Sports

2 Beijing Olympic medallists test positive for doping

by Barbara McPherson | April 29, 2009 at 08:09 am

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Olympic Committee has announced positive tests for six athletes from the Beijing Games last year. The new testing has revealed use of CERA a form of the blood booster EPO. Thee track and field athletes, two cyclists and one weightlifter were caught.

The 2008 Olympic gold medallist in the men's 1,500 metres tested positive for doping at the Beijing Games, the Bahrain Olympic Committee said Wednesday, as Italy and Germany also confirmed positive test results for athletes.

Rashid Ramzi, who is originally from Morocco and still trains there, gave Bahrain its first-ever track and field medal at the Beijing Olympics, with a time of three minutes, 32.94 seconds.

The announcement comes a day after the International Olympic Committee said six athletes from the Beijing Games had positive doping test results for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO.

The IOC has not named the athletes involved, though an IOC official speaking on anonymity told The Associated Press three track and field athletes, two cyclists and one weightlifter had tested positive.