Bulgarian Lifters Disqualified, U.S. Gets Gold

S Y D N E Y, Australia, Sept. 22 -- The United States got its first weightlifting gold medal since 1960 after two Bulgarian lifterswere stripped of their medals and thrown out of the Olympics today after testing positive for a banned drug.

In addition, Bulgaria’s entire weightlifting team was thrown outof the Sydney Olympics and suspended from international competitionfor 12 months, the International Weightlifting Federationannounced.

It was the second time in 12 years that Bulgarian weightliftershave been ejected from an Olympics for using the bannedweight-losing drug, and the positive tests cast uncertainty uponthe very future of the sport as an Olympic event.

Nott Wins Gold

The International Olympic Committee said today (Thursday nightET) that gold medalist Izabela Dragneva — the first women’sweightlifting champion in Olympic history — and men’s bronzemedalist Sevdalin Minchev tested positive for banned diuretics atthe Sydney Games.

The gold medal goes to Tara Nott, of Stilwell, Kan.

Dragneva and Minchev were the second and third Bulgarian liftersfound with the banned drug furosemide in their systems at thesegames. Both were ordered to return their medals and leave theOlympic Village.

“When athletes are using this product, they are gettingstupid,” said Prince Alexandre de Merode, chairman of the IOCMedical Commission.

Entire Team at Risk

IWF secretary general Tamas Ajan said the “three-strikes-and-out” rule would be applied to the Bulgarian team unless it decided to pay a $50,000 fine. The IWF then met with Bulgarian Olympic officials and announced the ouster.

“I’m really disappointed,” Ajan said. “But I trust absolutelyin my sport.”

Beltcho Ivanov, secretary general of the Bulgarian nationalOlympic committee, said the two were tested when they entered theOlympic Village and no problems were detected. They both testedpositive after the competition, he said.