Izabela Dragneva

Izabela Dragneva-Rifatova (Bulgarian: Изабела Драгнева-Рифатова; born October 1, 1971 in Varna) is a retired female weightlifter from Bulgaria, who is best known for being the first female weightlifter to be stripped of her medal and results and disqualified from an Olympic games for cheating.[1] She twice competed for her native country at the Summer Olympics: 2000 (the first year women's weightlifting was contested as an Olympic sport) and 2004. She won the silver medal in the women's – 53 kg division at the 1998 World Weightlifting Championships in Lahti.

Izabela Dragneva

Personal information
Born	(1971-10-01) October 1, 1971 Varna, Bulgaria
Medal record Women’s Weightlifting Representing  Bulgaria Summer Olympic Games Disqualified 2000 Sydney – 48kg World Championships 1998 Lahti – 53 kg European Championships 1998 Riesa – 53 kg 1999 La Coruña – 53 kg 2000 Sofia – 53 kg 2004 Kiev – 48 kg 2003 Loutraki – 53 kg

Dragneva competed in the 48 kg category at the 2000 Summer Olympics where she claimed gold by unethical means.[1] Unfortunately, after multiple stripped medals from Bulgarian weightlifters in previous Olympic competitions, she and the entire Bulgarian weightlifting team were disqualified, thrown out, and unable to finish in the middle of the competition due to widespread cheating.[2][1] The IWF cited their 'Three Strikes and You're Out' rule for the disassociation.[1] She was one of the first of the Bulgarian weightlifters of these Olympics to be stripped of her unearned gold medal after she failed her drug test three days after winning it; testing positive for the banned diuretic furosemide.[1]

Luckily an honorable drug free American Tara Nott, who was originally awarded the silver due to the Bulgarian's use of PEDs, was able to quickly and rightfully receive her gold medal.