Russian weightlifter stripped of Olympic medal for doping

Geneva, Feb 13 (IANS): Russian weightlifter Oleg Perepetchenov was stripped of his 77kg bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games for taking prohibited substances.

ATHENS – AUGUST 19: (L-R) Silver medal winner Sergey Filimonov, gold medal winner Taner Sagir and bronze medal winner Oleg Perepetchenov pose on the podium during the medal ceremony of the men’s 77 kg category weightlifting competition on August 19, 2004 during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games at Nikaia Olympic Weightlifting Hall in Athens, Greece.

The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in a statement Tuesday that the weightlifter had violated the anti-doping rules but didn’t mention the prohibited substance Perepetchenov took, reports Xinhua.

Turkish Reyhan Arabacioglu, who finished fourth in Athens, will inherit the bronze medal.

Perepetchenov, who was born in Uzbekistan, also won silver at the world championships in 2001 and 2002.