Ukraine Positive Drug Test Means Medal for Australia

A fast final sprint by Ukraine in the women's quad brought them from fourth to bronze medal ahead of reigning World Champions Australia. Australia's disappointment was obvious. The joy demonstrated by Ukraine was tremendous.

A positive drug test reversed this situation.

Four days after the medal ceremony the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Ukraine's Olena Olefirenko had tested positive for the prohibited stimulant Ethamivan and the team would be disqualified from the event. This stripped all four members of the quad of their bronze medal and awarded Australia their only rowing medal for their women's squad.

The IOC Disciplinary Commission did note that the official doping control records of Olefirenko had declared the medication Instenon which contains the banned substance Ethamivan. This medication was given to Olefirenko by team doctor Ganna Gryshchenko. The Ukraine Olympic Committee was asked to return the medals and diplomas of Olefirenko and her team mates, Tetyana Kolesnikova, Yana Dementyeva and Olena Morozova.

FISA's president and IOC executive board member Denis Oswald was reported by BBC Sport as saying, "She (Olefirenko) had listed the product believing in good faith it was something permitted and there was no way she could be aware it contained a prohibited substance."

The IOC will forward the file to FISA who will follow the full procedure for an anti-doping case in terms of sanctions. FISA will also consider possible action against Dr. Gryshchenko which could include banning her from future Olympic Games.

During the Olympic Games 12 athletes were banned due to positive tests and one boxer was banned just days before the Olympics. Seven of those banned during the Games were medalists including gold medalist Andrian Annus of Hungary, winner of the hammer throw, Robert Fazekas of Hungary who won the discus and Russian Irina Korzhaneko who won the shot put. Olefirenko was the only rower to test positive.

The IOC aimed to test 3,000 athletes during the Athens Olympics, an increase of 25% on the number of tests performed at Sydney.