IOC sanctions 4 athletes for failing anti-doping tests at Beijing 2008 and London 2012

The protection of clean athletes and the fight against doping are top priorities for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOCs strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement.

To provide a level playing field for all clean athletes at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the IOC put special measures in place, including targeted pre-tests and the re-analysis of stored samples from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 and London 2012, following an intelligence-gathering process that started in August 2015.

As part of this process, the IOC today announced that four athletes have been disqualified from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 and London 2012. The details follow.

Maria ABAKUMOVA, 30, of the Russian Federation, competing in athletics (javelin throw event), has been disqualified from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, in which she ranked 2nd and was awarded the silver medal. Re-analysis of Abakumovas samples from Beijing 2008 resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol). 

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case of Denis Oswald (Chairman), Gunilla Lindberg and Ugur Erdener, decided the following:

1. The Athlete, Maria Abakumova:
   1. is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 (presence and/or use of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an athletes bodily specimen),
   2. is disqualified from the events in which she participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, namely, the javelin throw event in which she ranked 2nd and was awarded the silver medal, and
   3. has the silver medal, the diploma and the medallist pin obtained in the javelin throw event withdrawn and is ordered to return same.

2. The IAAF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.

3. The Russian Olympic Committee shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
4. The Russian Olympic Committee shall notably secure the return to the IOC, as soon as possible, of the silver medal, the diploma and the medallist pin awarded in connection with the javelin throw event to the Athlete.
5. This decision enters into force immediately.

The full decision is available here.

Inga ABITOVA, 34, of the Russian Federation, competing in athletics (10,000m), has been disqualified from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, in which she ranked 6th and for which she was awarded an Olympic diploma.  Re-analysis of Abitovas samples from Beijing 2008 resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol).

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case of Denis Oswald (Chairman), Gunilla Lindberg and Ugur Erdener, decided the following:

1. The Athlete, Inga Abitova:
   1. is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 (presence and/or use of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an athletes bodily specimen),
   2. is disqualified from the events in which she participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, namely, the 10,000m event, and

   3. has the diploma obtained in the 10,000m event withdrawn and is ordered to return same.

2. The IAAF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
3. The Russian Olympic Committee shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
4. The Russian Olympic Committee shall notably secure the return to the IOC, as soon as possible, of the diploma awarded in connection with the 10,000m event to the Athlete.
5. This decision enters into force immediately.

The full decision is available here.

Denis ALEXEEV, 28, of the Russian Federation, competing in athletics (400m event round 1), has been disqualified from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, in which he ranked 23rd.  Re-analysis of Alexeevs samples from Beijing 2008 resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol).

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case of Denis Oswald (Chairman), Gunilla Lindberg and Ugur Erdener, decided the following:

1. The Athlete, Denis Alexeev:
   1. is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 (presence and/or use, of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an athletes bodily specimen),
   2. is disqualified from the events in which he participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, namely, the 400m event in which he ranked 23rd, and the 4x400m event in which the Russian relay team ranked 3rd and was awarded the bronze medal, and
   3. has the bronze medal, the diploma and the medallist pin obtained in the 4x400m event withdrawn and is ordered to return same.
2. The Russian 4x400m mens relay team is disqualified from the events in which the Athlete participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, namely the 4x400m event in which the relay team ranked 3rd and was awarded the bronze medal.
3. The Russian 4x400m mens relay team has the bronze medals, the diplomas and the medallist pins obtained in the 4x400m event withdrawn and is ordered to return same.
4. The IAAF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
5. The Russian Olympic Committee shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
6. The Russian Olympic Committee shall notably secure the return to the IOC, as soon as possible, of the bronze medals, the medallist pins and the diplomas awarded in connection with the 4x400m event to the Athlete and the other members of the relay team.
7. This decision enters into force immediately.

The full decision is available here.

Ekaterina GNIDENKO, 23, of the Russian Federation, competing in cycling (track Keirin event), has been disqualified from the Olympic Games London 2012 in which she ranked 8th and for which she was awarded a diploma. Re-analysis of Gnidenkos samples from Beijing 2008 resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol).

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case of Denis Oswald (Chairman), Gunilla Lindberg,  and Ugur Erdener decided the following:

1. The Athlete, Ekaterina Gnidenko:
   1. is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXX Olympiad, London 2012 (presence and/or use of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an athletes bodily specimen),
   2. is disqualified from the events in which she participated upon the occasion of the Olympic Games London 2012, namely, the cycling track Keirin event in which she ranked 8th and the cycling track sprint event in which she ranked 18th, and
   3. has the diploma obtained in the cycling track Keirin event withdrawn and is ordered to return same.
2. The UCI is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned events accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
3. The Russian Olympic Committee shall ensure full implementation of this decision.

4. The Russian Olympic Committee shall notably secure the return to the IOC, as soon as possible, of the diploma awarded in connection with the cycling track Keirin event to the Athlete.

5. This decision enters into force immediately.

The full decision is available here.

The additional analyses on samples collected during the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 and London 2012 were performed with improved analytical methods, in order to possibly detect prohibited substances that could not be identified by the analysis performed at the time of these editions of the Olympic Games.