Story highlights
Nadzeya Ostapchuk stripped of women's shot put gold after failing a drug test
The Belorussian tested positive for the banned substance metenolone
New Zealand's Valerie Adams has been awarded the gold medal
Russia's promoted to silver medal position, with China's Ligiao Gong now third
Women’s Olympic shot put champion Nadzeya Ostapchuk has been stripped of her gold medal after testing positive for a banned substance.
The Belorussian won her country’s only track & field gold, but the title will now go to New Zealand’s Valerie Adams after two of Ostapchuk’s urine samples contained traces of metenolone.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has disqualified, withdrawn the medal from, and excluded Belarus’s Nadzeya Ostapchuk from the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London,” read an IOC statement.
“The athlete was first requested to provide a urine sample for a doping control on August 5. She competed the next day in the women’s shot put event, where she placed first, and was asked to provide a sample straight after her competition.
“Both samples indicated the presence of metenolone, which is classified as anabolic agent under the 2012 prohibited list.”
Russia’s Evgeniia Kolodko has been promoted to the silver medal position, while China’s Lijiao Gong has been awarded bronze.
British discus thrower Brett Morse was forced to apologize last week after making offensive comments about Ostapchuk and suggesting the 31-year-old had been doping on Twitter.
Alex Schwazer, 2008 gold medalist and one of the favorites for the men’s walking events in London, admitted to doping last week after recording a positive test.
Ostapchuk’s positive test came just hours after London bid farewell to the Games with a closing ceremony which featured iconic British acts such as the Spice Girls and The Who.