Olympic Champions Fail Drug Tests; Norway Tops 2014 Medal Prediction

Olympic Champion, Medalists, Among Failed Re-Tests

The International Association of Athletics Federations announced on Friday that five medallists from the 2005 world championships in Helsinki tested positive for banned substances in a re-test of samples.

Belarusians Andrei Mikhnevic, Ivan Tsikhan, Vadim Devyatovskiy and Nadzeya Ostapchuk and Tatyana Kotova and Olga Kuzenkova of Russia were the named athletes who returned adverse analytical findings. IAAF did not say what substances the tests found.

Many of the athletes have already failed drug tests and lost Olympic medals as a result.

Most recently Ostapchuk lost her gold in shot put at the London Olympics. Devyatovskiy and Tskihan were stripped of their silver and bronze medals at the Beijing Olympics. Kuzenkova won a gold and silver in hammer throw at the 2004 and 2000 Olympics. Kotova won bronze in long jump at the Athens Games.

All will face disciplinary hearings from the federation.

"The IAAF’s message to cheaters is increasingly clear that, with constant advancements being made in doping detection, there is no place to hide," IAAF President Lamine Diack said in a statement. "This re-testing is just the latest example of the IAAF’s firm resolve to expose cheating in our sport. The IAAF will continue to do everything in its power to ensure the credibility of competition, and where the rules have been broken, will systematically uncover the cheats."

Norway Tops Canada in 2014 Medal Projection

Norway is atop a medal projection for the Sochi Olympics.

The Virtual Medal Tally released by Infostrada Sports predicts Norway will win 39 medals next year including 16 gold.

Germany will win 36 medals according to the estimates while the United States will finish third with 31 medals. Canada will win as many golds as Norway.

Perhaps unsettling for hosts Russia, they are predicted to win 15 medals—the same number as in Vancouver which was widely viewed as a disappointment.

Infostrada Sports writes "the improvement in Norway’s gold medal count is primarily due to three World Championship victories over the last month."

Standings are calculated using a formula of performance at events with world-class fields since the Vancouver Olympics.

Indian Meeting IOC in April

India’s sport secretary says he hopes to have a meeting the IOC in April to plot a course for a lifting of the suspension of the Indian Olympic Association.

"I'm in touch with IOA officials who have been corresponding with the IOC and am hoping to finalize the dates of our meetings in April," P.K.Deb told The Associated Press. "We are hopeful things will be sorted out soon."

"They'd wanted the meetings in March but that might be difficult since our minister will be busy in the ongoing Parliament session til March-end."

The IOC suspended the IOA over concerns of government interference.

Norman to Develop Golf in China

Greg Norman announced he will coach and develop golfers in China.

Norman, a former No. 1 ranked player in the world, was named as an advisory coach for the Chinese Golf Association.

In his new role, Norman will select the golfers to represent China at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Written by Ed Hula III.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.