Teen weightlifter stripped of Commonwealth Gold
Weightlifter stripped of gold: A 16-year-old Nigerian weightlifter
was stripped of her Commonwealth Games gold medal on Friday because of a
positive doping test, a case that raised concerns about how such a young
athlete had access to banned substances.
In another incident, Nigerian teen suspended for doping
Chika Amalaha tested positive for diuretics and masking agents after
winning the 53-kilogram (117-pound) division last week, becoming the
youngest female to win a weightlifting title at a Commonwealth Games.
The gold now goes to Dika Toua of Papua New Guinea.
Amalaha was initially suspended on Tuesday after the "A" sample
tested positive for amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide, which are both
banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
After Amalaha's backup "B" sample also came back positive,
Commonwealth Games officials held a hearing into the case on Friday.
The Commonwealth Games Federation said Amalaha did not contest the
findings. She was disqualified and returned her medal.
"It is strict liability," CGF President Prince Imran Tunku of
Malaysia, who chaired the hearing, told The Associated Press. "Once the
tests are positive the only thing we can do is follow the rules."
Asked whether Amalaha offered any defense, Prince Imran said: "No."
Amalaha set Commonwealth Games records in her weight category with a
total of 196 kilograms (432 pounds), breaking the previous mark of 188
kilograms (414 pounds).
With Toua upgraded to the gold, Santoshi Matsa of India moves up to
silver and India's Swati Singh to bronze.
"It is sad it is a junior and I hope they will learn from this
experience," Prince Imran said. "I think the international federation
should look at it carefully and see whether there are mitigating
circumstances when it comes to the sanctions."
The World Anti-Doping Agency has said it will look into how Amalaha
had access to banned substances, and Prince Imram also wants that
explored further.
"Being a junior obviously there must be some culpability from those
that are looking after her, whether it is coaches or managers or
doctors," Prince Imram said.
He declined to comment on the future of weightlifting, which has been
marred by doping cases. Nigeria's weightlifting team didn't compete at
the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester because of a doping ban
imposed in 2001 after four members of the squad failed drug tests.
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