Olympian weightlifter faces potential suspension, loss of medal after doping violation

Aurimas Didzbalis, who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics in weightlifting, tested positive for doping, the International Testing Agency said on Thursday.

Didzbalis, 34, is one of seven athletes who participated in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and tested positive after a fresh analysis of their samples. Samples taken at the Olympic Games are stored and can be retested for up to 10 years after their event to allow for new developments in doping science.

“The majority of these positive re-analysis results are mainly due to technical advances,” the ITA said, with more sensitive detection of steroid traces.

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Didzbalis, along with three of the other athletes with positive tests, tested positive for the anabolic steroid danabol. Sprinter Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria, who placed eighth in the women’s 200 meters final, tested positive for ostarine, which has similar effects to steroids.

Didzbalis, following the retest, faces disqualification by the International Olympic Committee and could be stripped of his medal. The fourth-placed lifter was Sarat Sumpradit of Thailand.

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The 34-year-old’s positive test is not the first time he has tested positive for steroids. Didzbalis also tested positive for doping ahead of the 2012 London Olympics and at the 2017 World Championships in Anaheim, California.

“The athletes will also be provisionally suspended by their respective international federation,” the ITA said.

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The fresh Olympic doping cases included four in weightlifting and one each in judo, wrestling and track and field.

Two of the athletes came from Egypt and one each from Belarus, Olympic host Brazil, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Uzbekistan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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