Zlatev was originally intended to represent Bulgaria at the 1988 Olympic Games in the Light Heavyweight (82,5 kg) category. Mitko Grablev (56 kg) & Angel Guenchev (675 kg) were both disqualified after they tested positive for Furosemide. Snatch: 183.0 kg 1986 in Melbourne in the 82.5 kg class.
Clean and jerk: 225.0 kg 1986 in Sofia in the 82.5 kg class.
Total: 405.0 kg (1800+2250) 1986 in Sofia in the 82.5 kg class.
He became Olympic champion in 1980 in the middleweight class. Two of his teammates who had won gold medals in their weight classes tested positive for banned substances, and the Buglarian weightlifting federation pulled the rest of the team out of the competition the day before Zlatev was scheduled to compete. At the time, Zlatev was a three-time World champion and five-time European champion, and a heavy favorite for the gold medal.
