AP News, December 10th, 2006
Two weightlifters from Uzbekistan tested positive for banned substances and were disqualified from the Asian Games on Sunday, a day after another weightlifter was tossed out of the competition.
Elmira Ramileva, who placed fifth in the women's 152-pound division, tested positive Dec. 4 for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. Alexander Urinov, seventh in the men's 231-pound class, was positive for cannabis in a Dec. 3 sample.
Both admitted taking the substances and waived their right to a test on their B samples, Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al Musallam said.
On Saturday, Than Kyi Kyi, a female weightlifter from Myanmar, tested positive for a banned diuretic.
Than, a former world champion who placed fourth in the 106-pound division in Doha, also waived her right to have a B sample analyzed. Her initial urine sample Dec. 2 showed elevated traces of furosemide. Diuretics can be used to mask steroids.
OCA medical committee member Jegathesan Manikavasagam said the stanozolol could have been in Ramileva's system for several weeks to a month, and the cannabis from Urinov's test was probably only a couple of days old.
All cases have been referred to the international weightlifting federation for further action. Than and Ramileva faced two-year bans from competition.
Al Musallam rejected suggestions that this doping scandal could spell the end of weightlifting as an Asian Games event.
"The weightlifting is on the Asian Games program and the Olympic Games program. ... We can't punish all athletes worldwide because of an individual's act," he said. "The Asian Games will not kick out this sport."
Abdulwahab Al Musleh, organizing committee doping control manager, said about 750 of the anticipated 1,200 doping tests had been conducted by Saturday night. Of these, 50 were blood tests and the rest were urine tests.
"We test all the gold medalists," Al Musleh said. "In some sports we test bronze and silver as well, and in other sports we may test second and third and a random selection from the rest."
