Doping: CAS dismisses Chinese weightlifters' appeals

[August 28, 2017]    (Reuters) - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by two Chinese women weightlifters who were stripped of the gold medals they won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after failing doping tests conducted eight years later.

 Cao Lei of China poses with her gold medal in the women's 75kg weightlifting competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 15, 2008. REUTERS/Yves Herman

In January, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ordered Cao Lei (75kg) and Liu Chunhong (69kg) to return their medals from the Beijing Games after re-tests of samples tested positive for prohibited substances.

The athletes tested positive for banned human growth hormones along with compatriot Chen Xiexia, who won gold in the 48kg category in Beijing and was also disqualified by the IOC.

CAS said in a statement on Monday that it had upheld the IOC's decision against the two athletes.

"As a consequence the athletes are disqualified from the events in which they participated: Chunhong Liu – Women's 69kg (gold medal), and Lei Cao – Women's 75kg (gold medal)," CAS said.

(Writing by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)

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