The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) disqualified three Russian weightlifters, including 2010 European Championship silver medalist and 2009 Russian champion Mikhail Gobeev, for anti-doping rule violations. This was reported by TASS With reference to materials of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).
In addition to Gobeev, 2012 European Youth Championship champion Armen Alekyan and 2013 Russian Cup champion Dmitry Chaly were also suspended from sports activities. They were disqualified based on the LIMS database of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory.
All three committed their violations in 2012. The disqualification period for weightlifters will be 4 years. Gobeev’s disqualification period will expire in April 2026, Alekyan – in June 2026, Chaly – in September of the same year.
On May 12, 2023, the board of directors of the International Weightlifting Federation allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in competitions with neutral status. Athletes who receive neutral status from the IWF must compete only in solid gray uniforms.
A Russian who has participated in three previous Olympics disqualified for doping.