site.btaWorld Aquatics Confirms Swimmer Antani Ivanov's Suspension from Competitions until 2026

The Bulgarian Swimming Federation (BSF) received a letter from the World Aquatics international federation, which upheld and extended the scope of a disciplinary action against swimmer Antani Ivanov, BSF said on Wednesday. Ivanov is banned from participating in any events, activities, or competitions under the auspices of World Aquatics, organized for the period between March 14, 2024 and March 14, 2026.

The two-year suspension was imposed over Ivanov's three failures to appear for out-of-competition doping tests within a year.

Ivanov's appeal against the suspension of his eligibility to compete was recently dismissed by the Swiss Arbitration Court. Subsequently, he has lost any chance of competing in the Paris Olympics or other significant competitions during this period.

Ivanov finished 8th in 200 metres butterfly at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, one of the best achievements in Bulgarian swimming. He became the first Bulgarian to qualify for a final at such competition since Mihail Alexandrov in 2007.