AP News, December 11th, 2006
A silver medalist became the fourth weightlifter at the Asian Games to fail a doping test, officials said Monday.
Oo Mya Sanda of Myanmar, who finished second in the women's 165-pound class, tested positive for a banned metabolite of an anabolic agent. She tested positive on Dec. 5 and has waived her right to have her second, or B sample, analyzed.
It marks the third straight day at the Asian Games that positive doping tests involving weightlifters have been announced.
Husain Al Musallam, director general of the Olympic Council of Asia, said Sanda has been stripped of her medal. The gold medalist remains Cao Lei of China and the new silver medalist is Kim Soon-hee of South Korea.
"The chef de mission at the National Olympic Committee of Myanmar has been involved in the whole process. They have submitted the medal back to the OCA," said Al Musallam.
The bronze will be awarded to Sinita Darmariani of Indonesia, who had finished fourth.
On Sunday, two Uzbekistan weightlifters tested positive for banned substances and were disqualified.
Elmira Ramileva, who placed fifth in the women's 152-pound division, tested positive to the anabolic steroid stanozolol in a test taken Dec. 4. Alexander Urinov, who was seventh in the men's 231-pound class, returned positive for cannabis in a Dec. 3 sample.
Al Musallam announced Saturday that Than Kyi Kyi, a female weightlifter from Myanmar, tested positive for a banned diuretic.
Than, a former world championships gold medalist who placed fourth in the 106-pound division here, also waived her right to have a B sample analyzed after her initial urine sample Dec. 2 showed elevated traces of furosemide. Diuretics can be used to mask steroids.
All cases have been forwarded to the International Weightlifting Federation for further action.
Weightlifting has been plagued by doping scandals in recent years.
India did not compete in the Doha weightlifting competition after being sanctioned by the IWF for persistent positive doping tests. It turned down the opportunity to attend the Asian Games, despite the offer of a dispensation in return for paying a fine.
The Iranian team, including two-time Olympic heavyweight champion and Doha gold medal-winner Hossein Rezazadeh, competed here only after paying a fine to the IWF in lieu of suspension after adverse findings against some its team.
The doping cases here attract sanctions up to two-year suspensions from all competition.
Al Musallam defended weightlifting as a sport, instead blaming officials and coaches for giving athletes bad advice.
"We cannot blame weightlifting as a sport because we discover a positive case," he said. "Weightlifting is a good sport, but some cheaters or individuals give the wrong advice to athletes."
