According to International Olympic Committee (IOC), the belated results of the drugs test forced them to strip Hristov of his third-place finish in the 56kg class. His test came back positive for oral turinabol, an anabolic steroid linked to East Germany’s doping programme that run during the 1970s and 1980s.

Due to this discovery, the IOC moved to grant fourth-place finisher Tran Le Quoc Toan the bronze medal. During the London Olympics held in 2012, Toan successfully lifted a total of 284kg, only two kg less than Hristov.

During the event, the gold medal went to Om Yun Choi of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), while the silver was awarded to Wu Jingbiao of China. VOV

Two weightlifters banned from competition for doping violations

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has banned two young Vietnamese weightlifters from international competitions following their doping tests.