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Yarelys Barrios stripped of Beijing silver after failing anti-doping test

By Erik Andreassen

Thursday 1 September 2016 13:30, UK

Yarelys Barrios took a silver medal in Beijing 2008, but tested positive for a masking agent and have now lost her medal
Image: Yarelys Barrios loses Beijing silver after testing positive for masking agent

The International Olympic Committee has stripped Cuban discus thrower Yarelys Barrios of her silver medal from the Beijing Olympics after she failed an anti-doping test.

A re-analysis of Barrios' samples from the 2008 Games resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substance acetazolamide, a diuretic and masking agent, an IOC statement confirmed.  

Qatar's Samuel Francis, who reached the semi-finals of the 100m in Beijing, has also been disqualified after a positive test for the synthetic steroid stanozolol.

Samuel Francis finished 16th in the 100 metres in the Beijing Games, and has also been disqualified over doping
Image: Samuel Francis, a 100m semi-finalist in Beijing, also disqualified over doping

The disqualifications are a result of IOC's special measures put in place before the Rio Olympics.

Stored samples from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 are re-tested with improved methods following an intelligence-gathering process which began in August last year. 

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The process has already borne fruit for the IOC. Up to 98 samples had returned positive earlier in August, and includes a number of medallists.

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