Former European medallist out of weightlifting world championships after failing dope test

Doping continues to haunt Russian sport after the former European weightlifting medallist tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug on Tuesday.

Rodion Bochkov, 28, has been handed a provisional suspension by the International Testing Authority (ITA) for violating anti-doping regulations. He will miss December's slated world championship.

Rodion Bochkov’s doping sample was collected in 2012. He tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone metabolite (DHCMT).

"The analysis of the sample revealed an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for the prohibited steroid dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone metabolite (DHCMT)," according to a statement from the ITA.

Rodion Bochkov has been informed about the suspension and now has the right to make an appeal. He can request a B-sample analysis.

“The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter. He has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample," the statement reads.

The doping case is being handled solely by the ITA and the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has no role to play.

"Pursuant to the IWF’s [International Weightlifting Federation] delegation of its anti-doping program to the ITA, the prosecution of the case is being handled entirely by the ITA," the statement added.

Rodion Bochkov is a bronze medal winner of the 2019 European Championship as well as the silver medal winner of the 2017 FISU Summer Universiade.

Rodion Bochkov to miss the weightlifting world championships

Doping continues to plague Russian sports

The Russian lifter is all set to miss the weightlifting world championships scheduled to be held from December 7 to 17 in Tashkent.

The capital city of Uzbekistan hosted the IWF Junior World Championships in May this year, and a month earlier organized the Asian Weightlifting Championships.

Tashkent will also host the IWF’s all-important electoral congress. The IWF is due to elect its first permanent president since disgraced Tamas Ajan at the Electoral Congress.