Milen Dobrev, Olympic Weightlifting Gold Medalist, Dies at 35
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PLOVDIV, Bulgaria, March 21 (UPI) — Milen Dobrev, a 35-year-old Bulgarian weightlifting champion who won gold in the 2004 Olympic Games, was found dead in his home Saturday.
The native of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, won a gold medal in the 2003 world championships before claiming the same one year later, where he competed in the middle heavyweight — or 207 pound — class. Dobrev is also a two-time European champion. He retired in 2008.
“Dobrev’s body was found at his home,” A Bulgarian interior ministry spokesperson said. “There are no signs of violence and the cause of death is still not clear.”
According to Sofia News Agency, colleague Atanas Markov said Dobrev suffered from a heart condition and had recently stopped taking medications. Markov said the two had been planning to start a youth sports academy.
“I can’t stop crying,” Bulgaria’s former weightlifting coach Plamen Asparuhov was quoted by the BBC as saying. “He was the best person I ever knew.”
