Armenian lifter Sona Poghosyan fails drug test: IWFApril 3, 2018 - 10:37 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia's Sona Poghosyan is among two athletes to have failed a drugs test, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has announced, according to Inside the Games. The lifter failed for GHRP-2, a growth hormone, while Ukraine's former European champion Oleksandr Pielieshenko tested positive for chlorthalidone, a medication used to treat high blood pressure. Both of them participated in the Olympics and have been provisionally suspended. News of Poghosyan's positive comes after allegations of widespread cheating in Armenian weightlifting emerged in the media recently. The Armenian won overall bronze in the under-75kg class at the 2017 European Championships. Weightlifting has been warned by the IOC that it must address its doping problem if it is to retain its place on the Olympic programme at the Paris 2024 Games. Ukraine and Armenia are among the nine nations currently serving a one-year ban issued by the IWF. All nine had three or more of the 49 positives revealed when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) retested samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London using up-to-date technology. Top stories Armenian gymnast, Olympic bronze medalist Artur Davtyan has reached the finals of the World Cup. Gor Manvelyan has denied reports alleging that he has expressed a desire to one day play for the French national team. Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not considering FC Spartak Moscow as his next haven, according to fresh reports. 10 Armenian lifters will compete in the 2021 World Championships scheduled to be held from 7 to 17 December in Tashkent. Partner news | Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. |