16-year-old Romanian weightlifter suspended for doping

Published Dec. 21, 2016 8:29 a.m. ET

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) The International Weightlifting Federation has suspended 16-year-old Alina-Alexandra Popovici for four years and banned Yuliya Kalina for two years for doping.

The federation says Popovici, Romania's national champion in the 48-kilogram category, tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozol in an out-of-competition test.

Popovici, a member of the Botosani Sporting Club, tested positive after she won the national title this year.

Kalina won bronze at the 2012 Olympics but was stripped of her medal this year after a reanalysis of her doping sample.

The federation says four other weightlifters were also suspended: Malvina Soledad Veron of Argentina, Sergei Dolgalev of Kyrgyzstan, Moises Cartagena of Puerto Rico and Adham Badr Masood Marzoq of Yemen.