Russia stripped of 2008 4x100m relay gold due to positive retest

By Karolos Grohmann

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Russia has been ordered to return their gold medals from the 2008 Beijing Olympics 4x100m women’s relay, after Yulia Chermoshanskaya tested positive for a banned substance in a reanalysis of her sample.

The International Olympic Committee disqualified her for testing positive for steroid use.

“The Russian Federation team is disqualified from the women’s 4x100m relay. The corresponding medals and diplomas are withdrawn and shall be returned,” it said.

Her relay teammates in that competition were Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yulia Gushchina and Yevgeniya Polyakova.

Belgium were second in that race and Nigeria won bronze.

The IOC stores samples for a decade to test with newer methods or for new substances and conducted targeted retests ahead of the Rio Olympics.

A total of 98 samples were positive in reanalysis of samples from both the Beijing Games and the 2012 London Olympics.

(Editing by Bill Rigby)