The International Weightlifting Federation Bans Six Russian Weightlifters For Doping Violations
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The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) reports that six Russian weightlifters have been banned from competition for doping violations. The IWF said in a statement released on October 8, 2020, the disciplining comes as a result from evidence of cheating obtained by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation of samples taken from the same Moscow laboratory at the center of the Russian doping scandal that erupted in 2014.
The IWF states:
Following these investigations, the International Testing Agency (“ITA”), on behalf of the IWF, brought forward twelve cases against Russian athletes in 2019 and two additional cases earlier this year. After thorough disciplinary proceedings before the IWF Hearing Panel, the IWF can now confirm that six Russian athletes were found to have committed anti-doping rule violations and have been banned accordingly based on the data contained in the LIMS and other corroborative evidence. The other eight cases are currently pending either before the IWF Hearing Panel or at various stages of results management.
Athletes Banned:
- Dmitry LAPIKOV (m): 02.08.2018 to 02.08.2026
- Maxim SHEYKO (m): 09.12.2017 to 09.12.2023
- Ruslan ALBEGOV (m): 12.11.2017 to 12.11.2021
- Egor KLIMONOV (m): 09.12.2017 to 09.12.2021
- Yulia KONOVALOVA (w): 09.12.2017 to 09.12.2021
- Tima TURIEVA (w): 09.12.2017 to 09.12.2021
Dmitry Lapikov received the heaviest sanction. A competition ban until August 2026. The 38-year-old was a bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2009 world silver medalist, and 2011 European champion.
Maksim Sheiko, European silver medalist in 2012 and 2013, was banned for five years.
Ruslan Albegov, bronze medalist at London 2012 and a two-time world champion, Egor Klimonov, Yuliya Konovalova, and Tima Turieva received four-year bans.
The IWF acting President Ursula Papandrea said the decisions “are proof that the anti-doping system has become significantly stronger in recent years, notably thanks to WADA’s powers to investigate.” The IWF “will continue to play its part…in doing all it can to protect clean weightlifters and promote clean weightlifting,” she added.
WADA is in the process of analyzing data retrieved earlier this year from the Moscow laboratory and submitting the results to international sports federations. The doping scandal resulted in Team Russia’s ban from international competition, including the 2016 Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics.
References:- https://www.iwf.net/2020/10/08/iwf-follows-moscow-lims-data-six-sanction...
- https://fitnessvolt.com/iwf-sanctions-six-athletes/
- https://www.newsday24.com/russia/six-russian-weightlifters-banned-from-c...
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