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Thursday, September 28
Gold-medal favorite out of hammer


SYDNEY, Australia -- Mihaela Melinte, the women's hammer throw world champion and world record-holder, lost a last-ditch appeal Friday to be reinstated for the Olympic final after being removed for a positive drug test.

Melinte, the gold-medal favorite, was escorted off the field Wednesday before the start of qualifying. The move was ordered by the International Amateur Athletic Federation, which said Melinte tested positive for the steroid nandrolone at a meet in Milan, Italy, on June 7.

The Romanian national Olympic committee filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking a chance for Melinte to qualify for the final Friday night or to have her directly inserted into the final.

The appeal was rejected.

"How could any court interfere with the decision of the IAAF in doping matters?" IAAF general secretary Istvan Gyulai said. "The Olympic Charter says eligibility is up to the international sports federations. It would have been an unbelievable precedent if the ruling had been overturned."

Meanwhile, Gyulai said the Mexican Olympic Committee has filed an appeal with CAS on behalf of Bernardo Segura, who was disqualified moments after crossing the finish line first in the 20-kilometer walk on Sept. 22.

Segura was accused of improperly breaking contact with the ground three times during the race, all in the final 20 minutes. His disqualification sent the gold medal to Robert Korzeniowski of Poland.

It was uncertain when the CAS would issue its verdict.


 


   
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