Turkish weightlifter wins silver in Rio, former champion’s Beijing sample test positive for doping

Nurcan Taylan was disqualified from the women’s 48kg weightlifting event in Beijing on Aug. 9 by the IOC after reanalysis of her samples from the Beijing 2008 Games resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substance stanozolol.

“[…] Taylan, 32, of Turkey, competing in the women’s 48kg weightlifting event, has been disqualified from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, in which she did not finish,” the IOC said in a statement.

Taylan, a former Olympic, world and six-time European champion, was banned from the sport in 2012 after testing positive for doping and missed the London Olympics. Taylan won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

She set a world record in the 48kg clean and jerk at the 2010 world championships.

Despite the shame, there was some good news for Turkey on the Rio podium, with Turkmenistan-origin İsmayilov clinching the silver medal in the men’s 69kg competition. He lifted a combined total of 351 kilograms, just one behind gold medal winner Shi Zhiyong of China.

Izzat Artykov claimed third place to clinch Kyrgyzstan’s first ever Olympic weightlifting medal with a combined total of 339kg.

Ismayilov, who represented Turkmenistan four years ago in London before switching his allegiance, said he had been motivated by Turkish protesters who opposed the July 15 coup attempt.

“I had sympathy for the fighting on the streets. They have fought much more than me.

“The way they were fighting with the army in Turkey, that motivated me more than all,” said the 24-year-old silver medalist.