The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ALL OF RUSSIA’S WEIGHTLIFTERS BANNED FOR DOPING RESULTS
Doping violations add to sanctions against nation.
All of Russia’s weightlifters were banned from the Rio Olympics on Friday for doping with what the international federation called “extremely shocking” results that brought the sport into “disrepute.”
The eight competition spots have been offered to other countries.
The International Weightlifting Federation said the “integrity of the weightlifting sport has been seriously damaged on multiple times and levels by the Russians.” It said the punishment was an “appropriate sanction” to “preserve the status of the sport.”
The IWF described the doping results as “extremely shocking and disappointing.”
Weightlifting became the second sport after track and field to issue blanket bans on Russian athletes. Other sports — including rowing, wrestling, modern pentathlon and sailing — have banned one or more Russians from competing in Rio de Janeiro, but not all of the country’s eligible athletes.
To replace the eight Russian lifters in Rio, five countries were offered places in the men’s competition — Belarus, Croatia, El Salvador, Mongolia and Serbia. For the women, Albania, Georgia and Moldova became eligible.
Because of the lateness of the decision, the IWF said it was not clear whether all the spots would be filled
In justifying its actions against Russia, the IWF said retests of samples from seven Russian weightlifters who took part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics or 2012 London Olympics resulted in positive tests, and more were expected.
Two female weightlifters — Tatiana Kashirina and Anastasiia Romanova — were withdrawn by the Russian federation for earlier doping offenses. The names of the other banned lifters were not announced.
Four additional weightlifters were mentioned in World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren’s report — which alleged a massive cover-up of failed drug tests — as having benefited from the “disappearing positive methodology system” used by Russia to mask doping results.
The IWF said the ban also applied to Russia’s technical official for the Rio Games, whose appointment was withdrawn.
Fire in Rio lodging forces evacuation: Australian Olympic team members were forced to evacuate their lodgings on Friday at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics after a small fire in a basement parking area caused smoke to fill the stairwells.
Australian team spokesman Mike Tancred said about 100 athletes and officials were evacuated from their building in the sprawling athletes’ village.
The compound contains 31 buildings and will accommodate 18,000 athletes and officials at the peak of the games.
The fire will once again draw attention to Rio’s spotty preparations, which have been marred by the Zika virus, severe water pollution, crime, and slow ticket sales.
Tancred said team members returned to their rooms after 30 minutes.