Olympic medallist weightlifter handed four-year doping ban

Bulgarian weightlifter and 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, Bozhidar Dimitrov Andreev, has been handed a doping ban for using an anabolic steroid, ruling him out of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.

The 29-year-old tested positive for mesterolone last year and received a four-year ban until November 2029, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said on Friday.

The positive test came from an out-of-competition sample collected on 15 October 2025. The ITA initially announced the adverse analytical finding in December, confirming that Andreev had been provisionally suspended while the case was investigated.

Mesterolone is classified as an anabolic androgenic steroid under the World Anti-Doping Agency‘s (WADA) prohibited list and is banned both in and out of competition.

“Mesterolone is known for its potent androgenic properties by increasing testosterone levels and enhancing male sexual characteristics,” the ITA said in a statement.

Andreev won bronze in the 73-kilogram division at the Paris 2024Olympics after finishing fifth in Tokyo in 2021. His Olympic medal remains unaffected by the conviction.

He secured third place in Paris with a combined lift of 344kg, finishing behind Indonesia’s Rizki Juniansyah and Thailand’s Weeraphon Wichuma.

The Bulgarian had enjoyed considerable success on the international stage before his Olympic achievement. He won gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing before becoming European champion in 2019 and 2024.

His second continental title came on home soil in Sofia, where he set a European clean and jerk record of 193kg on his way to a combined total of 348kg in the men’s 73kg category.

Andreev also claimed bronze at the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.

The four-year suspension means he will be unable to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics, which begin in July 2028, unless the sanction is successfully challenged.

He can appeal against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).