Oly: Beijing Olympics doping timeline

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2008
Oly: Beijing Olympics doping timeline

BEIJING, Aug 6 AFP - Timeline of doping controversies at the Beijing Olympics. (Note:
Starts from opening of the Olympic village in Beijing on July 27).

July 28

- Greece includes controversial sprinter Ekaterina Thanou in their squad for China.

A silver medallist in the women's 100m in the Sydney Olympics, Thanou caused a major doping
furore at the Athens 2004 Games when she missed a test along with training partner Costas
Kenteris. They were banned for two years and admitted missing a total of three doping
tests prior to the Athens Olympics.

- Italy's world champion road cyclist Marta Bastianelli tests positive for a banned
stimulant and is kicked off China-bound team.

- Denmark's cross-country mountain bike champion Peter Riis Andersen tests positive
for banned blood booster EPO (erythroipoietin) and is expelled from Danish team for China.

July 29

- US gymnast Morgan Hamm gets go-ahead to compete after the International Gymnastics
Federation said it will not appeal the US Anti-Doping Agency decision to forego a ban
after he tests positive for a physician-prescribed anti-inflammatory medication without
first seeking a therapeutic use exemption.

- Sprinter Julien Dunkley axed from the Jamaican track and field squad after reportedly
testing positive for the banned substance Boldenone, a favourite among body builders.

July 30

- Positive dope tests from the Bulgarian men's and women's weightlifting teams confirmed.

The Bulgarian teams withdrew from the Games in June after the A-samples of all 11 competitors
tested positive for a banned substance. Georgy Markov, Alan Tsagaev and Gergana Kirilova,
risk life bans as this is their second doping offence.

July 31

- Seven top Russian woman athletes are temporarily suspended for the suspected switching
of urine samples in drug tests. The controls showed discrepancies in their DNA samples,
the IAAF said. Yelena Soboleva, who had clocked the fastest times in the world this year
over both 800m and 1500m, was targeted as well as fellow middle distance runners Svetlana
Cherkasova, Yulia Fomenko, former double world champion Tatyana Tomashova and Olga Yegorova.

Hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva, a former world record holder, and reigning European
discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova, were also named.

- Romanian middle distance runners, Elena Antoci and Cristina Vasiloiu, kicked off
Olympics squad after testing positive for EPO.

Aug 1

- Italian fencer Andrea Baldini, a gold medal favourite, tests positive for the banned
diuretic furosemide. He misses the Games and is replaced in the squad by Andrea Cassara.

Aug 2

- The International Olympic Committee strips the United States' 4x400m men's relay
team of the gold medal it won at the Sydney 2000 Olympics for doping. The decision was
made after team member Antonio Pettigrew admitted in May to doping as far back as 1997
and agreed to return his Sydney gold medal.

Aug 4

- Baldini's positive test for banned diuretic confirmed by B sample. Andrea Cassara
named as replacement in team.

Aug 5

- Russian cyclist Vladimir Gusev omitted from the Russia squad following his sacking
from the Astana team after doping controls revealed "irregular blood values". Denis Menchov
called up as replacment.

- Athletics legend Michael Johnson hands back the 4x400 metres relay gold medal he
won in the 2000 Olympics after Pettigrew's admission.

- IOC drugs chief Arne Ljungqvist accuses Russia of systematically doping after seven
athletes were hit with suspensions which could lead to four-year bans.

Aug 6

- India withdraws weightlifter Monika Devi from the Olympics after she tests positive
for a banned steroid in a pre-Games test. Devi, who was due to compete in the 69kg category,
was picked for the lone Indian weightlifting berth amid controversy after the original
choice, Shailaja Pujari, was dropped following a cash-for-selection scandal.

AFP nh

KEYWORD: OLY08 DOPING TIMELINE

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