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Shot putter Astapchuk to lose her Olympic gold medal

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Monday that Nadzeya Astapchuk of Belarus would be stripped of the gold medal that she won in the women’s shot put at the London Olympics because she failed a doping test, BelaPAN said.

According to the IOC, the Belarusian tested positive for the steroid metenolone.

“The athlete was first requested to provide a urine sample for a doping control on 5 August,” the IOC said in a statement. “She competed the next day in the women’s shot put event, where she placed first, and was asked to provide a sample straight after her competition. Both samples indicated the presence of metenolone, which is classified as anabolic agent under the 2012 Prohibited List.”

According to the statement, the National Olympic Committee of Belarus has been ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the medal, diploma and medalist pin that were awarded to the athlete.

The 31-year-old Astapchuk won the women’s shot put with her best effort of 21.36 meters, 66 centimeters further than the best throw of runner-up Valerie Adams of New Zealand.

Ms. Astapchuk was fourth at the 2004 Athens Olympics with a put of 19.01 meters and third at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with 19.86 meters.

On August 7, Alyaksandr Lukashenka awarded Ms. Astapchuk the Third-class Order of the Fatherland in recognition of her “high professionalism, outstanding sports achievements and victory at the 30th Summer Olympic Games.”