Romanian who doped won London 2012 silver after ‘cover-up’, report says
A Romanian weightlifter who won silver at the London 2012 Olympics was intentionally allowed to compete at the Games despite being suspended for using steroids and substituting her urine to avoid a positive doping test, an investigation has found.
The investigation, by the International Testing Agency, found the former International Weightlifting Federation president Tamas Ajan and the current IWF vice-president, Nicu Vlad, who also heads the Romanian federation, “committed intentional acts or omissions” to allow Roxana Cocos to compete in the 69kg class in London. Both men have now been charged with anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs). Cocos was stripped of her medal last year.
“By intentionally failing to implement Ms Cocos’ provisional suspension, the two IWF officials allowed one of Romania’s top-ranked international athletes to participate in the London Games despite clear and undisputed evidence of her having resorted to urine substitution and having used anabolic steroids in the lead-up to the Olympic Games,” the report states. “In light of the foregoing the ITA asserted anti-doping rule violations against Mr Ajan and Mr Vlad for tampering and complicity in the multiple ADRVs committed by Ms Cocos.”
The charges, detailed on Thursday in an ITA report instigated by a whistleblowing TV documentary broadcast by Germany’s ARD last year, relate to nearly 150 “unresolved” doping cases in the sport between 2009 and 2019.
“The ITA was hampered by the depth and breadth of the IWF’s past years of inaction, which resulted in 29 unsanctioned doping violations being impossible to prosecute due to statute of limitation and/or destruction of evidence,” the ITA said.
“The reasons why these cases were unprocessed and/or unsanctioned, ranged from mere administrative oversight, poor record keeping, chaotic organisational processes, or jurisdictional errors to indifference, outright negligence, complicity, or – at worst – blatant and intentional coverups.”
The IWF said it was “fully committed” to implementing sanctions levelled against former or current officials by the ITA. “I am appalled by what is asserted to have been a complete betrayal of weightlifting and weightlifters by those who had been entrusted with the sport’s leadership,” said the IWF president, Dr Michael Irani.
The World Anti-Doping Agency, which cooperated with the ITA, welcomed the report. “Wada is very disturbed by what has been revealed and will continue to work in close collaboration with the ITA and others, including law enforcement, to help reveal the full extent of the truth that was hidden for many years,” said its president, Witold Banka.
Ajan stood down last year after 20 years as IWF president, initially to allow an investigation to be conducted by Richard McLaren, which exposed the cover-up of doping offences, rigged elections and the disappearance of millions of dollars. Ajan denied any wrongdoing.