния треньор Янко Братанов (аудио и снимки) |url=http://www.sliven-sport.com/novini/sport/5830-yanko-bratanov-viza-usa.html |author=Daneva, Mimi |date=14 July 2014 |access-date=21 July 2015 |publisher=sliven-sport.com |language=bg}}{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/feature/salwa-eid-naser-400m |title=Naser takes a tip from George Michael and gets 400m gold in Cali |date=21 July 2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |publisher=IAAF |author=Landells, Steve}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Footer European Indoor Champions 400m Men}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bratanov, Yanko}}
Category:Sportspeople from Sliven
Category:Bulgarian male hurdlers
Category:Bulgarian male sprinters
Category:Bulgarian athletics coaches
Category:Olympic athletes for Bulgaria
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Category:Bulgarian expatriates in Qatar