A Bulgarian weightlifter was stripped of his silver medal and a hammer thrower from Belarus was kicked out of the Sydney Olympics in the first positive doping cases of the games. Ivanov, a gold medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and former four-time world champion, kissed his barbell after he clinched the medal Saturday, the first full day of competition. Diuretics are used to flush fluid from an athlete's body to reduce weight, but also can be used to mask the presence of other performance-enhancing drugs.
Nandrolone builds muscle and helps athletes recover faster in training.
These were the first athletes banned as a result of tests conducted during the games. Several others had previously been banned as a result of pre-games tests. IOC director general Francois Carrard said Ivanov had already left the Olympic village. Devyatosvsky had been scheduled to start competing Saturday. With Ivanov stripped of the weightlifting silver, the standings were revised.