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Russian weightlifting team banned from Rio Olympics for doping

GettyImages-168110779
GettyImages-168110779

On the heels of an explosive report from the World Anti-Doping Agency and retests from the 2012 and 2008 Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation has banned all Russian weightlifters from the upcoming games in Rio de Janeiro.

In a press release Friday, the IWF said “the integrity of the weightlifting sport has been seriously damaged on multiple times and levels by the Russians.”

Two of Russia’s eight nominated weightlifters were already barred from Rio because they had previously failed doping tests, and the IWF said Friday that seven athletes from the 2012 and 2008 Olympics have failed recent retests from those games.

Following the release of Professor Richard McLaren’s report that confirmed evidence of Russia’s state-sponsored doping program, WADA called on the International Olympic Committee to ban the country from participation in Rio. The IOC declined to place a blanket ban on Russia, but asked individual federations to “apply their respective rules in relation to the sanctioning” of the country’s athletes.

Russia’s track and field team was already banned from Rio due to an international ban from the IAAF that was upheld last month. Friday’s decision from the IWF brings the total number of banned Russian athletes to 119.