Topic: News: The 2008 Bulgarian Doping Scandal

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Bulgaria pulls Olympic weightlifters for doping
11 of 13 members of team test positive for banned steroid

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria’s weightlifting federation says it will withdraw its team from the Beijing Olympics after 11 lifters tested positive for a banned steroid.

The federation said in a statement Friday that eight men and three women tested positive for the substance during out-of-competition tests conducted June 8-9.

[Brooke Burkhalter]

At least they seem to be making an honest effort to clean up.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Bulgaria withdraws weightlifters from Olympics
By Anna Mudeva, Editing by Clare Fallon

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria withdrew its national weightlifting team from the Beijing Olympics on Friday after 11 members of the team failed dope tests, the national weightlifting federation said.

The weightlifters, who were hoping to compete for medals at the August Games, were tested during a training camp in the Balkan country on June 8-9, the federation said in a statement.

"The federation decided to withdraw the national weightlifting team -- men and women -- from the Olympics," it said.

Sports officials ordered drugs tests for all Bulgarian Olympic-bound athletes after the weightlifting announcement and called for tougher measures against anyone involved in doping.

The failed tests deal a blow to Bulgaria which has been on a mission to clean up weightlifting's tarnished reputation after a series of doping scandals and suspensions at previous Olympic Games.

The 11 weightlifters -- eight men and three women -- tested positive for the banned anabolic substance methandienon, the federation said.

Among them were medal hopes Ivan Stoitsov, who took two gold medals at last year's world championships, and Velichko Cholakov who won bronze at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Injury had already ruled out another Bulgarian medal hope Milen Dobrev, who won the 94-kg title at the Athens Olympics four years ago. 

NATIONAL FLAG

"At the doorstep of the Beijing Games our hopes have been damaged, the work has become meaningless and the tears that were to be shed in front of the national flag are replaced by tears of helplessness," the federation said.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) declined to comment.

The Bulgarian State Sports and Youth Agency and the country's Olympic committee announced there would be additional tests for all Bulgarian athletes who had qualified for Beijing.

"It's better to have a smaller number of medals but clean and honest than losing the trust of the sports community and suffer doping scandals," the agency said in a statement.

It also ordered an investigation into the weightlifting case and said it would propose legal changes to introduce tougher sanctions against anyone involved in doping.

Bulgaria's reputation hit a low at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where the team were stripped of three golds and sent home in shame following positive drugs tests.

Weightlifting has been the sport worst affected by doping and almost lost its status as an Olympic sport after five doping cases at the 1988 Games.

Only the former Soviet Union has won more medals than Bulgaria in weightlifting's major championships.

The Bulgarian Olympic Committee said it would meet on Monday to discuss the "doping scandal with the weightlifters."

The national federation's statement said the banned substance most likely reached the weightlifters' bodies through "contaminated" permitted recovery substances, such as proteins.

"Theoretically, taking it through food or ill intentions are not ruled out," it said.

Earlier this month, the IWF gave two-year suspensions to 11 Greek weightlifters who had tested positive for a banned substance in March.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

At least they seem to be making an honest effort to clean up.

I'll agree WADA seems to be making an honest effort to clean up weightlifting, but I will not agree that the IWF is doing so or these numerous countries that are OBVIOUSLY systematically doping their athletes. The IWF does the absolute minimum it must and gives the dopers every possible warning of new tests and every possible break, even breaking their own rules to do so. And, its been going on 20 years now! As far as Bulgaria, Russia, Iran, Greece, Albania, Belarus, Kazikstan (as well as many others of course), its been plenty obvious that all of them are systematically doping all along to anyone with an open mind and/or understanding of the sport. Every country with legitimate drug testing programs should protest at the Olympics- should picket every A session. Its long past time for this evil Olympic qualifying system to go!

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Weightlifters guilty of unclean and jerk

Olympics: Bulgaria has withdrawn its entire national weightlifting team from the Olympics and ordered tests on all Beijing-bound athletes after 11 members of the team failed dope tests.

The weightlifters, who were hoping to compete for medals at the August Games, were tested during a training camp in the Balkan country on June 8th-9th.

"The federation decided to withdraw the national weightlifting team - men and women - from the Olympics," it said.

Sports officials ordered drugs tests for all Bulgarian Olympic-bound athletes after the news emerged and called for tougher measures against anyone involved in doping.

The failed tests deal a blow to Bulgaria which has been on a mission to clean up weightlifting's tarnished reputation after a series of doping scandals and suspensions at previous Olympic Games.

The 11 weightlifters - eight men and three women - tested positive for the banned anabolic substance methandienon, the federation said.

Among them were medal hopes Ivan Stoitsov, who took two gold medals at last year's world championships, and Velichko Cholakov who won bronze at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

"I am shocked," Stoitsov told state news agency BTA. "I think all this is a provocation. If I get punished, I'll quit training and do something else."

The results of the B tests are yet to be released.

Injury had already ruled out another Bulgarian medal hope Milen Dobrev, who won the 94-kg title at the Athens Olympics four years ago.

"At the doorstep of the Beijing Games our hopes have been damaged, the work has become meaningless and the tears that were to be shed in front of the national flag are replaced by tears of helplessness," the federation said.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has declined to comment.

The Bulgarian State Sports and Youth Agency and the country's Olympic committee announced there would be additional tests for all Bulgarian athletes who had qualified for Beijing.

"It's better to have a smaller number of medals but clean and honest than losing the trust of the sports community and suffer doping scandals," the agency said in a statement.

It also ordered an investigation into the weightlifting case and said it would propose legal changes to introduce tougher sanctions against anyone involved in doping.

Bulgaria's reputation hit a low at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where the team were stripped of three golds and sent home in shame following positive drugs tests.

Weightlifting has been the sport worst affected by doping and almost lost its status as an Olympic sport after five doping cases at the 1988 Games.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Bulgaria pulls Olympic weightlifters for doping
By Veselin Toshikov

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria's weightlifting federation will withdraw its team from the Beijing Games after 11 lifters tested positive for a steroid, the latest scandal to affect weightlifting ahead of the Summer Olympics.

Eight members of the men's team and three women tested positive during out-of-competition tests conducted June 8-9, a federation statement said Friday.

"As a result, the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation took a decision to withdraw its national weightlifting teams — men and women — from participation in the Olympics," the statement said.

The federation identified the banned substance as methandienone.

In neighboring Greece, 11 weightlifters were suspended for two years earlier this month, also after testing positive for a steroid. Greece still plans to send a team of four weightlifters — three men and a woman — to the Beijing Games.

Bulgaria's federation said the male athletes who tested positive were Ivailo Filev, Demir Demirev, Mehmed Fikretov, Ivan Stoitsov, Georgi Markov, Ivan Markov, Alan Tsagaev and Velichko Cholakov. The women were Milka Maneva, Donka Mincheva and Gergana Kirilova.

"I was shocked, all this is a provocation," said Stoitsov, who won two gold medals at last year's world championships.

The federation took the action without waiting for the results of backup tests. It also said it was "theoretically possible" that the substance could have been ingested accidentally as part of a food supplement, or that the athletes' food could have been spiked.

Three Bulgarian lifters were banned for doping ahead of the Athens Olympics in 2004.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Bulgaria Won't Send Weightlifters to Beijing After 11 Fail Drug Tests
By Michael David Smith

Bulgaria has decided to keep its entire Olympic weightlifting team home from the Summer Olympics after 11 members failed drug tests this month.

One of the Bulgarians who tested positive was Ivan Stoitsov (pictured), who won two gold medals at the 2007 world championships and would have been a favorite in Beijing. Eight men and three women came up positive during a surprise test at their training camp.

Bulgaria has a long history of success in weightlifting -- and of getting caught cheating. Two Bulgarians were stripped of weightlifting golds after testing positive in 1988, and Bulgarians were stripped of one gold, one silver and one bronze in 2000.

Some International Olympic Committee members have suggested that the sport of weightlifting is so infested with performance-enhancing drugs that it should be eliminated as an Olympic sport, but the fact that these lifters were caught by their own nation's governing body is a sign that countries are cracking down on steroid cheaters.

[Brooke Burkhalter]

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Bulgaria pulls Olympic weightlifters for doping
By Veselin Toshikov

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria's weightlifting federation will withdraw its team from the Beijing Games after 11 lifters tested positive for a steroid, the latest scandal to affect weightlifting ahead of the Summer Olympics.

Eight members of the men's team and three women tested positive during out-of-competition tests conducted June 8-9, a federation statement said Friday.

"As a result, the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation took a decision to withdraw its national weightlifting teams — men and women — from participation in the Olympics," the statement said.

The federation identified the banned substance as methandienone.

In neighboring Greece, 11 weightlifters were suspended for two years earlier this month, also after testing positive for a steroid. Greece still plans to send a team of four weightlifters — three men and a woman — to the Beijing Games.

Bulgaria's federation said the male athletes who tested positive were Ivailo Filev, Demir Demirev, Mehmed Fikretov, Ivan Stoitsov, Georgi Markov, Ivan Markov, Alan Tsagaev and Velichko Cholakov. The women were Milka Maneva, Donka Mincheva and Gergana Kirilova.

"I was shocked, all this is a provocation," said Stoitsov, who won two gold medals at last year's world championships.

The federation took the action without waiting for the results of backup tests. It also said it was "theoretically possible" that the substance could have been ingested accidentally as part of a food supplement, or that the athletes' food could have been spiked.

Three Bulgarian lifters were banned for doping ahead of the Athens Olympics in 2004.

There has been some evidence of contaminated supplements giving positives for nandrolone. This is more believable due to the fact that no one with knowledge would take that one takes so long to clear they say.