site.btaStefka Kostadinova: I Should Ask IOC Whether I Have Been Erased

Stefka Kostadinova, who served as President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) from 2005 to 2025, along with members of her team, is contesting in court the election of the new president, Vesela Lecheva. So far, there have been differing court rulings, with the most recent one overturning Lecheva’s election, although a new appeal against the Sofia City Court’s decision is expected. Kostadinova shared her views on the difficult situation in which the institution currently finds itself. She was among those attending the memorial service for Olympic and world wrestling champion Boyan Radev on Monday.

“What is happening in the BOC is that the International Olympic Committee imposed a sanction on the Bulgarian committee and suspended its funding, and that happened in June. The court cases are ongoing, as you all know. About 80% of the equipment for the Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina has already arrived, and this week we are only expecting the shoes, after which the delegation will begin to be outfitted. The state has fully helped to ensure the participation of our Olympic delegation, so everything is proceeding normally,” she told the media.

“As you can see, I do not appear in the media, I do not attack anyone, and I do not insult anyone. But the person who personally insults me and throws dirt on my name, I will meet him in a Bulgarian court, in which I have complete trust as a Bulgarian citizen. I am talking about Danail Dimov,” Kostadinova added.

“The delegation is secured, everything has been paid for. There is only a small amount left to be paid in January. These insinuations that the Bulgarian flag will be banned and that athletes will compete without a national anthem, are complete nonsense. This is just insinuation meant to scare people in sport, because if there were anything like that, the IOC would have written to the BOC. There is nothing of the sort, people are simply being frightened,” she said further.

Asked whether she is ready for a compromise and talks with the current BOC president-elect, Vesela Lecheva, Kostadinova replied: “I am absolutely open at all times, but they do not respond. No one has called me, no one has sought a conversation with me. I remain at the Olympic Committee, I do not appear in the media, and above all, I do not attack anyone.”

“Because, as this gentleman said, that I am ‘erased’, I am an Olympic champion. I have held a world record for 37 years and am a seven-time world champion. I would need to ask the IOC whether I am ‘erased,’ or maybe they will take my medals. This is complete nonsense. This was said by Mr. ‘Nobody’ about Stefka Kostadinova. There will be a Bulgarian delegation, there will be the Bulgarian national anthem, and quite a few people will travel. They have already sent the list. President Radev will travel with six people. At previous Olympics, President Plevneliev travelled with one person, President Parvanov travelled with one person, and now President Radev is travelling with six people. Everything is secured, I thank the state,” she explained.

Olympic shooting medallist Vesela Lecheva was elected Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) President after a secret ballot at the General Assembly of the organization on March 19, defeating world high jump legend Stefka Kostadinova by 48:33 votes. Kostadinova had led the BOC since 2005 and was seeking to be re-elected for a sixth consecutive term. Despite Lecheva’s election as BOC President, the procedure for electing a new BOC leadership is far from complete. The newly elected BOC leadership has not yet been registered in the Commercial Register due to ongoing court appeals. On May 17, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it had provisionally recognized the results of the BOC Elective General Assembly on March 19, 2025, confirming that Lecheva and her team are the only individuals authorized to represent the BOC to the IOC, within the Olympic Movement, and at all IOC-recognized events and Games.