Kyrgyzstan’s Izzat Artykov’s bronze medal in the 69-kilogram weightlifting event was taken away by the International Olympic Committee after he tested positive for strychnine, Olympics Journalists’ Association president Steve Wilson reported. The 22-year-old lifter’s medal was taken away and he was kicked out of the games.
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Strychnine, also used as a pesticide, can have an immediate energy boost and is listed as a specified stimulant on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
“The responsibility for the athlete’s results management in terms of sanction beyond the Olympic Games Rio 2016 is referred to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)”, explained a statement from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Colombia’s Luis Javier Mosquera is set to be promoted into third place after his total of 338kg had seen him miss the podium by just one kilogram.
“His medal is forfeited and he is excluded form the Olympic Games”, the CAS anti-doping tribunal announced.
The gold medal victor was China’s Shi Zhiyong and silver went to Daniyar Ismayilov of Turkey.
The CAS said that Artykov’s Olympic accreditation would be withrdrawn, but that it would be up to weightlifting’s global federation to decide on any possible further punishment stretching beyond the Games in Rio.
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Artykov was Kyrgyzstan’s only medallist of Rio 2016 so far.
