Three athletes fail drug tests

Three athletes fail drug tests

Sydney, September 13: The Olympics was rocked by a series of positive drug tests on Wednesday, just two days before the opening ceremony.

Later in the day Kazak swimmer Yevgenia Yermakova was barred from the Games for testing postive to Furosemide, a diuretic.

Chen, who took silver and bronze medals at world junior competitions in 1997 and 1998, had been due to compete in the 62 kg category but was expected to leave Sydney at the earliest opportunity.

Chinese Taipei Weightlifting Federation (CTWF) chairman Chang Chou-kuo told The United Daily News

that the result was out on Monday and instructed that Chen, who arrived in the Olympic Village on the same day, be pulled out of the Games.

Kevin Ching, from the Taiwan Olympic Commitee, said his accreditation had been immediately withdrawn.

Prandzheva, 28, who won silver and bronze in the triple jump at the 1995 and 1993 World Championships respectively, tested positive for the banned steroid, nandrolone, and was immediately suspended by her National federation, according to Giorgio Reineri, spokesman for the IAAF.

The drug turned up after a test at the London Grand Prix on August 5 and a B test is scheduled for September 20.

``If the B test confirms the first we will put her case to the IAAF's arbitration committee,'' said Dobromir Karamarinov, general secretary of the Bulgarian Athletics Federation, adding that he believed that would only happen after the Sydney Games.

The athlete was not included in the Bulgarian party that arrived in the Olympic city earlier this month. She had previously tested positive for steroids at the Atlanta Olympics, where she was fourth in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump.

Yermakova returned a positive test for furosemide following a meeting in Monaco in May, the sport's international governing body, FINA said in a letter to the International Olympic Committee released on Wednesday.

``The IOC will withdraw the accreditation of the suspended athlete,'' a statement said.