The honor of receiving a medal at the Olympics, any of the three, is above any glory but when the same medal is stripped off your neck, the embarrassment is even more humiliating. The London Olympics 2012 has been filled with disagreements, appeals, doubts, misjudgments, human errors, technical errors and what not. But it’s all over now. The Olympics has had it closing ceremony on Sunday but not before one last scandal took place.
Nadzeya Ostapchuk stripped off her Olympic Gold
The women’s shot put gold winner, Nadzeya Ostapchuk, was stripped off her medal in the latest eye-rolling drug scandal. Ostapchuk had won the gold in her event that took place last week but she tested positive for the usage of a banned anabolic steroid. Two urine samples were taken from the athlete: one prior to the competition and one after the competition and was tested positive for the drug.
The Olympics ended on Sunday, August 12th and the announcement of the medal strip and changeover came a day later. The gold would now be handed to Valerie Adams from New Zealand. Adams had won in the Beijing 2008 as well. This move would then move up Russian Evgeniia Kolodko to getting the silver and the bronze would now go to China’s Gong Lijiao.
Ostapchuk denies the allegations however and says that she will take the case to court and all necessary measures so that she gets a clean chit. Ostapchuk has been the world champion in the year 2005. She also won European championship that took place two years ago. But none of those achievements stand proud when the biggest sports event strips you off your gold and that too for a shameful incident.
She said that she was first tested before she left for the Olympics and she tested negative at the time. There is no need to take such an outdated drug such as steroids, she defends.
“In total, I’ve been tested 16 times since April. You must be a complete idiot to take doping just before the competition especially such an outdated drug as a steroid, knowing you’re going to be tested not once but probably several times”.
Ostapchuk said that this was complete prejudice to the Belarusian athletes by the Olympic officials. But now with the games over, the show cold and the tracks empty, only further investigations would help clear her name.
Tags: Gold Medal, London Olympics 2012, Nadzeya Ostapchuk, Olympics, Shot Put
