More Olympic Athletes From Russia, Former Soviet States Lose Medals

Mariya Grabovetskaya of Kazakhstan, a bronze medallist in weightlifting in Beijing in 2008, was stripped of her medal after failing a doping retest.

Ten more athletes, mostly weightlifters and wrestlers from Russia and former Soviet states, have been stripped of medals they won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after failing doping retests.
.
The International Olympic Committee said on November 17 that a total of 16 athletes failed the retests and will be disqualified from participating in the Olympics.

The athletes include three Beijing silver medallists - Russia's Khasan Baroev in men's 96-120 kilo Greco-Roman wrestling, Azerbaijan's Vitaliy Rahimov in men's 55-60 kilo Greco-Roman wrestling, and Kazakhstan's Irina Nekrassova in women's 63 kilo weightlifting.

Also penalized were four bronze medallists in weightlifting - Russia's Khadzhimurat Akkaev (men's 94 kilos) and Dmitry Lapikov (men's 105 kilos), Kazakhstan's Mariya Grabovetskaya (women's 75+ kilos) and Ukraine's Natalya Davydova (women's 69 kilos).

Two athletics bronze medallists -- Ukraine's Denys Yurchenko (men's pole vault) and Greece's Chrysopigi Devetzi (women's triple jump) -- were disqualified along with Kazakhstan's Asset Mambetov, who took part in the men's 84-96kg Greco-Roman wrestling.

The Olympic committee stores samples for a decade to test with newer methods when they become available.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa