Dobri Dinev
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Добри Динев |
| Nationality | Bulgarian |
| Born | August 31, 1947 Varna, Bulgaria |
| Died | 2015 Montreal, Canada |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Event(s) | Marathon swimming; pool ultra-distance (endurance) swimming |
Dobri Dinev (Bulgarian: Добри Динев; born 31 August 1947 – 2015) was a Bulgarian marathon swimmer and swimming coach, noted for long-distance open water and pool swims reported as being recognized in Guinness record reporting, and for rescuing dozens of people during the 1978 Beloslav pontoon-bridge disaster.[citation needed][1][2]
Career
Marathon swimming and ultra-distance pool swims
Bulgarian media coverage of Dinev’s career describes him as an ultra-distance swimmer with multiple record-setting pool swims during the 1980s, including swims in butterfly and mixed styles, and records associated with Guinness World Records.[3][4]
A Swimming.bg feature[5] listing prominent Bulgarian marathon swimmers credits Dinev with 10 world records in a 50-metre pool, and states that six were recorded in Guinness World Records, including:
- 25 km butterfly (8:59:45)
- 40 km butterfly (16:35:10)
- 50 km butterfly (20:09:17)
- 24-hour butterfly (54.125 km)
- 4x 6-hour medley (70.600 km)
- 4x 25 km medley (38:31:11)
An obituary coverage in Sportal.bg[3] highlights two of his best-known including:
- 100 km IM (Individual Medley) (reported time 38:31:11, 1984)
Regional press coverage about a sports complex named for Dinev states that in June 1985 he improved world records over 40 km and 50 km butterfly in both 25-metre and 50-metre pools in Polski Trambesh, and that his result is recorded in Guinness World Records and remained unbeaten as of publication.[6].
Beloslav rescue (1978)
Press accounts state that during the 1978 collapse of a pontoon bridge near Beloslav, Dinev entered the cold water and rescued 42 people, for which he received a high-level state decoration for civil bravery (reported as an order 'For Civic Merit and Bravery).[1][2][7]
Coaching and later life
In 1984 Dinev was appointed as a head swimming coach in the city of Polski Trambesh at the swimming complex, which has been named for him and worked alongside his wife, Margarita Dineva and two daughters Zaharinka Dineava and Iliana Dineva.[8] In 1992, Dinev moved with his family to Montreal, Canada. He founded a swimming organization there in 1997 named MADD (Maîtres Amis Dobri Dinev - English translation from French as “Masters Friends of Dobri Dinev”).[1][2]
Legacy
Sports complex named after him (Polski Trambesh)
In 2015, after his passing, the sports complex in Polski Trambesh, Bulgaria was named after Dobri Dinev by municipal decision. A portion of his is medals and awards are on display inside the complex.[8][9]
National swimming marathon in his name (Lyaskovets area)
The official municipal site of Lyaskovets describes an annual National Swimming Marathon named for Dobri Dinev, initiated in his memory.[7]
Galata–Varna marathon prize/cup
The prize for the fastest swimmer at the Galata–Varna marathon receives a cup named for Dinev, and the official marathon site reports a “Dobri Dinev prize” among the event awards.[10][11]
Honorary Member of the Soviet Olympic Team
Sportal.bg also reported that he was made an honorary member of the Soviet Olympic team (Sbornaya), in the context of Soviet athletes being in Bulgaria during the 1984 Olympic boycott.[12]
Honors
Dobri Dinev was awarded as an honorary citizen of Polski Trambesh, Varna and Asenovgrad.[1] He received the title “Заслужил майстор на спорта по плуване” (Honored Master of Sports in Swimming) in connection with his record-setting swims in 1985.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Загубихме Добри Динев". Yantra Dnes. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Кръщават варненска улица на плувеца Добри Динев". Kmeta.bg. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsportal-mem - ↑ "Загубихме Добри Динев". Янтра ДНЕС (dnesbg.com) (in български). 9 March 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ "Отиде си най-успешният варненски треньор за всички времена Милко Рачев". Swimming.bg (in български). 5 March 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ "Отличията на Добри Динев ще стоят в комплекса, кръстен на негово име". Борба (borbabg.com) (in български). 25 September 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Националният плувен маратон „Добри Динев" отново събра участници от цялата страна". Lyaskovets Municipality (official site). 29 July 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Отличията на Добри Динев ще стоят в комплекса, кръстен на негово име". Borbabg.com. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedborba2025 - ↑ "Семейството на легендарния плувец Добри Динев е във Варна за плувния маратон". Bulgarian National Radio (Radio Varna). 5 August 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ "Varna Residents win the 79th Galata-Varna Swimming Marathon". Swimming Marathon Galata–Varna (official site). 6 August 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ "IN MEMORIAM: Загубихме великана Добри Динев". Sportal.bg. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
External links
- "Семейството на легендарния плувец Добри Динев е във Варна за плувния маратон". Bulgarian National Radio (Radio Varna). Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- "Отличията на Добри Динев ще стоят в комплекса, кръстен на негово име". Borbabg.com. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
This article "Dobri Dinev" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Dobri Dinev. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
