<p>Former world champion weightlifter Boyanka Kostova was banned for eight years for doping on Thursday after making her comeback from an earlier sanction for performance-enhancing drug use at the Olympics.</p>.<p>The International Testing Agency said Kostova tested positive for traces of the steroid stanozolol on her way to winning the European championship title in the 59-kilogram category in April.</p>.<p>She was born in Bulgaria but later switched allegiance to Azerbaijan, which lavishly funded her bids for Olympic medals.</p>.<p>Kostova was banned from 2016 through 2018 after a reanalysis of her sample from the 2012 Olympics, where she placed fifth, found the steroid turinabol.</p>.<p>Kostova was the 2015 world champion and world record holder in the old 58-kilogram category but was prevented from competing at the Olympics the following year in Rio de Janeiro amid her first doping case.</p>.<p>Despite her European title, she didn't compete at this year's Olympics in Tokyo because she didn't have enough valid results during the qualifying period.</p>.<p>On Monday, the ITA also announced doping bans for three Russian weightlifters including two-time European champion Andrei Demanov.</p>.<p>The cases were based on re-examining evidence of past doping and cover-ups within Russia. None of the three had competed recently. </p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>Former world champion weightlifter Boyanka Kostova was banned for eight years for doping on Thursday after making her comeback from an earlier sanction for performance-enhancing drug use at the Olympics.</p>.<p>The International Testing Agency said Kostova tested positive for traces of the steroid stanozolol on her way to winning the European championship title in the 59-kilogram category in April.</p>.<p>She was born in Bulgaria but later switched allegiance to Azerbaijan, which lavishly funded her bids for Olympic medals.</p>.<p>Kostova was banned from 2016 through 2018 after a reanalysis of her sample from the 2012 Olympics, where she placed fifth, found the steroid turinabol.</p>.<p>Kostova was the 2015 world champion and world record holder in the old 58-kilogram category but was prevented from competing at the Olympics the following year in Rio de Janeiro amid her first doping case.</p>.<p>Despite her European title, she didn't compete at this year's Olympics in Tokyo because she didn't have enough valid results during the qualifying period.</p>.<p>On Monday, the ITA also announced doping bans for three Russian weightlifters including two-time European champion Andrei Demanov.</p>.<p>The cases were based on re-examining evidence of past doping and cover-ups within Russia. None of the three had competed recently. </p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>