Bulgarian weightlifter Bozhidar Andreev has been suspended for four years after testing positive for a banned substance in 2025, the International Testing Agency (ITA) announced.

The 29-year-old athlete's sample tested positive for mesterolone, and his suspension is set to run until November 2029.

Mesterolone is an anabolic-androgenic steroid on the list of prohibited substances. It has strong androgenic properties and influences the functioning of male sex hormones.

Andreev will keep the bronze medal he earned at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where he finished third in the under-73 kg category, despite the doping ban. At the Tokyo Olympics three years earlier, he placed fifth in the same weight class.

The Bulgarian weightlifter may challenge the ITA ruling before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.