The Management Board of the Bulgarian Swimming Sports Federation (BSF) unanimously decided to suspend the competitive rights of the competitor of the Black Sea Sports Club Varna Anthony Ivanov for a period of three years and imposed a fine of BGN 2,000 on him. The reason for the sanction is a series media appearances by Ivanov, in which, through false statements, slander, insinuations and insults, he undermines the prestige of the BFPS, individual athletes, coaches, members of the Management Board of the headquarters, as well as sports institutions such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MMS), The Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) and the Anti-Doping Center.
For months, the Board of the BFPS maintained neutrality regarding the attack launched by Anthony Ivanov against Bulgarian swimming, Bulgarian swimmers, MMS and BOC. The false statements, insults and slanders that Ivanov uttered in front of the Bulgarian media and audience were also submitted by him to international sites involved in the coverage of swimming sports.
The Board of the BFPS got acquainted with all the statements provided by Anthony Ivanov and found that Ivanov deliberately aims to discredit the leadership of the federation, Bulgarian swimming in general and elite Bulgarian athletes. The governing body of the federation considers as inadmissible and aimed at slandering the claims of the PSK “Cherno More” Varna athlete that the world record holder in the 400 m freestyle for juniors Petar Mitsin achieved his results in 2023 by using substances that fall under the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Ivanov does not provide any evidence for these claims.
The decision of the Board of Directors was made in compliance with the Code of Ethics of the BFPS, in which it is assumed that persons related to swimming sports are obliged to behave in accordance with the generally accepted principles of integrity, loyalty and responsibility. They must respect the rules, dignity and values of every person, as the use of obscene expressions, insults and slanders, including in the mass media, social networks and other communication and information technologies, is unacceptable.
