The International World Games Association (IWGA) and the International Testing Agency have announced two athletes have been stripped of their World Games gold medals due to a failed drug test.
The World Games took place in Birmingham, Alabama in the U.S. last July.
Italian Muay Thai fighter Sveva Melillo tested positive for canrenone, which is a banned diuretic and known masking agent. She will lose her gold medal from the women’s under-54kg category, meaning Ashley Thiner of the U.S. now wins gold. Laura Burgos of Mexico moves up from bronze to silver, and Yolanda Schmidt of Australia wins the bronze medal.
Canadian lacrosse player Madalyn Baxter also tested positive for canrenone and will be stripped of her gold medal, however the rest of the Canadian team will not face any punishment and will remain the gold medal winners.
“The IWGA anti-doping operations at the World Games 2022 in cooperation with the International Testing Agency are a successful prove of the World Games being a clean multi-sport event at the very highest performance level,” said IWGA Executive Committee member Volker Bernardi.
“The World Games are clean games.”
Italian power lifter Francesca Parrello will lose her bronze medal from the heavyweight category after she tested positive for the steroid methandriol. Her bronze medal will now be given to Cicera Tavares of Brazil.