BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) A Belarusian weightlifter who was mysteriously withdrawn from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics has been suspended for alleged ”urine substitution” in a doping sample.
The International Weightlifting Federation says Stanislav Chadovich is provisionally suspended awaiting a ruling on allegations of using substitute urine to fool a drug test.
At the Olympics, Chadovich was to compete in the men’s 62-kilogram category and was considered a potential medal winner. However, he was removed from the Belarus team at short notice with no explanation.
The IWF did not say whether the alleged offense occurred in Rio.
It comes as Belarus already faces a one-year ban from international weightlifting after several lifters failed retests of their doping samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
RIO DE JANEIRO — American Dalilah Muhammad picked a good year to hit her peak in the 400-meter hurdles.
After two years of struggling with injuries and losing confidence over disappointing results, Muhammad won gold Thursday in 53.14 seconds, dominating the race despite a light rain that fell over Olympic Stadium.
Taking command early, Muhammad found herself all alone in the final 100 meters, cruising to the finish by a comfortable .42 seconds over Denmark’s Sara Slott Petersen. It’s the first time an American woman has won a gold medal in this event.
American Ashley Spencer, who was far back early, earned the bronze medal with a strong finishing kick while posting her personal best time of 53.72 seconds.
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“It’s so exciting,” said Muhammad, the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the event. “This means so much; I’ve been working so hard for this. The last two years haven’t been the best but to finally be where I’m supposed to be at the right time, and I’m so happy about that.”
Muhammad’s performance at the U.S. Olympic trials foreshadowed her gold-medal run here. After making a coaching change in February and improving her fitness level, she posted the fastest time in the world this year and shaved nearly a second off her personal best.
“I just to remotivate myself to work harder,” she said. “I worked as hard as I ever did in this last year and being so much more disciplined played a huge factor.”
Though she didn’t run that fast in Rio, it was an impressive performance nonetheless for the former Southern Cal hurdler. Her game plan coming out of lane No. 3 was to hit the front as quickly as possible, and she didn’t disappoint. By hurdle No. 8, she had opened up on the field and was only going to get caught if she made a mistake.
Ryan Lochte to Matt Lauer on alleged robbery: ‘We wouldn’t make this up’
Two U.S. Olympic swimmers who say they were with Ryan Lochte when they were robbed in Rio de Janeiro were removed from a plane by Brazilian authorities late Wednesday.
Jeff Ostrow, a lawyer representing Lochte, and a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee confirmed swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were taken off the aircraft.
Detective Alexandre Braga, the chief of the city’s tourist police, said the pair had their passports “temporarily confiscated by a court order” through the Brazilian Sporting Events Court.
Bentz and Conger were released by authorities “with the understanding that they would continue their discussions about the incident on Thursday,” said USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky.
The two were seen leaving the airport police station early Thursday, when they were surrounded by media before getting into a black vehicle.
FROM AUG. 15: Ryan Lochte gives details of robbery in Rio2:35
On Wednesday, a Brazilian judge ordered Lochte and Olympian Jimmy Feigen to remain in Brazil as authorities investigated their account of being robbed at gunpoint in Rio early Sunday by assailants dressed as police officers.
Sandusky said in a statement Thursday that Bentz, Conger and Feigen were “cooperating with authorities” and determining a time and place to speak further with police.
“All are represented by counsel and being appropriately supported by the USOC and the U.S. Consulate in Rio,” he added.
However, Lochte had already left Brazil and is in the United States. Feigen is still in Brazil and is cooperating with local authorities and “intends to make further statements” on Thursday, the USOC spokesman said.
Sources at Rio’s airport told NBC News that Feigen checked in for a flight online, but never showed up.
Brazilian judge Keyla Blanc de Cnop said Lochte and Feigen gave contradictory accounts of the robbery, according to the court’s statement. The men also said the robbery took place on the way home from a club, which they left at 4 a.m. But security video showed them leaving at a different time, the judge said.
De Cnop added that Lochte told police there was one robber, while Feigen said there were more, one of whom had a gun.
Lochte told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in a telephone interview Wednesday night that he returned from Rio earlier that day, and no one told him he should stay in Brazil. Lochte said he told authorities he would cooperate.
Lauer said he asked Lochte about skepticism that his story may have been fabricated but the swimmer balked at that suggestion.
“He strongly denied that, said it’s absolutely not the case,” Lauer said.
Two US swimmers pulled from plane in Brazil
“I wouldn’t make up a story like this nor would the others — as a matter of fact we all feel it makes us look bad,” Lauer said, quoting Lochte. “We’re victims in this and we’re happy that we’re safe.”
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. government was aware of the situation. “We have seen media reports that two U.S. citizen athletes were detained. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,” Kirby said in a statement.
The swimmers are subject to questioning and potential charges if police believe they gave false or misleading statements to authorities, which can carry up to six months in jail.
But under Brazil’s constitution ratified in 1988, they have the right to remain silent.
Lochte repeated his story of what happened in large part, but a few details changed, Lauer said during NBC Sports coverage of the Olympics Wednesday night.
In an interview with TODAY’s Billy Bush on Sunday, just hours after the alleged robbery, Lochte had said the gun was put against his forehead — but said in Wednesday’s telephone conversation that the gun was pointed in his general direction but the weapon was cocked, Lauer reported.
Lochte did not repeat part of his story that their taxi was pulled over by the robbers, Lauer said.
Lochte said Wednesday they were at a gas station and got back in the taxi, the taxi driver did not move, and it was then that two robbers with guns and badges approached the car and ordered the swimmers out of the vehicle and onto the ground, Lauer said.
What might happen to US Olympic swimmers questioned over Rio robbery?
Ostrow, the lawyer, said Lochte gave police a statement as representatives from the U.S. State Department, United States Olympic Committee and the FBI observed. Lochte signed the statement to attest to its truthfulness, Ostrow added.
Police did not ask Lochte for more information, and they did not ask him to remain in Brazil, Ostrow said.
“They never said, ‘Stay around,'” Ostrow said. “Otherwise, I would have advised Ryan to stay.”
He accused Brazilian authorities of trying to “save face” after allowing the incident to become “a circus.”
Lochte said in the telephone interview that he initially didn’t want to tell the story of the armed robbery because they were worried they’d broken swim team rules, Lauer said.
Once he realized he hadn’t broken any rules by being out drinking because he was over 21, Lochte said he felt it was OK to tell the story, Lauer added.
FROM AUG. 14: U.S. Olympic Swimmer Ryan Lochte, Teammates Robbed At Gunpoint
A British athlete was robbed in Rio during the Olympics, according to officials.
‘We can confirm there has been an incident of theft involving a Team GB athlete returning to their accommodation. All members of our delegation, including the individual concerned, are accounted for, and are safe and well,” Scott Field, a spokesman for Team GB, said in a statement to NBC News Thursday.
No other details were provided.
The Guardian newspaper reported the unnamed athlete was robbed at gunpoint. NBC News has not confirmed the report. Team GB would not comment on the report.
Ryan Lochte to Matt Lauer on alleged robbery: ‘We wouldn’t make this up’ 1:50
The news comes amid a separate robbery investigation involving three U.S. swimmers. Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte told TODAY they were approached by two robbers with guns dressed as police officers as they returned to the Olympic Village after a night out over the weekend.
But the Americans’ claim has been met with skepticism after differing versions of their story emerged, with Lochte at one point alleging the gun was put against his head and another time claiming it was just pointed in his direction. A Brazilian judge said Lochte also told officials there was only one robber.
Lochte has already returned to the U.S. On Wednesday, Brazilian authorities removed swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger from a plane and confiscated their passports.
The State Department is monitoring the situation and said in a statement, “We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
Rio de Janeiro – Brazilian authorities have ordered two US Olympic swimmers to stay in the country after questioning their claim they were robbed.
A judge ordered Ryan Lochte and James Feigen’s passports to be seized until they could give further evidence.
However, Lochte’s father says he is back in the US, and judicial sources suspect both swimmers are no longer in Brazil.
A US Olympic Committee (USOC) spokesman said police arrived at the Athletes’ Village on Wednesday, asking to speak to the swimmers and take their passports.
Jimmy Feigen’s whereabouts are currently unknown
“The swim team moved out of the village after their competition ended, so we were not able to make the athletes available,” said USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky.
He said he could not confirm the swimmers’ location for security reasons.
Lochte, one of swimming’s most decorated Olympians, said he, Feigen and two other team mates were robbed on Sunday as they travelled back to the Athletes’ Village after a party.
Investigators were puzzled by CCTV of the swimmers at the Athletes’ Village
They said they were in a taxi in the early hours of the morning when armed men carrying police badges pulled them over.
Lochte told NBC’s Today show: “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground – they got down on the ground.
“I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m not getting down on the ground.
There has been huge security for South America’s first Olympics
“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down’, and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’
“He took our money, he took my wallet – he left my cellphone, he left my credentials.”
But Judge Keyla Blanc said she was puzzled by video footage of the swimmers returning to the Athletes’ Village joking with one another.
“They arrived with their psychological and physical integrity unshaken,” she wrote.
Authorities also said the group did not call police, and officers only began investigating once they saw media reports.
Police sources say they have been unable to find the taxi driver or to verify details provided by the swimmers.
Lochte’s lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, has said there is no question the robbery happened.
Twelve-time Olympic medalist Lochte swam in two events at the Rio Games, winning gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
RIO DE JANEIRO, August 17, 2016 – Brazilian police have arrested European Olympic Committees president and president of the Olympic Council of Ireland Patrick Hickey due to speculation of his involvement in ticketing controversy at the Rio Olympic Games.
It has since been confirmed that Hickey, an IOC member since 2012, has been formally charged with “ticket-touting, forming a cartel and illicit marketing”. Hickey could face a maximum sentence of seven years in jail.
Patrick Hickey was arrested early Wednesday night at the Windsor Marapendi Hotel in the Olympic neighborhood of Barra de Tijouca where the majority of IOC members are staying during the Games.
A warrant was issued for the EOC president’s arrest following 1000 tickets allotted to the Olympic Council of Ireland for executives, athletes, families and sponsors where found to have been sold at heightened prices to fans.
Brazilian police had detained a director of international sports hospitality company THG Sports and a woman working as an interpreter at Games on charges of fraudulent marketing of tickets.
It is reported that Hickey became unwell after his arrest and was transferred to Samaritano hospital in the Barra de Tijouca neighborhood.
The ongoing ticketing drama involving the Olympic Council of Ireland has seen local police seizing the tickets last week, before Irishman Kevin Mallon, a director of a sports hospitality company THG Sports, and an interpreter was arrested on August 5th, on charges of fraudulent marketing of tickets for the Games that were traced back to THG. Mallon has been held under arrest since.
The Olympic Council of Ireland said in a statement that it was aware of the Hickey arrest and “are seeking total clarity on the situation before we comment further”.
It is illegal for tickets allotted to a National Olympic Committee to be redistributed and sold to fans without informing the International Olympic Committee. The Authorised Ticket Reseller for the Olympic Council of Ireland is company Pro10, who had initially stated when the tickets were seized that THG’s Mallone was acting on their behalf. Brazilian police have since detained four THG directors, and have confirmed that warrants have been issued for the arrest of three directors of Pro 10.
The IOC has refused to comment further on the fact that one of it members has been arrested, for the first time during an Olympic Games, adding that Mr. Hickey has a right to be assumed innocent until evidence proved otherwise and that it has made itself fully available to cooperation with the police.
The Brazilian police held a press conference regarding the issue earlier this morning.
Rio police said in the press conference that they went to Mr Hickey’s hotel in the Barra district of the city this morning, but Mr Hickey was not present in his room.
Police were allegedly told by Mr. Hickey’s wife that he had left for Ireland, but police discovered Mr Hickey in another room at the hotel – believed to be his son’s.
According to Ireland’s Independent, Ireland’s Sports Minister Shane Ross flew to Brazil on Tuesday to discuss the situation with Hickey, but ended up fiercely criticizing him.
‘Mr Hickey absolutely refused point blank to share any information with us about this situation at all,’ Ross said.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that Russian athlete Aleksei Lesnykh has been suspended for four years for an Anti-Doping Rule violation.
Lesnykh returned an adverse analytical finding for two substances – Ostarine and LGD-4033 – in a urine sample provided on 18 March 2016 after he had competed in the men’s shot put F37 at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai, UAE.
These substances are included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2016 Prohibited List under the category S1.2: Other Anabolic Agents and are listed as selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs). These substances are prohibited both in and out of competition.
The athlete waived his right to a hearing and accepted all consequences. As a result of his violation, Lesnykh will be ineligible from competition for four years from 14 April 2016, the date he was notified, until 13 April 2020.
All Lesnykh’s results obtained from the date of the test and onwards will be disqualified including forfeiture of any medals, points, records and prizes.
The principle of strict liability applies to anti-doping matters. Therefore, each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her sample, and that an anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in his or her bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.
As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), the IPC remains committed to a doping free sporting environment at all levels. The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play. The IPC Anti-Doping Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.
2016 Rio Olympics – Hockey – Semifinal – Men’s Semifinal Match Belgium v Netherlands – Olympic Hockey Centre – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 16/08/2016. Belgium celebrates their win. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
Rio de Janeiro – Belgium set up an intriguing men’s Olympic hockey final against Argentina after they dumped out the world’s second-ranked team the Netherlands with a resounding 3-1 semi-final victory on Tuesday.
Goals from Jerome Truyens, Florent van Aubel and John-John Dohmen guaranteed Belgium a place in their first ever Olympic final.
“It’s an historical night. It was a great game, amazing against Holland. I think we’ve never beaten them in an official tournament,” Dohmen told reporters.
“Now we are doing the perfect tournament, the tournament for life and it’s at the right moment, at the Olympics.”
Following a dull first quarter, Truyens opened the scoring from a penalty corner attempt and Dohmen doubled the advantage three minutes later after getting into the circle and knocking in a pass.
Just 23 seconds after Dohmen scored, however, the Netherlands cut the lead as talisman Mink van der Weerden scored his ninth penalty corner goal of the Olympics to keep his side in the game heading into halftime.
“They played really well and I think we just sort of gave it away in the first half,” Van der Weerden said.
“We played really badly in the first half. No proper passing, no proper rhythm, nothing. We just gave it away in the first half, it was very silly. We never really were in the race. That’s how it felt for me.”
Belgium were on the back foot for most of the third quarter as they attempted to stifle the impressive Dutch attack, led by Van der Weerden.
Early in the fourth period, Belgium regained their two-goal advantage courtesy of a brilliant counter-attack, which ended up with Van Aubel scoring.
The Netherlands piled on the pressure with a wave of attacks, which required goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch to produce several big saves, but Belgium hung on for a spot in the final on Thursday.
They will face an in-form Argentina side, who powered into the final with a stunning 5-2 upset of defending champions Germany.
2016 Rio Olympics – Diving – Men’s Synchronised 3m Springboard Victory Ceremony – Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 10/08/2016. Jack Laugher (GBR) and Chris Mears (GBR) of United Kingdom celebrate on the podium next to Sam Dorman (USA) and Michael Hixon (USA) of USA, and Cao Yuan (CHN) and Qin Kai (CHN) of China. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
Rio de Janeiro – Heavy defeats in sports dominated by China in previous Olympics have left the country languishing in an unfamiliar third place in the medals table, with some predicting that Rio 2016 could see the country’s worst haul since 1996.
Chinese athletes have so far failed to defend their gold medals in sports from badminton to diving, being unceremoniously kicked out at early stages or having to make do with silver or bronze, leading the country to rank behind the United States and Britain.
“You’re kidding me? The country which has never finished above China is about to,” state news agency Xinhua said on its official English-language Twitter account on Monday, alongside a photo of the medals tally. The tweet has since been deleted.
China’s gold-medal count at the halfway mark in Rio stood at 13, far less than the 25 golds obtained by the same point in London. By Tuesday, the team had accumulated 48 medals — 15 golds, 15 silvers and 18 bronze.
“Since China’s gold opportunities are concentrated in the first half, it will be hard for China to win more than 25 golds at this year’s Olympics, the lowest of the last five Olympics,” the China News Service said on Sunday.
China, which sent its largest overseas delegation of 416 athletes to Rio this year, won 16 golds in 1996 and 28 in 2000. It has ended the Games in second place since 2004 and boasted of a 51-gold bonanza in 2008, its highest ever tally, when it hosted the Beijing Olympics.
The disappointments began swiftly in Rio — on the first day former Olympic champion shooters Du Li and Yi Siling managed to claim only a silver and bronze, while swimmer Sun Yang came in second in the 400 meters freestyle event and failed to qualify for the 1,500 meter freestyle race. He was the London Olympic champion in both events.
In the men’s synchronised three-meter springboard diving, Britain ended the eight-year reign of China who took bronze. Its domination of badminton was also shaken when its mixed doubles pairs and second-ranked women’s doubles pair were eliminated.
The country’s top sports officials had warned before the Olympics that the team faced difficulties from a myriad of factors, including unfamiliarity with South America, rule changes in some sports and the “diminishing dividend” of the 2008 Olympics.
“After Beijing was selected as the host city in 2001, China started a long-term talent training plan for the Games,” Gao Zhidan, China’s General Administrator of Sport, told Xinhua in July. “The plan continues but is not as vigorous as then. That will be another challenge.”
State media and internet users had already begun to go easy on the athletes, who are cultivated from young through a sophisticated government-sponsored sports school system, after few medals were won in the first few days of the Olympics. Many commentators said that enjoying sport, rather than obsessing about gold medals, was increasingly important to China.
Reflecting this, a bronze medalist swimmer, rather than one of the winners of the 15 golds China has accumulated to date, has emerged as the biggest star of the Olympics so far at home.
Fu Yuanhui has become a social media celebrity thanks to her candid and humorous pool-side interviews on topics from periods to boys. Ten million fans watched a recent interview she conducted live on a mobile app and she has been invited to appear on Chinese variety shows once back in China
“The Chinese people have made progress, we don’t need gold medals to boost our confidence and are no longer as harsh on our athletes,” said one user on China’s Twitter-like Weibo.
“What we chase now is the gold standard Fu Yuanhui reflects in her humour and innocence.”
2016 Rio Olympics – Judo – Preliminary – Men +100 kg Elimination Rounds – Carioca Arena 2 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 12/08/2016. Or Sasson (ISR) of Israel and Islam El Shehaby (EGY) of Egypt compete. REUTERS/Toru Hanai
RIO DE JANEIRO-Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby has been sent home from the Rio Olympics after refusing to shake the hand of Israeli Or Sasson following the end of their bout, the International Olympic Committee said on Monday.
El Shehaby, who was sent home by his own team, lost the fight on Friday and was reprimanded by the IOC for his actions.
The athlete said he did not want to shake hands with an Israeli, nor was he obliged to do so under judo rules, but the IOC said his behavior went against the rules and spirit of the Olympic Games and the rules of fair play.
“The President of the National Olympic Committee issued a statement saying they respected all athletes and all nations at the Olympic Games,” the IOC said in a statement.
After Sasson defeated El Shehaby and the pair retook their places in front of the referee, the Egyptian backed away when Sasson bowed and approached him to shake hands.
When called back by the referee to bow, El Shehaby gave a quick nod before walking off amid loud boos from the crowd .
“The Disciplinary Commission (DC) considered that his behavior at the end of the competition was contrary to the rules of fair play and against the spirit of friendship embodied in the Olympic Values,” the IOC said.
“The DC issued a ‘severe reprimand for inappropriate behavior’ to the athlete. It noted … the shaking of hands after a match is not in the competition rules of the International Judo Federation.”
“As well as a severe reprimand, the DC has asked the Egyptian Olympic Committee to ensure in future that all their athletes receive proper education on the Olympic Values before coming to the Olympic Games,” the IOC said.
El Shehaby, 32, had reportedly been pressured by fans on social media not to show up for the match with his Israeli opponent, who went on to win bronze in the +100kg category, because it would shame Islam.
This is not the first time athletes from Arab nations or Iran refuse to compete with Israeli athletes in Olympics or other international competitions.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics then Iranian world champion Arash Mirasmaeili refused to fight Israeli judoka Ehud Vaks, earning praise back home.
“Shaking the hand of your opponent is not an obligation written in the judo rules. It happens between friends and he’s not my friend,” El Shehaby said after his bout.
“I have no problem with Jewish people or any other religion or different beliefs. But for personal reasons, you can’t ask me to shake the hand of anyone from this State, especially in front of the whole world,” he said.
Egypt was the first Arab power to make peace with Israel, in 1979, but the treaty remains unpopular among many Egyptians.
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