Romanian lifter withdrawn after failing dope test

Romania withdrew former Olympic medallist weightlifter Traean Ciharean from the Sydney Games on Friday after he tested positive for a banned substance.

"I'm afraid it's true. He tested positive and the national committee decided to withdraw him," Romanian National Olympic Committee spokesman Alex Epuran said.

Ciharean, who won bronze in the 52 kg weight class at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, was to have competed in the 56 kg category in Sydney.

He was still in Sydney on Friday but was expected to leave the Olympic village soon.

Epuran said he did not know when the athlete had tested positive and could not confirm media reports that traces of the anabolic steroid methandienone had been found in Ciharean's urine sample in a test last month.

Ciharean will be the second weightlifter to leave Sydney after failing a dope test.

On Wednesday Taiwanese weightlifter Chen Po-pu became the first athlete to go home from the Games after it was announced he had tested for methandienone in August.

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