MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian weightlifters Andrey Demanov, Aleksandr Ivanov, Nataliya Zabolotnaya, as well as Russian runner Yuliya Zaripova, were disqualified from their events as prohibited substances were found in their samples from the London Games.
"The IOC put special measures in place, including targeted pre-tests and the re-analysis of stored samples from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 and London 2012, following an intelligence-gathering process that started in August 2015. As part of this process, the IOC today announced that 12 athletes have been disqualified from the Olympic Games London 2012," the IOC said in a statement.
In July, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said 2008 and 2012 samples belonging to Demanov, Zabolotnaya, Ivanov and Svetlana Tsarukayeva were found to contain banned substances after re-tests were conducted. The federation banned Russia from taking part in the Rio Olympics.
In 2012, Ivanov won silver in the men's 94 kg category, while Demanov won fourth place in the same competition. Zabolotnaya won silver in the women's 75 kg category.
In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that as many as 45 athletes taking part in the 2008 Beijing and the 2012 London Olympics representing eight and nine countries, respectively, tested positive for doping as the second wave of tests into the samples was launched.
