site.btaOutgoing Sports Minister Peshev Voices Support for Bulgarian Athlete Lalova-Collio Who Allegedly Tested Positive for Anabolic Steroids

Outgoing Minister of Youth and Sports Ivan Peshev Friday commented on Facebook on reports concerning Ivet Lalova-Collio and allegations of doping use. Peshev expressed support for Bulgaria’s leading athletics star and called for an objective process to clarify the case.

"In connection with the information that has emerged about a positive doping sample involving one of the most emblematic figures of Bulgarian athletics Ivet Lalova taken during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and identified following a reanalysis ten years later, as Minister of Youth and Sports I wish to state that I stand firmly behind Ivet Lalova and her right to a fair, objective, and transparent process to clarify all circumstances related to the case. 

Ivet is an athlete with an impeccable reputation, a long-standing international career, proven professionalism, and sportsmanship. For more than two decades, she has been a symbol of fair play, discipline, and deep dedication to sport, repeatedly bringing honour to Bulgaria on the world stage.

The sample and its reanalysis ten years after the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro raise a number of questions both regarding methodology and regarding the possibilities for an effective defence of athletes after such a long period of time. The truth must be established through an objective, fair, and transparent process.

Bulgarian sport owes respect and support to its champions," Peshev said in a statement published on his Facebook profile.