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Aurimas Didzbalis, who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics in weightlifting, tested positive for doping, the international testing agency said Thursday.
Didzbalis, 34, is one of seven athletes who participated in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and tested positive after a new analysis of their samples. Samples taken at the Olympic Games are stored and can be retested for up to 10 years after their event to account for new developments in doping science.
“The majority of these positive gene analysis results are mainly due to technical advances,” said the ITA with more sensitive detection of steroid traces.
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Aurimas Didzbalis gestures during the men’s 94 kg final competition at the 2017 European Weightlifting Championships in Split, Croatia, on April 7, 2017. (Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Didzbalis, along with three of the other athletes with positive tests, tested positive for the anabolic steroid danabol. Sprinter Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria, who finished eighth in the women’s 200m final, tested positive for ostarine, which has similar effects to steroids.
After the retest, Didzbalis risks being disqualified by the International Olympic Committee and may be stripped of his medal. The fourth place lifter was Sarat Sumpradit from Thailand.
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Adam Maligov, Aurimas Didzbalis and Dmytro Chumak stand on stage for the medal ceremony in the men’s 94 kg final competition at the 2017 European Weightlifting Championships in Split, Croatia. April 5, 2017. (STRINGER/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The 34-year-old’s positive test is not the first time he has tested positive for steroids. Didzbalis also tested positive for doping ahead of the 2012 London Olympics and at the 2017 World Championships in Anaheim, California.
“The athletes will also be provisionally suspended by their respective international federations,” the ITA said.
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Aurimas Didzbalis reacts while competing in the men’s 94 kg weightlifting at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 13 August 2016. (GOH CHAI HIN/AFP via Getty Images)
The fresh Olympic doping cases included four in weightlifting and one each in judo, wrestling and athletics.
Two of the athletes came from Egypt and one each from Belarus, Olympic host Brazil, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Uzbekistan.
