Thai weightlifters may lose Ashgabat World Cup medals due to doping
January 25, 2019 | 10:07 |4334
Four athletes from Thailand, three of whom became owners of gold medals at the 2018 World Championships in weightlifting, which was held in Ashgabat, are suspended from competitions on suspicion of violating anti-doping rules. According to the press service of the International Federation of Weightlifting (IWF), the Cologne Anti-Doping Laboratory revealed positive tests at once with four stars of the November 2018 World Cup - the absolute world champions Thuni Sukharoen (up to 45 kg) and Sukania Srisurath (55 kg), the owner of a small gold medals in snatch Sopity Tanasan (up to 49 kg) and Chitchanok Pulsabakul (87+ kg), which became the sixth.Altyn ASHIROVA
According to the statement, the identification of "unclean" athletes turned out to be difficult. The presence of doping in the samples of Thai sportswomen was revealed only through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the ratio of combustion and isotopes (GC-C-IRMS) - a very sophisticated method of analysis.
Doping scandals roll on the IWF in waves. The first one unfolded at the end of December: on the 23rd, the International Federation announced the third among the world's super heavyweights, Taiku Duangaxorn Chaydi (87+ kg), Romanian Kristina Yovu (55 kg), who also became the third in the “push” exercise and several other athletes as anti-doping violators the rules. Cases referred to the national federations.
In response to the IWF statement, the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA) announced the start of a thorough internal investigation into the athletes and their coaching staff. If it confirms the conclusions of the Cologne anti-doping laboratory, the home world championship in Pattaya will remain without the forwards of the national team.
It is worth noting that the exclusion of Thai athletes and Romanians will significantly affect the position of Turkmen athletes in the standings. Yulduz Dzhumabaeva (up to 45 kg), whose name is associated with a difficult situation with re-awarding, can rise to the first step of the World Cup pedestal, Christina Shermetova (55 kg) - become the sixth.
