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LAST UPDATED ON Friday October 31 2003 |
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Hammer champion barred after testSept 27 2000BBC Sport 
Women's world hammer champion Mihaela Melinte has been thrown out of Stadium
Australia and barred from competing in the Olympics for failing a doping
test a month ago.
The world record holder was not told of the decision until she was on the
infield of the stadium ready to compete in Wednesday's qualifying heats.
A spokesman for the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) confirmed that she had been suspended two days ago. She was ordered out of the event and escorted off the stadium infield. The Romanian had been entered by her national federation despite testing positive for the steroid nandrolone. "We told her federation about the positive but they still entered her so we stepped in," said IAAF spokesman Giorgio Reineri. He added that althoough the Romanian federation was notified on September 25, they had not suspended Melinte. Arne Ljungvist, IAAF medical commission chairman, explained that the 25-year-old had tested positive for metabolites of nandrolone at a meet in Milan on 7 June. The sample was analysed at an International Olympic Committee-accredited laboratory in Rome, but the IAAF was not notified until September 5. v The IAAF asked for further analysis, and the final confirmation only came a few days ago. v "We delivered the necessary information to all those concerned in due time," Ljungvist said. "It should not have happened this way." v Embarrassments The incident was the latest in a series of embarassments and controversies surrounding the Romanian Olympic team. On Tuesday, Romania gymnast Andreea Raducan was stripped of a gold medal after a test found she had pseudoephedrine in her system, apparently from cold pills. Romanian weightlifters Traian Ciharean and Adrian Mateas were expelled from the games on September 15 for positive tests. The entire Romanian weightlifting team was to be kicked out of the games, but paid a $50,000 fine to allow those who had not tested positive to stay. Check out the Jumpstart Athletics Canadian National Throws Rankings for complete rankings in the throws. If you have news, results or info please let us know by using our submission form or emailing Larry Steinke [ MEET INFORMATION ] [ ANALYSIS & TIPS ] [ THROWS ARTICLES ] [ INTERVIEWS ] [ RECORDS ] [ RESULTS ] [ CLASSIFIEDS ] [ HOT LINK ARCHIVE ] [ DISCUSSION FORUM ] [ SUBMISSIONS ] [ THROWERS QUIZ ] [ GUESTBOOK ] | ||