Berlin - Three Chinese weightlifters have been stripped of
their gold medals from the 2018 Beijing Games for doping violations.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Thursday Cao Lei, Chen
Xiexia and Liu Chunhong were among eight athletes disqualified
following reanalysis of stored samples from the 2008 and 2012
Olympics.
Cao won the women's 75-kilogram event, Chen the women's 48kg
category, and Liu the 69kg women's competition.
Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus has been stripped of her 2008 bronze
medal from the women's shot put.
The other sanctioned athletes are from Belarus (2008 hammer throw),
Turkey (2012 women's weightlifting), Azerbaijan (2012 men's
weightlifting), and Armenia (2012 men's weightlifting).
The IOC is reanalysing more than 1,000 doping samples from the 2008
and 2012 Games using improved analytical methods.