Romania to check athletes for Olympics amid doping scandal

The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee has called anti-doping checks for all qualified or qualifying athletes for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Ioan Dobrescu, general secretary of the committee on Friday announced the move after all members of the Romanian canoe kayak team were tested positive for meldonium, reports Xinhua.

"We will insist on absolute controls for all athletes already qualified and for those waiting for qualification," said Dobrescu.

"It is a tragedy for sports and a disarming news," he said, stressing: "We will launch an investigation, because we believe that there are people in the entourage of the athletes who provide the drug."

Leonid Carp (kayak singles, kayak double), Andrei Stefan Strat (canoe double), Elena Meroniac (kayak doubles) and crew of 4-person canoe 4 formed of Traian Neagu, Catalin Turceag, Daniel Burciu and Petrus Gavrila are athletes who tested positive at doping control. They all had obtained qualifications at the 2016 Olympics.

This news comes after canoeist Liviu Dumitrescu, multiple world and European champion, was tested positive for HGH (human growth hormone) during an unannounced doping control of the National Anti-Doping Agency on April 6.

Not only those eight qualified in Rio had taken meldonium but all components of men's and women's senior national team, according to the local media.

It is the biggest doping scandal to hit the Romanian sport ever.

--IANS

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