| Cyclist Hamilton stripped of Athens medal, Ekimov gets gold |
LONDON American cyclist Tyler Hamilton was officially stripped of his Athens 2004 time trial gold medal on Friday ending an eight-year doping case, the International Olympic Committee said.
“I can announce that we have communicated to Tyler Hamilton that he has been disqualified and we will reallocate the medals,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters after a disciplinary commission meeting in London.
The IOC was eager to close the case before the end of the eight-year statute of limitation but had waited for information from the US Anti-Doping Agency in case there was involvement of other riders or coaches in that race.
Retired Russian rider Viatcheslav Ekimov will be awarded Hamilton’s gold medal with American Bobby Julich upgraded to silver and Michael Rogers of Australia moving up from fourth to bronze.
Hamilton was initially allowed to keep his medal in 2004, after testing
positive for blood doping, because the laboratory accidentally destroyed
his B sample by deep-freezing it.
The following year, Hamilton tested positive for a blood transfusion and was banned for two years.
Reuters
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