Weightlifting

The Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation (BWF) has appealed a ban on its team for the 2016 Olympics imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) over doping cases, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Tuesday.

The lawyer of Bulgaria's weightlifting federation believes that a doping ban imposed on Bulgarian weightlifters will be overturned in time for them to take part in the 2016 Olympics, Reuters has reported.

Bulgaria has withdrawn its weightlifting team from next month's European championship after 11 athletes failed a doping test.

"Bulgarian athletes will not participate in any international events" until the case is cleared, the AP quoted the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation as saying.

According to unconfirmed information, Bulgaria's Olympic weightlifting champion Milen Dobrev has most probably died of a heart attack.

The athlete was found dead in his home in Plovdiv on Saturday afternoon, and the emergency call on account of the incident has been received at 1:38 pm.

Former Olympic Weightlifting champion Milen Dobrev has been found dead in his home.

According to information released by local police, there have been no signs of violence on the body of the 35-year old athlete.
His parents have discovered the dead body as they went to his apartment Saturday.

Eleven members of Bulgaria's weightlifting teams (men and women) have tested positive for a banned substance, which could prevent them from taking part in the European championship next month.

Albanian weightlifters could be barred from the 2016 Rio Olympics Officials if it is confirmed that three of them took illegal steroids.

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By George Georgakopoulos

A row has broken out between the national weightlifting federations of Greece and Albania following claims over the weekend that the former Greek Olympian and current national squad coach, Leonidas Sabanis, played a role in the doping of three Albanian athletes at last month’s World Championship in Kazakhstan.

Romanian athlete Alexandru Rosu claimed two silver medals and one bronze medal in the 77-kg category on Saturday, in the 2014 World University Weightlifting Championship, carried out in Chiang Mai (Thailand).

Photo credit (c) Mihai Dragos GEORGESCU / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Romanian woman athlete Andreea Aanei, with Olimpia Bucharest Sports Club, on Saturday won three silver medals in the European Junior and Under 23 Weightlifting Championship of Limassol, Cyprus, in the U23 +75 kg bodyweight category.