Doping didn’t destroy reputation of Galabin Boevski

Galabin Boevski, a Bulgarian weightlifter, World Champion and Olympic Champion, went to nine months in prison because of illicit international drug trade. This sportsperson was arrested in October 2011 at the Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil after he tried to board the plane with eight kg of cocaine. Galabin Boevski was led to Bulgaria. Cocaine was estimated. It could be sold at the price of 500, 000 dollars on the streets in European countries.  
Galabin Boevski is a well-known sportsman in Bulgaria. He is claimed to be one of the most famous weightlifters in this country.
First he was caught taking steroids in 1995. Undoubtedly, he was suspended.
Then this sportsman was caught taking banned preparations in 2004. It was the second time when he violated doping rules. Actually, Galabin Boevski didn’t test positive for any banned preparations. But anti-doping officials defined that he didn’t provide own urine. The urine that was provided by this athlete belonged to another individual. As a result, Galabin Boevski was sentenced to 8-year suspension. During serving the suspension he was caught smuggling cocaine.
Boevski became well-known due to his success in weightlifting. This sportsman won gold medals at several competitions: at the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships in Athens, the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and the 2001 World Weightlifting Championships in Antalya.
At the 2003 World Championships in Vancouver this sportsperson and his teammates from Bulgaria provided urine samples which belonged to another individual. It was defined by anti-doping officials that the three urine samples were produced by one person. These athletes were sentenced to suspensions. Boevski appealed the suspension but it was unsuccessful.
Boevski broke several world records at various competitions. He held 3 world records. His best lifts were following: a 162, 5 kg snatch, 196, 5 kg clean and jerk and a 357, 5 kg of two lifts at the 1999 Championships.
It is strange but this athlete’s reputation was not destroyed in Bulgaria. He used his status of celebrity in sports in order to establish a Technogym fitness center in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The center was named Atama Wellness and Spa.
Moreover, Maria Isabel do Prado, the Brazilian judge, affirmed that Boevski applied also his status of celebrity in sports in order to traffic the narcotic cocaine. She also noted that this sportsperson used the participation of his daughter in a Brazilian tennis tournament to hide his illegal deals connected with smuggling of the narcotic.
The weightlifter Boevski decided to appeal the conviction.