Russian weightlifter Nadezhda Lomova, ninth Thai fail drug tests

Witsanu Chantri of Thailand competes in the men’s 69kg weightlifting event during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on August 22, 2018. (Photo by MONEY SHARMA / AFP)

BUDAPEST, Hungary— Russian weightlifter Nadezhda Lomova, a former European silver medalist, has been suspended after testing positive for a banned steroid.

The International Weightlifting Federation says Lomova’s sample showed traces of metenolone, but hasn’t given further details of the case.

Lomova, who was second in the women’s 63-kilogram category at the 2012 European championships, is the 15th elite-level lifter to be suspended this year as weightlifting tackles widespread doping problems.

The IWF also says Witsanu Chantri has become the ninth Thai lifter from the country’s world championship team to test positive.

Thailand faces losing three world titles in the various doping cases and has promised not to enter next year’s Olympic weightlifting event. Chantri didn’t win a world championship medal at the competition in November.