Olympic Gold Medalist Stripped of Medal

I guess it was just a matter of time. It's bad enough that the athletes participating in the Olympic Badminton event were cheating, but now there are athletes who actually cheat in other ways! Nadzeya Ostapchuk, of Belarus, a shot putter, is now the first athlete to be stripped of a medal at the London Olympics after her gold was withdrawn today for doping. The International Olympic Committee said Ostapchuk tested positive for the steroid metenolone, which is on the list of drugs not accepted at the Olympics.  She won the shot put a week earlier. She was tested the day before her competition and again following the event- both samples were positive.

Here is what the Olympic committee had to say concerning Belarus:

The (Olympic committee) of Belarus is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the medal, diploma and medallist pin awarded to the athlete in relation to the above-noted event,'' the IOC said in a statement.

According to The Daily Mail Online, she is not the only athlete to have failed a test at this years Olympics.

Russian track cyclist Victoria Baranova was sent home after a pre-Games test was positive for traces of testosterone in her blood, and Syrian hurdler Ghfran Almouhama was sent packing after methylhexaneamine was found in her system.

Although there have been others disqualified and sent home at the London 2012 Games, Ostapchukis the first athlete to have a winning medal stripped from her.

What a shame that these athletes would even try and cheat! It is a disgrace to those that put their heart and soul in training to live out a dream of being an Olympian. Personally I feel they should be punished more severely.

What do you think?