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Bulgarian weightlifting team out of Olympics
ATTENTION - ADDS quotes, background /// SYDNEY, Sept 22 (AFP) - Bulgaria's weightlifting team has been expelled from the Olympics and suspended for a year after three of its lifters failed drugs tests, the International Weightlifting Federation said Friday. The IWF said in a statement Bulgaria's weightlifters would be suspended from all competition for 12 months after three members of their team tested positive for banned diuretics at the Olympics. "The Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation is suspended forthwith for a period of not less than 12 months pending an investigation," the statement said. "All remaining lifters as well as officers from the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation will not be able to take part in the Olympic Games," it added. The statement was released following an extraordinary executive committee meeting of the IWF. The decision to boot out the Bulgarians comes after women's 48kg gold medallist Izabela Dragneva of Bulgaria and compatriot Sevdalin Minchev, the men's 62kg bronze medallist failed dope tests. Their double test came after silver medallist Ivan Ivanov was banned for testing positive for the same drug. Both tested positive to banned diuretics in tests taken after their competitions earlier this week. Diuretics help to eliminate fluid from the body and are used by competitors to lose weight quickly in sports with weight categories. They can also increase the rate at which urine is produced and eliminated to make it more difficult to detect banned substances.
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