Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnast Radina Tomova Receives Doping Ban

Bulgarian Radina Tomova, a former national rhythmic gymnastics competitor, has been disqualified for three years after testing positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. The 19-year-old athlete from Sofia was sanctioned from October 2, 2024, to October 1, 2027, following an out-of-competition doping control. Her name appears on the list of Bulgarian athletes with active sanctions, published by the National Anti-Doping Center.

Tomova was a key member of Bulgaria’s rhythmic gymnastics ensemble that secured the world title in the all-around event at the 2022 Sofia Championships, earning the country a quota for the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, she was not included in the Olympic team after being removed from coach Vessela Dimitrova’s squad following the team’s underwhelming performance at the 2023 World Championships in Valencia.

During her time with the ensemble, Tomova achieved notable success, including three gold medals at the 2022 World Championships in Sofia—winning in the three ribbons and two balls routine, as well as in the all-around event. She also played a role in Bulgaria’s team victory at the 2023 Teams Championships in Valencia. At the European level, she contributed to Bulgaria’s all-around gold and team gold at the 2023 European Championships in Baku, as well as a silver medal in the five hoops routine.

Following her competitive career, Tomova transitioned to coaching at Lokomotiv Sofia. Her case marks the sixth doping violation involving a Bulgarian athlete in 2024. Other athletes sanctioned this year include handball players Branimir Balchev, Denislav Sabev, and Kristiyan Kolev, as well as MMA fighter Dragomir Pashov and weightlifter Denis Mehmed.