Weightlifter and runner fail tests

Barry Roberts
Saturday 28 August 2004 00:00 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Hungarian weightlifter Ferenc Gyurkovics has failed a drugs test and risks losing his Olympic silver medal, a national Olympic committee spokesman said yesterday, while the Russian 400m runner Anton Galkin was thrown out of the Games for a positive drugs test.

The Hungarian weightlifter Ferenc Gyurkovics has failed a drugs test and risks losing his Olympic silver medal, a national Olympic committee spokesman said yesterday, while the Russian 400m runner Anton Galkin was thrown out of the Games for a positive drugs test.

The 25-year-old Galkin, who was eliminated at the semi-final stage, tested positive for stanozolol and will be sent home instead of competing in the 4x400m relay as intended.

The International Olympic Committee has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Gyurkovics, who competed in the 105kg (231lb) class.

The Hungarian Olympic Committee plans to ask the IOC to have his back-up sample tested by an independent laboratory, a committee spokesman, Dezso Vad, said.

Gyurkovics set an Olympic record by lifting 195kg (429lb) in the snatch on Tuesday, but wound up finishing second to Dmitri Berestov of Russia in the overall totals.

Four medals already have been overturned at the Athens Games for doping violations.

Meanwhile, Hungary's Olympic hammer-throw champion Adrian Annus has finally been tracked down by doping testers and given a deadline to provide a new urine sample.

Annus, now in Hungary, passed a drug test after winning the hammer throw on Sunday, but officials have been trying to find him since then for further testing.

The IOC wants to find out whether he provided his own urine for the test or whether he tried to beat the screening system, as his teammate and gold medallist in the discus, Robert Fazekas, allegedly did.

Fazekas lost his gold medal after Olympic authorities said he failed to provide enough urine for a drug test, a charge which Fazekas disputes.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in