ASTANA – The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has reported that as a result of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) reanalyses of samples from the 2012 London Games, the samples of gold medallists Zulfiya Chinshanlo, Ilya Ilyin, Maya Maneza and Svetlana Podobedova showed positive results. 
“The International Olympic Committee will consider the issue of our athletes concerning their medals and participation in the Olympic Games. If the decision is negative for us, we have 20 days to appeal the decision. After that, the decision is sent to the International Federation and only after that will the final decision be made,” said Deputy Minister of Culture and Sport Saken Musaibekov.
The IWF imposed mandatory provisional suspensions upon the athletes. Under the relevant rules and regulations, they will remain provisionally suspended for potential anti-doping rule violations until their cases are closed. The IWF said it will assume the results management of the cases and report the current standings of the Beijing re-analyses as soon as possible.
The results of the re-analyses showed all four athletes had stanozolol anabolic agents in their samples. Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone was found in Ilyin’s sample and Chinshanlo’s sample also contained oxandrolone.
Musaibekov noted all the samples are considered to be suspicious and the athletes can’t be considered guilty.
“The ministry will help the athletes. We will stand for the athletes to the end,” he added.
Ilyin reacted to the news.
“The information about the positive doping test result was like a thunderstorm on a sunny day to me. According to the IWF regulations, all detailed information about me specifying every day and hour of my life including my locations – everything is available in the ADAMS international system,” he wrote in a post on his Instagram account.
“I am always available and open for anti-doping controllers and meanwhile I have passed anti-doping tests twice this year. The first one was submitted in Poland during the trainings and the second one in Almaty,” said the two-time Olympic and four-time world champion.
Ilyin emphasised each international competition starts with a mandatory anti-doping test for all athletes. He has been submitting to the test since 2004 and all his results have been negative.
“I am continuing my training ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio and I am planning to fight till the end. Our country and sport management authorities are exerting every effort to clarify this awkward situation. I sincerely believe that the situation will find its solution by the end of June,” Ilyin continued.
“I have time till mid-July to apply for the Rio Olympic Games. I truly believe that we can prove the absurdity and groundlessness of all the accusations. Apart from the decision concerning my eligibility, I want all of you to know that I have spent 20 years of my short life in a gym, training three times a day. I have always felt responsibility for my country, my people, and I have always fought to win,” he said.
