Romanian Weightlifters Disqualified

S Y D N E Y, Australia, Sept. 17 -- Romania’s National OlympicCommittee said today it would pay the InternationalWeightlifting Federation a $50,000 fine to keep itsweightlifters at the Sydney Games despite a ban for dopingoffenses.

It issued a statement after the IWF announced that all sixRomanian weightlifters would be kicked out following positivepositive drugs tests on two of them on the eve of the Games.

That decision was in line with IWF rules that a nationalfederation will be suspended from international competition for12 months if three of its members test positive within acalendar year. The third tested positive earlier this year.

“We have asked the Romanian team to withdraw. The ban isimmediate and the team will take no further part in the Games,”IWF General-Secretary Tamas Ajan said.

Romanian weightlifters Traian Ciharean and Andrei Mateiaswere expelled on Friday after failing dope tests, while a thirdman, Razvan Ilie, tested positive in May.

Want Them to ‘Stay Away’

But the Romanians said they would take advantage of IWFprovisions for payment of a $50,000 fine to escape the blanketsuspension so that the four “clean” weightlifters — three menand one woman — could still compete.

IWF General-Secretary Tamas Ajan confirmed that IWF rulesallowed for payment of a fine of around $50,000 by a nationalfederation to avoid suspension. But he added: “We would be veryhappy if the Romanians did not pay and stayed away.”

The statement said the Romanian Olympic committee had toldthe International Olympic Committee, the IWF and Gamesorganizers SOCOG of their “decision to pay on behalf of theRomanian weightlifting federation the amount of $50,000.”

“The Romanian National Olympic Committee believes that theRomanian weightlifters tested in Sydney and declared negativeat the out-of-competition testing … should be offered thepossibility to compete,” the statement said.