Olympic champion Silva disqualified from PanAm Games for doping

[September 26, 2019]  (Reuters) - Olympic judo champion Rafaela Silva was among seven athletes who have been disqualified for doping from the Pan American Games, which were held in July and August, organizing body Panam Sports said.

Brazilian judoka Silva tested positive for the banned substance Fenoterol, which is used to treat asthma, and was stripped of her gold medal in the women’s 57kg event, Panam Sports said in a statement.

The 2016 Olympic champion said the result may have come through her frequent contact with a friend’s baby, who took the medicine to combat asthma.

Brazil forfeited their bronze medal in the men's team sprint track cycling after Brazilian Kacio Fonseca da Silva tested positive for the banned anabolic agent LGD – 4033.
 

In the bowling competition, Puerto Rico lost their gold medal in the men’s doubles after Jean Francisco Perez Faure tested positive for the diuretic Chlorthalidone.

Diuretics are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because they can be abused by athletes for rapid weight loss and to mask the presence of other banned substances.

Athletes from the Dominican Republic baseball, Peruvian handball and Colombian basketball teams were also found to have used banned substances at the Lima games.

Yet their teams did not forfeit their results because they played in sports where more than two participants must test positive for the whole team to be punished.

Brazil's Rafaela Silva celebrates her gold medal. REUTERS/Guadalupe Pardo

Panam Sports said the positive doping tests came after the analysis of 1,843 urine samples collected in and out of competition and 252 blood samples.

"Of the 15 AAFs (Adverse Analytical Findings), we have concluded the process for seven cases which resulted in the athletes being disqualified from the Games as well as their medals and performances forfeited and removed," the statement said.

"Hearings for five cases have been scheduled for October 3 and 4, 2019 while the results of three cases are yet to be determined following analyses of B samples as requested by the affected athletes."

One of the athletes affected has already appealed their disqualification to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Panam Sports did not disclose their name.

The Pan American games took place in Lima, Peru between July 26 and Aug. 11.

(Reporting by Andrew Downie; Editing by Toby Davis)

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