20 Russian weightlifters accused of doping

The investigation was carried out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in conjunction with Professor Richard McLaren. The investigation also used data from the Moscow Laboratory (LIMS).

The ITA added that eight of the twenty cases are still pending. 12 athletes were disqualified, writes "Soviet Sport".

Suspended d vukratny world champion, and European Ruslan Albegov, twice European champion Oleg Chen (pictured), Igor Klimonov (96 kg), the world champion, and European Tim Turieva (63 kg), twice European champion David Bejanyan (105 kg), Chingiz Mogushkov (over 105 kg), European champion Adam Maligov (94 kg), Magomed Abuev (over 105 kg) and Yulia Konovalova (75 kg). They were suspended for four years from the competition. Three-time world champion Nadezhda Evstyukhina (75 kg) has been suspended for two years. Maxim Sheiko and Dmitry Lapikov were suspended for six and eight years, respectively.

Cases have been opened against two-time European champion Andrei Demanov (94 and 105 kg), Rinat Kireev (94 kg), Arsen Boraganov (77 kg), Felix Khalibekov (62 kg), world champion Svetlana Shimkova (69 kg), Tatyana Aleeva (63 kg), Ekaterina Katina (96 kg) and Olympic champion, three-time world champion and six-time European champion Oksana Slivenko (69 kg).

After the end of the investigation of the allegations of concealing positive samples for doping, the President of the European Weightlifting Federation Hassan Akkus, the Vice-President of the International Athletics Federation Nik Vlada and the ex-head of the organization Tamasha Ayana.

Earlier it was noted that 298 Russian athletes were tested for doping. Earlier, Russian weightlifter world champion Alexei Lovchev was caught doping. He tried to challenge the disqualification up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, but the court sided with him. This decision is final and not subject to appeal. The athlete's only chance is to examine whether all protocols and Swiss laws have been followed in the consideration of the case. "If the slightest opportunity arises to challenge the decision of the CAS, then our next and only possible move is the Supreme Court of Switzerland," the athlete said earlier in an interview with Soviet Sport.