Rashid Ramzistripped of Beijing gold

Published on Wednesday 18 November 2009 22:11

BAHRAIN'S Olympic 1,500 metres champion Rashid Ramzi has been stripped of his gold medal for doping at the Beijing 2008 Games.

"The IOC today announced sanctions against five athletes who participated in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for having committed anti-doping violations," the International Olympic Committee said in a statement. "The athlete, Rashid Ramzi shall be disqualified from the athletics men's 1,500m event, where he had placed first. He shall have his medal and diploma in the above-mentioned event withdrawn."

Moroccan-born Ramzi, Bahrain's first Olympic champion, was the only gold medallist among the five sanctioned.

The 29-year-old former world champion's positive for the banned blood-booster CERA was announced in April after frozen samples from the Beijing Olympics were re-tested for that specific substance.

Asbel Kipruto Kiprop of Kenya who won silver behind Ramzi now stands to be upgraded to gold, with the decision resting on the IOC. New Zealand's Nicholas Willis took bronze in the 1,500 final and Mehdi Baala of France was fourth.

Italy's cycling road race silver medallist Davide Rebellin was ordered to return his medal by the country's Olympic Committee on Tuesday. The other positive results were from German cyclist Stefan Schumacher, already banned for doping, Greece's 2004 Athens Games 20km walk champion Athanasia Tsoumeleka and Croatian 800 metres runner Vanja Perisic.

First-time offenders face an automatic two-year suspension while repeat offenders could be banned for life. Under IOC rules anyone handed a six-month suspension or longer is also banned from competing in the 2012 Games in London.

Meanwhile, Caster Semenya's future in athletics remains unclear after the sport's world governing body announced no decision would be made on her status this week. The South African, 18, who won 800 metres gold at the World Championships in August, is waiting to hear if she can continue competing as a woman after being asked to undergo gender tests.

Semenya burst on to the world scene this year but was at the centre of controversy in Berlin when it was revealed the IAAF had ordered her to take a gender test.