Paris Olympic weightlifting bronze medallist Andrejevs banned for four years
Bulgarian weightlifter Dimitrovs Andrejevs, a bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics, has been banned for four years for doping. His Olympic medal stays, because the violation dates from 2025.
/nginx/o/2026/11/06/18021372t1h8e04.jpg)
Dimitrovs Andrejevs, a Bulgarian weightlifter who won bronze at the Paris Olympic Games, has been banned for four years for doping. The International Testing Agency (ITA), which organises and oversees anti-doping controls in sport, announced the decision on 6 November. The suspension runs until November 2029.
What was found
Andrejevs is 29 years old. Out-of-competition samples he provided last year, in 2025, contained traces of mesterolone, an anabolic steroid. That finding led to the four-year sanction handed down by the ITA.
Olympic bronze remains
At the Paris Olympics, Andrejevs competed in the weight class up to 73 kilograms. Ritvars Suharevs competed in the same category, which is why Andrejevs is described as his former rival.
Because the violation was recorded in 2025, none of the medals Andrejevs won earlier will be taken away from him. His Paris bronze stands in the Olympic results.
The ban covers the period from now until November 2029, according to the ITA.
