Lausanne : Weightlifting’s governing body has banned Kazakhstan’s double Olympic champion Ilya Ilyin and three other gold medalists for failing dope tests at the 2012 London Olympics.
Ten lifters in all were banned after dozens of London samples were retested. The International Weightlifting Federation reported on June 6 that re-analysis of samples from the 2008 Beijing Games had detected a further 10 suspect cases.
Kazakhstan’s biggest Olympic hero, Ilyin took 94kg gold in at Beijing and London and was to go for a third straight title in Rio de Janeiro in August. He tested positive for anabolic steroids.
Three other Kazakh gold medalists from London — Zulfiya Chinshanlo (53 kg), Maiya Maneza (63 kg) and Svetlana Podobedova (73 kg) — also failed tests and were banned, the IWF said.
Others include Azerbaijan’s 58kg world champion Boyanka Kostova and Russia’s London 85kg silver medal winner Apti Aukhadov. Meahwhile, Russia’s sports minister said on Thursday that, the country has carried out the anti-doping measures demanded by the world athletics governing body IAAF, adding that Russia was ready to help doping officers gain access to athletes.
