DrugsThe Athens Olympics last night suffered another blow when two women were banished from the Games for failing in-competition drugs tests. And according to reports from the Greek news agency ANA, the host nation's weightlifting medal hero Leonidas Sampanis was also set to be thrown out for returning a positive sample.
The news came in the wake of five lifters being banned from the Games on Thursday for positive tests and Olympic weightlifting's reputation is badly tarnished.
The latest confirmed offender was Indian Thingbaijam Sanamacha Chanu, a 25-year-old who finished fourth in the women's 53kg final last Sunday. According to the International Olympic Committee, she tested positive for a banned diuretic, Furosemide, after her final.
The same fate will befall shot-putter Olga Shchukina from Uzbekistan. The IOC decided both were cut-and-dry cases but they were not commenting on the Sampanis report. Shchukina (27), finished last at Ancient Olympia on Thursday. Her failed test occurred on August 14th, before her final.
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