Off the wire
• Rio Olympics security plan not intensified after Paris attacks  • British table tennis No. values experiences in China  • Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Nov. 20  • Group standings of ATP Finals  • ATP Finals results  • Cuban 3 pairs to wrap up beach volleyball Norceca Circuit  • Djokovic to face Nadal at ATP semifinals in London  • Dollar changes hands in upper 122 yen range in early Tokyo deals  • Interview: Inadequate toilets contribute to child malnutrition, UNICEF says on World Toilet Day  • Peru destroys 15 illegal runways in fight against drug trafficking  
You are here: 　 Home

Bulgarian weightlifters banned from Rio Olympics

Xinhua, November 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Bulgaria will not be allowed to compete in weightlifting at next year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics for mass positive doping tests, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said on Thursday.

   IWF made the decision to give out the punishment after 11 Bulgarian weightlifters had been tested positive for doping earlier this year.

   The federation also said it decided to remove one Olympic berth from Romania because of multiple positive doping cases during the qualification period for the Rio Games.

   The IWF's executive board, meeting in Houston for two days prior to the world championships, concluded its gathering with a report that included the ban on Bulgaria at Rio.

   "Bulgaria is not eligible to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games," a federation statement said.

   The Bulgarians withdrew from the European championships earlier this year after testing positive for steroids.  Endi